Greek Yogurt vs. Kefir
Nutrition comparison of Greek Yogurt and Kefir
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
greek yogurt
versus
kefir
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in greek yogurt and kefir:
- Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium.
- Greek yogurt is a great source of protein.
- Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kefir has 41% less calories than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 73 calories per 100 grams and kefir has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, greek yogurt is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to kefir for fat. Greek yogurt has a macronutrient ratio of 55:22:24 and for kefir, 35:44:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Greek Yogurt | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 55% | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 22% | 44% |
| Fat | 24% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both greek yogurt and kefir are low in carbohydrates - greek yogurt has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in greek yogurt and kefir are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of sugar - greek yogurt has 3.6g of sugar per 100 grams and kefir has 4.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 163% more protein than kefir - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of saturated fat - greek yogurt has 1.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both greek yogurt and kefir are low in trans fat - greek yogurt has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of cholesterol - greek yogurt has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kefir has 5mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - greek yogurt has 0.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 90% more Vitamin A than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 90ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has more Vitamin D than greek yogurt - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and greek yogurt does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - greek yogurt has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both greek yogurt and kefir contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Greek Yogurt | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.044 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.233 MG | 0.135 MG |
| Niacin | 0.197 MG | 0.15 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.47 MG | 0.385 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.055 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.52 UG | 0.29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium. Kefir has 13% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium per 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.
iron
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of iron - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04mg of iron.
potassium
Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of potassium - greek yogurt has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and kefir has 164mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both greek yogurt and kefir contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Greek Yogurt | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.007 G | 0.006 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.007 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both greek yogurt and kefir contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Greek Yogurt | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.002 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.065 G | 0.042 G |
| Total | 0.067 G | 0.044 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Greek Yogurt or Kefir .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) .
Greek Yogurt g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kefir g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does greek yogurt or kefir contain more calories in 100 grams?Kefir has 40% less calories than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 73 calories in 100g and kefir has 43 calories.
Is greek yogurt or kefir better for protein?
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 160% more protein than kefir - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.
Does greek yogurt or kefir have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both greek yogurt and kefir are low in carbohydrates - greek yogurt has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in greek yogurt and kefir are both made of 100% sugar.
Does greek yogurt or kefir contain more calcium?
Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium. Kefir has 10% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium in 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.