Cream Cheese vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cream Cheese and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cream cheese
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cream cheese and milk:
- Both milk and cream cheese are high in calcium.
- Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Milk has 11.6 times less cholesterol than cream cheese.
- Milk has 12.8 times less trans fat than cream cheese.
- Milk has more Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cream cheese is high in calories and milk has 86% less calories than cream cheese - milk has 50 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cream cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to milk per calorie. Cream cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 7:6:87 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cream Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 6% | 38% |
| Fat | 87% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cream cheese has 86% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cream cheese is high in saturated fat and milk has 94% less saturated fat than cream cheese - milk has 1.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Milk has 12.8 times less trans fat than cream cheese - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Milk has 11.6 times less cholesterol than cream cheese - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 460% more Vitamin A than milk - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than cream cheese - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Milk has more Vitamin B12. Both cream cheese and milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cream Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.23 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.517 MG | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.056 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.22 UG | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both milk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Milk has 24% more calcium than cream cheese - milk has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - milk has 0.02mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - milk has 140mg of potassium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 132mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Cream Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 59 UG | 4 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 7 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than milk per 100 grams.
| Cream Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.131 G | 0.008 G |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.161 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cream cheese has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Cream Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.045 G | 0.004 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.212 G | 0.062 G |
| Total | 1.257 G | 0.066 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .
Cream Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Milk 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 milk or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cream cheese is high in calories and milk has 90% less calories than cream cheese - milk has 50 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does milk or cream cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
Does milk or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both milk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Milk has 20% more calcium than cream cheese - milk has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.