Cheddar Cheese vs. Parmesan Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Cheese


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cheddar cheese versus parmesan cheese (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese:

  • Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories, protein and saturated fat.
  • Parmesan cheese has more niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheddar Cheese src
Image of Parmesan Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese is very similar to parmesan cheese for calories - parmesan cheese has 392 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to parmesan cheese for carbs. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for parmesan cheese, 38:3:59 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheddar Cheese Parmesan Cheese
Protein 23% 38%
Carbohydrates 3% 3%
Fat 74% 59%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - parmesan cheese has 3.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 56% more protein than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in saturated fat. Cheddar cheese has 27% more saturated fat than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Parmesan cheese has 31% less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cheddar cheese has 63% more Vitamin A than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Parmesan cheese has more niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more folate. Both cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

Cheddar Cheese Parmesan Cheese
Thiamin 0.029 MG 0.039 MG
Riboflavin 0.428 MG 0.332 MG
Niacin 0.059 MG 0.271 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.41 MG 0.453 MG
Vitamin B6 0.066 MG 0.091 MG
Folate 27 UG 7 UG
Vitamin B12 1.1 UG 1.2 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 67% more calcium than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

iron

Parmesan cheese has 486% more iron than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

potassium

Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg 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, both cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.

Cheddar Cheese Parmesan Cheese
beta-carotene 85 UG 66 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, parmesan cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cheddar cheese per 100 grams, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.

Cheddar Cheese Parmesan Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.114 G 0.297 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.01 G ~
DPA 0.017 G ~
Total 0.142 G 0.297 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.

Cheddar Cheese Parmesan Cheese
other omega 6 0.036 G ~
linoleic acid 1.171 G 0.272 G
Total 1.207 G 0.272 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 Cheddar Cheese or Parmesan Cheese .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) .

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FAQ

Does parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese is quite similar to parmesan cheese for calories - parmesan cheese has 392 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

Is parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese better for protein?
Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 60% more protein than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Does parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 70% more calcium than cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.