Kefir vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kefir
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kefir and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and kefir are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
- Kefir has 8.8 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
- Kefir has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12.
- Ricotta cheese has 16 times less sugar than kefir.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and kefir has 71% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and kefir has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kefir is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to ricotta cheese per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kefir | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 19% |
| Fat | 21% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and kefir contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese has 16 times less sugar than kefir - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and kefir has 4.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese has 99% more protein than kefir - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and kefir has 90% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and kefir are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Kefir has 8.8 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kefir has 5mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both ricotta cheese and kefir are high in Vitamin A. Kefir has 43% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has 310% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kefir has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12. Both kefir and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Kefir | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.03 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.135 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.15 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.385 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.058 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.29 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and kefir are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 58% more calcium than kefir - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and kefir contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 34% more potassium than kefir - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and kefir has 164mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kefir per 100 grams. Both kefir and ricotta cheese contain small amounts of DPA.
| Kefir | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.006 G | 0.043 G |
| DPA | 0.001 G | 0.006 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more linoleic acid than kefir per 100 grams.
| Kefir | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.012 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.356 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.368 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: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Kefir g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 ricotta cheese or kefir contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and kefir has 70% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and kefir has 43 calories.
Is ricotta cheese or kefir better for protein?
Ricotta cheese has 100% more protein than kefir - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.
Does ricotta cheese or kefir have more carbohydrates?
By weight, ricotta cheese and kefir contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does ricotta cheese or kefir contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and kefir are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 60% more calcium than kefir - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.