Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butter, unsalted
versus
shortening
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butter, unsalted and shortening:
Both butter, unsalted and shortening are high in calories. Shortening has 23% more calories than butter, unsalted - butter, unsalted has 717 calories per 100 grams and shortening has 884 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butter, unsalted is similar to shortening for protein, carbs and fat. Butter, unsalted has a macronutrient ratio of 0:0:100 and for shortening, 0:0:100 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Butter, Unsalted | Shortening | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 100% | 100% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Both butter, unsalted and shortening are low in carbohydrates - butter, unsalted has 0.06g of total carbs per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
Butter, unsalted and shortening contain similar amounts of sugar - butter, unsalted has 0.06g of sugar per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
Butter, unsalted has more protein than shortening - butter, unsalted has 0.85g of protein per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
Both butter, unsalted and shortening are high in saturated fat. Butter, unsalted has 102% more saturated fat than shortening - butter, unsalted has 50.5g of saturated fat per 100 grams and shortening has 25g of saturated fat.
Shortening is high in trans fat and butter, unsalted has less trans fat than shortening - shortening has 13.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and butter, unsalted does not contain significant amounts.
Butter, unsalted is high in cholesterol and shortening has less cholesterol than butter, unsalted - butter, unsalted has 215mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
Butter, unsalted is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than shortening - butter, unsalted has 684ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
Shortening has 164% more Vitamin E than butter, unsalted - butter, unsalted has 2.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and shortening has 6.1mg of Vitamin E.
Shortening has 660% more Vitamin K than butter, unsalted - butter, unsalted has 7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and shortening has 53.2ug of Vitamin K.
Shortening has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, butter, unsalted contains more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Butter, Unsalted | Shortening | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.005 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.034 MG | ~ |
| Niacin | 0.042 MG | ~ |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.11 MG | 0.68 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.003 MG | 0.001 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | ~ |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.17 UG | ~ |
Butter, unsalted has 23 times more calcium than shortening - butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and shortening has 1mg of calcium.
Butter, unsalted and shortening contain similar amounts of iron - butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron per 100 grams and shortening has 0.07mg of iron.
Butter, unsalted has more potassium than shortening - butter, unsalted has 24mg of potassium per 100 grams and shortening does not contain significant amounts.
For omega-3 fatty acids, both butter, unsalted and shortening contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Butter, Unsalted | Shortening | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 1.18 G | 1.883 G |
| Total | 1.18 G | 1.883 G |
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, shortening has more linoleic acid than butter, unsalted per 100 grams.
| Butter, Unsalted | Shortening | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.138 G | 0.428 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.83 G | 26.213 G |
| Total | 1.968 G | 26.641 G |
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: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Shortening (Shortening, vegetable, household, composite) .
Butter, Unsalted g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Shortening 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 | |||