Kefir vs. Vanilla Yogurt
Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Vanilla Yogurt
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kefir
versus
vanilla yogurt
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kefir and vanilla yogurt:
- Both kefir and vanilla yogurt are high in calcium.
- Kefir has 57% less calories than vanilla yogurt.
- Kefir has 65% less carbohydrates than vanilla yogurt.
- Kefir has 66% less sugar than vanilla yogurt.
- Kefir has 67% less saturated fat than vanilla yogurt.
- Kefir has more pantothenic acid.
- Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Vanilla yogurt is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Vanilla Yogurt (Yogurt, vanilla, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kefir has 57% less calories than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 100 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kefir is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to vanilla yogurt per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for vanilla yogurt, 19:53:28 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kefir | Vanilla Yogurt | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 53% |
| Fat | 21% | 28% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kefir has 65% less carbohydrates than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 13.5g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kefir and vanilla yogurt are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Kefir has 66% less sugar than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 13.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 4.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kefir has 67% less saturated fat than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and vanilla yogurt are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of cholesterol - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 10mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 0.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 511% more Vitamin A than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 28ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has more Vitamin D than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kefir has more pantothenic acid. Both kefir and vanilla yogurt contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Kefir | Vanilla Yogurt | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.03 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.135 MG | 0.197 MG |
| Niacin | 0.15 MG | 0.105 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.385 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.058 MG | 0.044 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 11 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.29 UG | 0.52 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and vanilla yogurt are high in calcium. Vanilla yogurt has 29% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 168mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Vanilla yogurt is a great source of potassium and it has 31% more potassium than kefir - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 215mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, vanilla yogurt has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kefir per 100 grams.
| Kefir | Vanilla Yogurt | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.006 G | 0.038 G |
| DPA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.038 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both kefir and vanilla yogurt contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Kefir | Vanilla Yogurt | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.068 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.068 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 Vanilla Yogurt (Yogurt, vanilla, whole milk) .
Kefir g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Vanilla Yogurt 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 kefir or vanilla yogurt contain more calories in 100 grams?Kefir has 60% less calories than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and vanilla yogurt has 100 calories.
Is kefir or vanilla yogurt better for protein?
Kefir and vanilla yogurt contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 4.8g of protein.
Does kefir or vanilla yogurt have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kefir has 70% fewer carbohydrates than vanilla yogurt - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and vanilla yogurt has 13.5g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kefir and vanilla yogurt are both made of 100% sugar.
Does kefir or vanilla yogurt contain more calcium?
Both kefir and vanilla yogurt are high in calcium. Vanilla yogurt has 30% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and vanilla yogurt has 168mg of calcium.