Cheese vs. Bittersweet Chocolate
Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Bittersweet Chocolate
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheese
versus
bittersweet chocolate
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and bittersweet chocolate:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in calcium, calories, protein and saturated fat.
- Bittersweet chocolate has 46.5 times less cholesterol than cheese.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Cheese has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese.
- Cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate.
- Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 67% more calories than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to bittersweet chocolate for fat. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheese | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 18% |
| Fat | 75% | 73% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Bittersweet chocolate and cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in protein. Cheese has 64% more protein than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 101% more saturated fat than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Bittersweet chocolate has 46.5 times less cholesterol than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cheese has more Vitamin D than bittersweet chocolate - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both cheese and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Cheese | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.318 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Niacin | 0.114 MG | 1.355 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.249 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.061 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 28 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.23 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 552% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 28 times more iron than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of potassium and it has 876% more potassium than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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, cheese has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 56 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 38 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.332 G | 0.117 G |
| Total | 0.332 G | 0.117 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bittersweet chocolate has more linoleic acid than cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.532 G | 1.435 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.553 G |
| Total | 0.532 G | 1.988 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .
Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Bittersweet Chocolate 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 bittersweet chocolate or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 70% more calories than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or cheese contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 550% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or cheese contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 28 times more iron than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or cheese contain more potassium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of potassium and it has 880% more potassium than cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheese has 85mg of potassium.