Buttermilk vs. Cream Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Cream Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
cream cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and cream cheese:
- Both buttermilk and cream cheese are high in calcium.
- Buttermilk has 8.1 times less cholesterol than cream cheese.
- Buttermilk has more Vitamin B12.
- Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than cream cheese.
- Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more dpa than buttermilk.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cream cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 82% less calories than cream cheese - buttermilk has 62 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cream cheese per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for cream cheese, 7:6:87 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 6% |
| Fat | 48% | 87% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - buttermilk has 4.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cream cheese has 92% more protein than buttermilk - buttermilk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cream cheese is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 91% less saturated fat than cream cheese - buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Buttermilk has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Buttermilk has 8.1 times less cholesterol than cream cheese - buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 555% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than cream cheese - buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Buttermilk has more Vitamin B12. Both buttermilk and cream cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Buttermilk | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.23 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.517 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.056 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | 0.22 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both buttermilk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 19% more calcium than cream cheese - buttermilk has 115mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - buttermilk has 135mg of potassium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 132mg 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,
| Buttermilk | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 59 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more DPA than buttermilk per 100 grams. Both buttermilk and cream cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Buttermilk | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.131 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.161 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cream cheese has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 1.212 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| Total | 0.122 G | 1.248 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: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cream Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does buttermilk or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cream cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 80% less calories than cream cheese - buttermilk has 62 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does buttermilk or cream cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, buttermilk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - buttermilk has 4.9g of carbs for 100g and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
Does buttermilk or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both buttermilk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 20% more calcium than cream cheese - buttermilk has 115mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.