Buttermilk vs. Cheddar Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Cheddar Cheese


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of buttermilk versus cheddar cheese (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and cheddar cheese:

  • Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium.
  • Buttermilk has 8 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
  • Cheddar cheese has 9.1 times less sugar than buttermilk.
  • Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin.
  • Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more dpa than buttermilk.
Detailed nutritional comparison of buttermilk and cheddar cheese is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Buttermilk src
Image of Cheddar Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cheddar cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 85% less calories than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 62 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to cheddar cheese for protein. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for cheddar cheese, 23:3:74 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese
Protein 21% 23%
Carbohydrates 32% 3%
Fat 48% 74%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - buttermilk has 4.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Cheddar cheese has 9.1 times less sugar than buttermilk - buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 612% more protein than buttermilk - buttermilk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 90% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Buttermilk has 8 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 617% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Buttermilk has 117% more Vitamin D than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Buttermilk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Buttermilk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin. Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese
Thiamin 0.047 MG 0.029 MG
Riboflavin 0.172 MG 0.428 MG
Niacin 0.09 MG 0.059 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.41 MG
Vitamin B6 0.036 MG 0.066 MG
Folate 5 UG 27 UG
Vitamin B12 0.46 UG 1.1 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 517% more calcium than buttermilk - buttermilk has 115mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

iron

Buttermilk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of iron - buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

potassium

Buttermilk has 78% more potassium than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 135mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg 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 Cheddar Cheese
beta-carotene 7 UG 85 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more DPA than buttermilk per 100 grams. Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.076 G 0.114 G
DHA ~ 0.001 G
EPA ~ 0.01 G
DPA ~ 0.017 G
Total 0.076 G 0.142 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.

Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese
linoleic acid 0.122 G 1.171 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.036 G
Total 0.122 G 1.207 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 Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) .

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FAQ

Does buttermilk or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cheddar cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 90% less calories than cheddar cheese - buttermilk has 62 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

Does buttermilk or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both buttermilk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - buttermilk has 4.9g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

Does buttermilk or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both buttermilk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 520% more calcium than buttermilk - buttermilk has 115mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.