Cheddar Cheese vs. Kefir
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Kefir
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheddar cheese
versus
kefir
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and kefir:
- Both kefir and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
- Cheddar cheese has 8.6 times less sugar than kefir.
- Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, kefir contains more niacin.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Kefir has 18.8 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheddar cheese is high in calories and kefir has 89% less calories than cheddar cheese - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to kefir per calorie. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for kefir, 35:44:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 44% |
| Fat | 74% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese has 8.6 times less sugar than kefir - kefir has 4.6g 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 503% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and kefir has 97% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and cheddar cheese are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kefir has 18.8 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both kefir and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cheddar cheese has 97% more Vitamin A than kefir - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has 71% more Vitamin D than cheddar cheese - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Kefir and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug 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, kefir contains more niacin. Both cheddar cheese and kefir contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cheddar Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.135 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.15 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.385 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 446% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir has 116% more potassium than cheddar cheese - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.006 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.017 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.007 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | 0.002 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 0.042 G |
| Total | 1.207 G | 0.044 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kefir g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheddar cheese is high in calories and kefir has 90% less calories than cheddar cheese - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Is kefir or cheddar cheese better for protein?
Cheddar cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 500% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Does kefir or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does kefir or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both kefir and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 450% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.