Cheddar Cheese vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheddar cheese
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and milk:
- Both milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium.
- Cheddar cheese has 9.5 times less sugar than milk.
- Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, milk contains more niacin.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
- Milk has 11.3 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheddar cheese is high in calories and milk has 88% less calories than cheddar cheese - milk has 50 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 milk per calorie. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 38% |
| Fat | 74% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both milk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese has 9.5 times less sugar than milk - milk has 5.1g 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 593% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and milk has 93% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - milk has 1.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and cheddar cheese are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Milk has 11.3 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 513% more Vitamin A than milk - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has 104% more Vitamin D than cheddar cheese - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk has 0.2ug 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, milk contains more niacin. Both cheddar cheese and milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cheddar Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 492% more calcium than milk - milk has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of iron - milk has 0.02mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Milk has 84% more potassium than cheddar cheese - milk has 140mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than milk per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.008 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.017 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.048 G | 0.004 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 0.062 G |
| Total | 1.219 G | 0.066 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 Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Milk 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 milk or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheddar cheese is high in calories and milk has 90% less calories than cheddar cheese - milk has 50 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does milk or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both milk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does milk or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 490% more calcium than milk - milk has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.