Cheese vs. Cream Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Cream Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheese
versus
cream cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and cream cheese:
- Both cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Cheese has more Vitamin B12.
- Cheese is an excellent source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Cheese has a little more calories (10%) than cream cheese by weight - cheese has 384 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to cream cheese per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for cream cheese, 7:6:87 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 6% |
| Fat | 75% | 87% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheese has less sugar than cream cheese - cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 283% more protein than cream cheese - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cheese and cream cheese are high in saturated fat. Cream cheese has 26% more saturated fat than cheese - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Cheese has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cream cheese has 77% more Vitamin A than cheese - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cheese has more Vitamin D than cream cheese - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheese has more Vitamin B12. Both cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.318 MG | 0.23 MG |
| Niacin | 0.114 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.249 MG | 0.517 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.061 MG | 0.056 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.23 UG | 0.22 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 579% more calcium than cream cheese - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Cheese has 436% more iron than cream cheese - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Cream cheese has 55% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg 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, both cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 56 UG | 59 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cream cheese per 100 grams, however, cream cheese contains more dpa than cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.332 G | 0.131 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.332 G | 0.161 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cream cheese has more linoleic acid than cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.532 G | 1.212 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| Total | 0.532 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) .
Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cream Cheese 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 cheese or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Cheese has a little more calories ( 10%) than cream cheese by weight - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does cheese or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 580% more calcium than cream cheese - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.