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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese and cream 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheese src
Image of Cream Cheese src

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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cheese or Cream Cheese .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
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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.