Cheese vs. Kefir
Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Kefir
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheese
versus
kefir
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and kefir:
- Both kefir and cheese are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
- Cheese has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12.
- Cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Kefir has 18 times less cholesterol than cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheese is high in calories and kefir has 89% less calories than cheese - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to kefir per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for kefir, 35:44:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 44% |
| Fat | 75% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheese has less sugar than kefir - kefir has 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 521% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheese is high in saturated fat and kefir has 96% less saturated fat than cheese - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and cheese are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kefir has 18 times less cholesterol than cheese - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both kefir and cheese are high in Vitamin A. Kefir is very similar to kefir for Vitamin A - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has 95% more Vitamin D than cheese - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Kefir and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheese has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12. Both cheese and kefir contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.318 MG | 0.135 MG |
| Niacin | 0.114 MG | 0.15 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.249 MG | 0.385 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.061 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.23 UG | 0.29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 407% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Cheese has 13 times more iron than kefir - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir has 93% more potassium than cheese - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.332 G | 0.006 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.332 G | 0.007 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheese has more linoleic acid than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.532 G | 0.042 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.532 G | 0.044 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 Kefir .
Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kefir 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 kefir or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheese is high in calories and kefir has 90% less calories than cheese - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Is kefir or cheese better for protein?
Cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 520% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Does kefir or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
Does kefir or cheese contain more calcium?
Both kefir and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 410% more calcium than kefir - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.