Cheese vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheese
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and cheese are high in calcium.
- Cheese has more folate and Vitamin B12.
- Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
- Whole milk has 8.5 times less cholesterol than cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 84% less calories than cheese - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheese is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for whole milk, 21:31:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 31% |
| Fat | 75% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole milk and cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheese has less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 647% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 88% less saturated fat than cheese - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Whole milk has 8.5 times less cholesterol than cheese - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 278% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has 143% more Vitamin D than cheese - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheese has more folate and Vitamin B12. Both cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.318 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.114 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.249 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.061 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.23 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 483% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Cheese has 18 times more iron than whole milk - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk has 55% more potassium than cheese - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.332 G | 0.075 G |
| Total | 0.332 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheese has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.532 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 0.532 G | 0.12 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 Whole Milk .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
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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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 whole milk or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than cheese - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Does whole milk or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 480% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.