Cheddar Cheese vs. Cream Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar 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
cheddar cheese
versus
cream cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and cream cheese:
- Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Cream cheese has more niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 15% more calories than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 403 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to cream cheese for carbs. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for cream cheese, 7:6:87 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 6% |
| Fat | 74% | 87% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - cheddar cheese has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 272% more protein than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in saturated fat. Cream cheese has a little more saturated fat (7%) than cheddar cheese by weight - cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Cheddar cheese has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cheddar cheese has a little more Vitamin A (9%) than cream cheese by weight - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cream cheese has more niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cheddar Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.23 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.517 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.056 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.22 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 632% more calcium than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Cream cheese has 74% more potassium than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 76mg 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 cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Cheddar Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 85 UG | 59 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA.
| Cheddar Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.131 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | 0.01 G |
| DPA | 0.017 G | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.161 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cheddar cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cheddar Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | 0.036 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 1.212 G |
| Total | 1.207 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cream Cheese g
()
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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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 % |
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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 cheddar cheese or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 20% more calories than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 403 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does cheddar cheese or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both cheddar cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 630% more calcium than cream cheese - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.