Cream Cheese vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cream 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
cream cheese
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cream cheese and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and cream cheese are high in calcium.
- Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more dpa than whole milk.
- Whole milk has 9.1 times less cholesterol than cream cheese.
- Whole milk has more Vitamin B12.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than cream cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) 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
Cream cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 83% less calories than cream cheese - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cream cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Cream cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 7:6:87 and for whole milk, 21:31:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cream Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 6% | 31% |
| Fat | 87% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cream cheese has 95% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cream cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 91% less saturated fat than cream cheese - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Whole milk has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Whole milk has 9.1 times less cholesterol than cream cheese - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 570% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than cream cheese - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole milk has more Vitamin B12. Both cream cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cream Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.23 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.517 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.056 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.22 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Whole milk has 16% more calcium than cream cheese - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - whole milk has 132mg 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,
| Cream Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 59 UG | 7 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 7 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more DPA than whole milk per 100 grams. Both cream cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Cream Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.131 G | 0.075 G |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.161 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cream cheese has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Cream Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.212 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 1.248 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 Cream Cheese or Whole Milk .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Cream Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk 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% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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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% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
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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% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does whole milk or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cream cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than cream cheese - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does whole milk or cream cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole milk and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and cream cheese are high in calcium. Whole milk has 20% more calcium than cream cheese - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.