Butter, Unsalted vs. Egg Yolk
Nutrition comparison of Butter, Unsalted and Egg Yolk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butter, unsalted
versus
egg yolk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butter, unsalted and egg yolk:
- Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A, calories, cholesterol and saturated fat.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
- Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D, calcium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 123% more calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butter, unsalted is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to egg yolk per calorie. Butter, unsalted has a macronutrient ratio of 1:0:100 and for egg yolk, 20:5:76 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Butter, Unsalted | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 1% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 5% |
| Fat | 100% | 76% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Egg yolk and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of sugar - egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 17 times more protein than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 15.9g of protein per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.85g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in saturated fat. Butter, unsalted has 429% more saturated fat than egg yolk - egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 50.5g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in cholesterol. Egg yolk has 405% more cholesterol than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 215mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A. Butter, unsalted has 80% more Vitamin A than egg yolk - egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 684ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and butter, unsalted does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Egg yolk and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Egg yolk and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Butter, Unsalted | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.005 MG | 0.176 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.034 MG | 0.528 MG |
| Niacin | 0.042 MG | 0.024 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.11 MG | 2.99 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.003 MG | 0.35 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 146 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.17 UG | 1.95 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Egg yolk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 438% more calcium than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.
iron
Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 135 times more iron than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Egg yolk has 354% more potassium than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 109mg of potassium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg 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 butter, unsalted and egg yolk contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Butter, Unsalted | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 158 UG | 88 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 38 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 1094 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, butter, unsalted has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than egg yolk per 100 grams, however, egg yolk contains more dha and epa than butter, unsalted per 100 grams.
| Butter, Unsalted | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 1.18 G | 0.103 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.114 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.011 G |
| Total | 1.18 G | 0.228 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butter, unsalted and egg yolk contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Butter, Unsalted | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.438 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.83 G | 3.538 G |
| Total | 1.83 G | 3.976 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: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) .
Butter, Unsalted g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Egg Yolk 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 egg yolk or butter, unsalted contain more calories in 100 grams?Both egg yolk and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 120% more calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories in 100g and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.
Does egg yolk or butter, unsalted contain more calcium?
Egg yolk is a rich source of calcium and it has 440% more calcium than butter, unsalted - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.