Buttermilk vs. Egg Yolk
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Egg Yolk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
egg yolk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and egg yolk:
- Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium.
- Egg yolk has 7.7 times less sugar than buttermilk.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin.
- Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
- Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha and epa than buttermilk.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Egg yolk is high in calories and buttermilk has 81% less calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to egg yolk for protein. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for egg yolk, 20:5:76 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 5% |
| Fat | 48% | 76% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both egg yolk and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Egg yolk has 7.7 times less sugar than buttermilk - egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 394% more protein than buttermilk - egg yolk has 15.9g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 80% less saturated fat than egg yolk - egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and buttermilk has 99% less cholesterol than egg yolk - egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 711% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 319% more Vitamin D than buttermilk - egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Egg yolk has 35 times more Vitamin E than buttermilk - egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Egg yolk and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin.
| Buttermilk | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.176 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.528 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.024 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 2.99 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.35 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 146 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | 1.95 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 12% more calcium than buttermilk - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.
iron
Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 90 times more iron than buttermilk - egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Egg yolk and buttermilk contain similar amounts of potassium - egg yolk has 109mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg 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,
| Buttermilk | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 88 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 38 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 1094 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more DHA and EPA than buttermilk per 100 grams. Both buttermilk and egg yolk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Buttermilk | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.103 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.114 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.228 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Egg Yolk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 3.538 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.438 G |
| Total | 0.122 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: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Egg Yolk g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
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% |
|
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% |
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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% |
|
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% |
|
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 egg yolk or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?Egg yolk is high in calories and buttermilk has 80% less calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.
Does egg yolk or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both egg yolk and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does egg yolk or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 10% more calcium than buttermilk - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.