Cheese vs. Greek Yogurt

Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Greek Yogurt

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cheese versus greek yogurt (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and greek yogurt:

  • Both greek yogurt and cheese are high in calcium and protein.
  • Cheese has more Vitamin B12.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • Greek yogurt has 8.5 times less cholesterol than cheese.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese and greek yogurt is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Cheese src
Image of Greek Yogurt src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cheese is high in calories and greek yogurt has 81% less calories than cheese - greek yogurt has 73 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheese is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to greek yogurt per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for greek yogurt, 55:22:24 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheese Greek Yogurt
Protein 25% 55%
Carbohydrates ~ 22%
Fat 75% 24%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both greek yogurt and cheese are low in carbohydrates - greek yogurt has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Cheese has less sugar than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 3.6g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both greek yogurt and cheese are high in protein. Cheese has 137% more protein than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and greek yogurt has 92% less saturated fat than cheese - greek yogurt has 1.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both greek yogurt and cheese are low in trans fat - greek yogurt has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Greek yogurt has 8.5 times less cholesterol than cheese - greek yogurt has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Greek yogurt has more Vitamin C than cheese - greek yogurt has 0.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 93% more Vitamin A than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 90ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheese has more Vitamin D than greek yogurt - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and greek yogurt does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Greek yogurt and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Greek yogurt and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - greek yogurt has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Cheese has more Vitamin B12. Both cheese and greek yogurt contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Cheese Greek Yogurt
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.044 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.233 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 0.197 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG 0.47 MG
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.055 MG
Folate 13 UG 12 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG 0.52 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both greek yogurt and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 473% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

iron

Cheese has 13 times more iron than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.

potassium

Greek yogurt has 66% more potassium than cheese - greek yogurt has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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,

Cheese Greek Yogurt
beta-carotene 56 UG 6 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 1 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than greek yogurt per 100 grams.

Cheese Greek Yogurt
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.007 G
Total 0.332 G 0.007 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheese has more linoleic acid than greek yogurt per 100 grams.

Cheese Greek Yogurt
linoleic acid 0.532 G 0.065 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.002 G
Total 0.532 G 0.067 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 Greek Yogurt .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) .

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FAQ

Does greek yogurt or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cheese is high in calories and greek yogurt has 80% less calories than cheese - greek yogurt has 73 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.

Is greek yogurt or cheese better for protein?
Both greek yogurt and cheese are high in protein. Cheese has 140% more protein than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Does greek yogurt or cheese contain more calcium?
Both greek yogurt and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 470% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.