Buttermilk vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium.
- Buttermilk has 3.4 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
- Buttermilk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6.
- Ricotta cheese has 17 times less sugar than buttermilk.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 59% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to ricotta cheese for protein. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 19% |
| Fat | 48% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese has 17 times less sugar than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese has 135% more protein than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 70% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and buttermilk are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Buttermilk has 3.4 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 155% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Buttermilk has 420% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Buttermilk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6. Both buttermilk and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Buttermilk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 79% more calcium than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 62% more potassium than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both buttermilk and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Buttermilk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 0.356 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.122 G | 0.368 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 Buttermilk or Ricotta Cheese .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese 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 ricotta cheese or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 60% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, ricotta cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does ricotta cheese or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 80% more calcium than buttermilk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.