Kefir vs. Sour Cream
Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Sour Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kefir
versus
sour cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kefir and sour cream:
- Both kefir and sour cream are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
- Kefir has 10.8 times less cholesterol than sour cream.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sour cream is high in calories and kefir has 78% less calories than sour cream - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and sour cream has 198 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kefir is much heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sour cream per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for sour cream, 5:9:86 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kefir | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 9% |
| Fat | 21% | 86% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and sour cream are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and sour cream has 4.6g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of sugar - kefir has 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams and sour cream has 3.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and sour cream has 2.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sour cream is high in saturated fat and kefir has 94% less saturated fat than sour cream - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and sour cream are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Kefir has 10.8 times less cholesterol than sour cream - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kefir and sour cream are high in Vitamin A. Kefir has 38% more Vitamin A than sour cream - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has more Vitamin D than sour cream - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both kefir and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Kefir | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.03 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.135 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Niacin | 0.15 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.385 MG | 0.472 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.058 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.29 UG | 0.21 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and sour cream are high in calcium. Kefir has 29% more calcium than sour cream - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and sour cream has 101mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of potassium - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and sour cream has 125mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than kefir per 100 grams.
| Kefir | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.006 G | 0.074 G |
| DPA | 0.001 G | 0.011 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.092 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sour cream has more linoleic acid than kefir per 100 grams.
| Kefir | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.018 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.648 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.666 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: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .
Kefir g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sour Cream 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 kefir or sour cream contain more calories in 100 grams?Sour cream is high in calories and kefir has 80% less calories than sour cream - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and sour cream has 198 calories.
Is kefir or sour cream better for protein?
Kefir and sour cream contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and sour cream has 2.4g of protein.
Does kefir or sour cream have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and sour cream are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and sour cream has 4.6g of carbohydrates.
Does kefir or sour cream contain more calcium?
Both kefir and sour cream are high in calcium. Kefir has 30% more calcium than sour cream - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and sour cream has 101mg of calcium.