Cheddar Cheese vs. Spirulina

Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Spirulina


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and spirulina:

  • Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in calcium, calories and protein.
  • Cheddar cheese has 6 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
  • Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than cheddar cheese.
  • Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheddar cheese and spirulina 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheddar Cheese src
Image of Spirulina src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between cheddar cheese and spirulina. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 39% more calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheddar Cheese Spirulina
Protein 23% 58%
Carbohydrates 3% 24%
Fat 74% 18%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cheddar cheese has 6 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Spirulina and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Spirulina has 151% more protein than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and spirulina has 86% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spirulina has less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 10 times more Vitamin A than spirulina - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than spirulina - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spirulina has 604% more Vitamin E than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spirulina has 963% more Vitamin K than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar cheese contains more Vitamin B12.

Cheddar Cheese Spirulina
Thiamin 0.029 MG 2.38 MG
Riboflavin 0.428 MG 3.67 MG
Niacin 0.059 MG 12.82 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.41 MG 3.48 MG
Vitamin B6 0.066 MG 0.364 MG
Folate 27 UG 94 UG
Vitamin B12 1.1 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 492% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

iron

Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 202 times more iron than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

potassium

Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 16 times more potassium than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg 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,

Cheddar Cheese Spirulina
beta-carotene 85 UG 342 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cheddar cheese per 100 grams, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than spirulina per 100 grams.

Cheddar Cheese Spirulina
alpha linoleic acid 0.114 G 0.823 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.01 G ~
DPA 0.017 G ~
Total 0.142 G 0.823 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cheddar cheese and spirulina contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Cheddar Cheese Spirulina
other omega 6 0.036 G ~
linoleic acid 1.171 G 1.254 G
Total 1.207 G 1.254 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 Cheddar Cheese or Spirulina .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .

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FAQ

Does spirulina or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 40% more calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

Is spirulina or cheddar cheese better for protein?
Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Spirulina has 150% more protein than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Does spirulina or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 490% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

Does spirulina or cheddar cheese contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 202 times more iron than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

Does spirulina or cheddar cheese contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 16 times more potassium than cheddar cheese - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.

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