Parmesan Cheese vs. Spirulina

Nutrition comparison of Parmesan Cheese and Spirulina


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

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

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

  • Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in calcium, calories and protein.
  • Parmesan cheese has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
  • Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, parmesan cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than parmesan cheese.
  • Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of parmesan 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: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Parmesan Cheese src
Image of Spirulina src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 35% more calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, parmesan cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Parmesan cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 38:3:59 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Parmesan Cheese Spirulina
Protein 38% 58%
Carbohydrates 3% 24%
Fat 59% 18%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Parmesan cheese has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 3.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Spirulina and parmesan cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in protein. Spirulina has 61% more protein than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat and spirulina has 82% less saturated fat than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spirulina has less cholesterol than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 614% more Vitamin A than spirulina - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin D than spirulina - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spirulina has 21 times more Vitamin E than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spirulina has 14 times more Vitamin K than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Parmesan Cheese Spirulina
Thiamin 0.039 MG 2.38 MG
Riboflavin 0.332 MG 3.67 MG
Niacin 0.271 MG 12.82 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.453 MG 3.48 MG
Vitamin B6 0.091 MG 0.364 MG
Folate 7 UG 94 UG
Vitamin B12 1.2 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 887% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.

iron

Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 33 times more iron than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron.

potassium

Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 13 times more potassium than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 92mg 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,

Parmesan Cheese Spirulina
beta-carotene 66 UG 342 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Parmesan Cheese Spirulina
alpha linoleic acid 0.297 G 0.823 G
Total 0.297 G 0.823 G

omega 6s

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

Parmesan Cheese Spirulina
linoleic acid 0.272 G 1.254 G
Total 0.272 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 Parmesan Cheese or Spirulina .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .

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FAQ

Does spirulina or parmesan cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 40% more calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.

Is spirulina or parmesan cheese better for protein?
Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in protein. Spirulina has 60% more protein than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.

Does spirulina or parmesan cheese contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and parmesan cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 890% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.

Does spirulina or parmesan cheese contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 33 times more iron than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron.

Does spirulina or parmesan cheese contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 13 times more potassium than parmesan cheese - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium.