Cheddar Cheese vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheddar cheese
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium.
- Cheddar cheese has 9.5 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more dpa than whole milk.
- Whole milk has 8.9 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheddar cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 85% less calories than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 32% |
| Fat | 74% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole milk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese has 9.5 times less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 626% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 90% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Whole milk has 8.9 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 633% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has 113% more Vitamin D than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheddar cheese has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin. Both cheddar cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cheddar Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 528% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Whole milk and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of iron - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk has 74% more potassium than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more DPA than whole milk per 100 grams. Both cheddar cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Cheddar Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.075 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.017 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 1.207 G | 0.12 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does whole milk or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheddar cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 90% less calories than cheddar cheese - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does whole milk or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 530% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.