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Butter vs. Sugar — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between butter and sugar

  • The amount of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B12, vitamin K, and monounsaturated fat in butter is higher than in sugar.
  • Butter covers your daily saturated fat needs 252% more than sugar.
  • Sugar contains less saturated fat.
  • Sugar has a higher glycemic index. The glycemic index of sugar is 65, while the glycemic index of butter is 0.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Butter, without salt and Sugars, granulated.

Infographic

Butter vs Sugar infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Butter
7
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 1.4% 7.2% 2.1% 0.75% 5.3% 2.5% 10% 1.4% 0.52% 5.5%
Sugar
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 0% 0.3% 0.18% 1.9% 2.3% 0.27% 0% 0.13% 0.52% 3.3%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +2300%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +1100%
Contains more CopperCopper +128.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +800%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +∞%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +66.7%
Contains more IronIron +150%
Contains less SodiumSodium -90.9%
~equal in Manganese ~0.004mg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Butter
11
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 228% 46% 0% 1.3% 7.8% 0.79% 6.6% 0.69% 21% 18% 2.3% 10%
Sugar
0
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4.4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +78.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Butter
4
81% 18%
Protein: 0.85 g
Fats: 81.11 g
Carbs: 0.06 g
Water: 17.94 g
Other: 0.04 g
Sugar
1
100%
Protein: 0 g
Fats: 0 g
Carbs: 99.98 g
Water: 0.02 g
Other: 0 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +∞%
Contains more FatsFats +∞%
Contains more WaterWater +89600%
Contains more OtherOther +∞%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +166533.3%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Butter Sugar
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Butter Sugar DV% diff.
Saturated fat 50.489g 0g 229%
Fats 81.11g 0g 125%
Vitamin A 684µg 0µg 76%
Cholesterol 215mg 0mg 72%
Monounsaturated fat 23.43g 0g 59%
Carbs 0.06g 99.98g 33%
Polyunsaturated fat 3.01g 0g 20%
Calories 717kcal 387kcal 17%
Vitamin E 2.32mg 0mg 15%
Vitamin B12 0.17µg 0µg 7%
Vitamin K 7µg 0µg 6%
Choline 18.8mg 0mg 3%
Phosphorus 24mg 0mg 3%
Calcium 24mg 1mg 2%
Vitamin B5 0.11mg 0mg 2%
Protein 0.85g 0g 2%
Potassium 24mg 2mg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.034mg 0.019mg 1%
Folate 3µg 0µg 1%
Selenium 1µg 0.6µg 1%
Copper 0.016mg 0.007mg 1%
Zinc 0.09mg 0.01mg 1%
Net carbs 0.06g 99.98g N/A
Magnesium 2mg 0mg 0%
Iron 0.02mg 0.05mg 0%
Sugar 0.06g 99.8g N/A
Sodium 11mg 1mg 0%
Manganese 0.004mg 0.004mg 0%
Vitamin B1 0.005mg 0mg 0%
Vitamin B3 0.042mg 0mg 0%
Vitamin B6 0.003mg 0mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.012mg 0%
Threonine 0.038mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.051mg 0%
Leucine 0.083mg 0%
Lysine 0.067mg 0%
Methionine 0.021mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.041mg 0%
Valine 0.057mg 0%
Histidine 0.023mg 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.315g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 2.166g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Butter Sugar
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
26%
Butter
0%
Sugar
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
4%
Butter
1%
Sugar

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Sugar
Sugar is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 215mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Sugar
Sugar contains less Sodium (difference - 10mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Sugar
Sugar is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 50.489g)
Which food is cheaper?
Sugar
Sugar is cheaper (difference - $1.5)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Butter
Butter is lower in Sugar (difference - 99.74g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Butter
Butter is lower in glycemic index (difference - 65)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Butter
Butter is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Butter
Butter is relatively richer in vitamins

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Butter - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173430/nutrients
  2. Sugar - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169655/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.