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Cheese vs. Kefir — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are Cheese and Kefir different?

  • Kefir contains less Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Vitamin B12, Zinc, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin A than Cheese.
  • Cheese covers your daily need of Saturated Fat 91% more than Kefir.
  • Cheese has 20 times more Cholesterol than Kefir. Cheese has 99mg of Cholesterol, while Kefir has 5mg.
  • Kefir contains less Saturated Fat.

Cheese, cheddar and Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY types were used in this article.

Infographic

Cheese vs Kefir 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.
Cheese
8
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 213% 6.7% 5.3% 10% 99% 195% 85% 3.5% 155%
Kefir
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 8.6% 39% 14% 1.5% 3% 13% 45% 5.2% 0.65% 20%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +125%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +446.2%
Contains more IronIron +250%
Contains more CopperCopper +233.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +691.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +333.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +440%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +691.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +115.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -93.9%

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.
Cheese
7
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% 75% 14% 18% 7.3% 99% 1.1% 25% 15% 138% 6% 20% 9%
Kefir
3
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 0.67% 34% 0.4% 30% 7.5% 31% 2.8% 23% 13% 36% 0.25% 9.8% 8.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +118.3%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +3450%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +217%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +13.8%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +279.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +2300%
Contains more FolateFolate +107.7%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +154.2%
~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.03mg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.385mg
~equal in Choline ~15.2mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
3
23% 33% 3% 37% 4%
Protein: 22.87 g
Fats: 33.31 g
Carbs: 3.09 g
Water: 37.02 g
Other: 3.71 g
Kefir
2
4% 4% 90%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.93 g
Carbs: 4.48 g
Water: 90.07 g
Other: 0.73 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +503.4%
Contains more FatsFats +3481.7%
Contains more OtherOther +408.2%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +45%
Contains more WaterWater +143.3%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
2
64% 31% 5%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 18.867 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 9.246 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.421 g
Kefir
1
64% 30% 5%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.658 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.31 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.053 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +2882.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2581.1%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -96.5%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
1
54% 25% 21%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0.26 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0.12 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0.1 g
Kefir
2
80% 20%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 3.7 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0.91 g
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
Contains more LactoseLactose +2983.3%
Contains more GalactoseGalactose +810%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~equal in Sucrose ~0g
~equal in Fructose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~0g

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Cheese Kefir
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 Cheese Kefir Opinion
Calories 404kcal 41kcal Cheese
Protein 22.87g 3.79g Cheese
Fats 33.31g 0.93g Cheese
Vitamin C 0mg 0.2mg Kefir
Net carbs 3.09g 4.48g Kefir
Carbs 3.09g 4.48g Kefir
Cholesterol 99mg 5mg Kefir
Vitamin D 24IU 41IU Kefir
Magnesium 27mg 12mg Cheese
Calcium 710mg 130mg Cheese
Potassium 76mg 164mg Kefir
Iron 0.14mg 0.04mg Cheese
Sugar 0.48g 4.61g Cheese
Copper 0.03mg 0.009mg Cheese
Zinc 3.64mg 0.46mg Cheese
Phosphorus 455mg 105mg Cheese
Sodium 653mg 40mg Kefir
Vitamin A 1242IU 569IU Cheese
Vitamin A 330µg 171µg Cheese
Vitamin E 0.71mg 0.02mg Cheese
Vitamin D 0.6µg 1µg Kefir
Manganese 0.027mg 0.005mg Cheese
Selenium 28.5µg 3.6µg Cheese
Vitamin B1 0.029mg 0.03mg Kefir
Vitamin B2 0.428mg 0.135mg Cheese
Vitamin B3 0.059mg 0.15mg Kefir
Vitamin B5 0.41mg 0.385mg Cheese
Vitamin B6 0.066mg 0.058mg Cheese
Vitamin B12 1.1µg 0.29µg Cheese
Vitamin K 2.4µg 0.1µg Cheese
Folate 27µg 13µg Cheese
Trans Fat 0.917g 0.037g Kefir
Choline 16.5mg 15.2mg Cheese
Saturated Fat 18.867g 0.658g Kefir
Monounsaturated Fat 9.246g 0.31g Cheese
Polyunsaturated fat 1.421g 0.053g Cheese
Tryptophan 0.547mg Cheese
Threonine 1.044mg Cheese
Isoleucine 1.206mg Cheese
Leucine 1.939mg Cheese
Lysine 1.025mg Cheese
Methionine 0.547mg Cheese
Phenylalanine 1.074mg Cheese
Valine 1.404mg Cheese
Histidine 0.547mg Cheese
Omega-3 - EPA 0.01g 0g Cheese
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g 0g Cheese
Omega-3 - ALA 0.006g Kefir
Omega-3 - DPA 0.017g 0.001g Cheese
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.002g Kefir
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g 0g Cheese
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.029g Kefir

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cheese Kefir
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
33%
Cheese
15%
Kefir
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
79%
Cheese
15%
Kefir

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Kefir
Kefir is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 94mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Kefir
Kefir contains less Sodium (difference - 613mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Kefir
Kefir is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 18.209g)
Which food is cheaper?
Kefir
Kefir is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in Sugar (difference - 4.13g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in glycemic index (difference - 36)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Cheese
Cheese is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cheese
Cheese 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. Cheese - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173414/nutrients
  2. Kefir - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170904/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.