Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Cheese vs. Tofu — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

Compare

What are the main differences between cheese and tofu?

  • Cheese is richer in phosphorus, vitamin B12, calcium, selenium, vitamin B2, and zinc, while tofu is higher in iron.
  • Cheese's daily need coverage for saturated fat is 91% higher.
  • Tofu is lower in cholesterol.
  • Tofu has a higher glycemic index (15) than cheese (0).

We used Cheese, cheddar and Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate types in this comparison.

Infographic

Cheese vs Tofu 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
4
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%
Tofu
6
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 21% 105% 11% 201% 64% 22% 42% 0.91% 79% 49%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +102.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +355%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +369.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +220.2%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +11.1%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +59.2%
Contains more IronIron +3728.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +543.3%
Contains less SodiumSodium -98.9%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +2140.7%

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
8
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% 110% 14% 9% 7.3% 99% 1.1% 25% 15% 138% 6% 20% 9%
Tofu
4
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 0.33% 0% 0.2% 0% 20% 12% 3.7% 4.1% 11% 0% 6% 11% 16%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +7000%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +723.1%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +502.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +40.4%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +80%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +179.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +230.5%
Contains more CholineCholine +74.5%
~equal in Vitamin K ~2.4µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
4
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
Tofu
1
8% 5% 2% 85%
Protein: 8.08 g
Fats: 4.78 g
Carbs: 1.87 g
Water: 84.55 g
Other: 0.72 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +183%
Contains more FatsFats +596.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +65.2%
Contains more OtherOther +415.3%
Contains more WaterWater +128.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cheese
1
64% 31% 5%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 18.867 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 9.246 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.421 g
Tofu
2
16% 24% 61%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.691 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 1.056 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.699 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +775.6%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -96.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +89.9%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Cheese Tofu
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 vitamins ok
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cheese Tofu DV% diff.
Saturated fat 18.867g 0.691g 83%
Iron 0.14mg 5.36mg 65%
Phosphorus 455mg 97mg 51%
Vitamin B12 1.1µg 0µg 46%
Fats 33.31g 4.78g 44%
Vitamin A 330µg 37%
Selenium 28.5µg 8.9µg 36%
Calcium 710mg 350mg 36%
Cholesterol 99mg 0mg 33%
Protein 22.87g 8.08g 30%
Vitamin B2 0.428mg 0.052mg 29%
Sodium 653mg 7mg 28%
Zinc 3.64mg 0.8mg 26%
Manganese 0.027mg 0.605mg 25%
Monounsaturated fat 9.246g 1.056g 20%
Copper 0.03mg 0.193mg 18%
Calories 404kcal 76kcal 16%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.421g 2.699g 9%
Vitamin B5 0.41mg 0.068mg 7%
Vitamin E 0.71mg 0.01mg 5%
Vitamin B1 0.029mg 0.081mg 4%
Vitamin D 0.6µg 0µg 3%
Vitamin D 24IU 0IU 3%
Folate 27µg 15µg 3%
Choline 16.5mg 28.8mg 2%
Fiber 0g 0.3g 1%
Potassium 76mg 121mg 1%
Magnesium 27mg 30mg 1%
Vitamin B3 0.059mg 0.195mg 1%
Vitamin B6 0.066mg 0.047mg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.1mg 0%
Net carbs 3.09g 1.57g N/A
Carbs 3.09g 1.87g 0%
Sugar 0.48g 0.62g N/A
Vitamin K 2.4µg 2.4µg 0%
Trans fat 0.917g 0g N/A
Tryptophan 0.547mg 0.12mg 0%
Threonine 1.044mg 0.402mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.206mg 0.435mg 0%
Leucine 1.939mg 0.713mg 0%
Lysine 1.025mg 0.452mg 0%
Methionine 0.547mg 0.108mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.074mg 0.428mg 0%
Valine 1.404mg 0.446mg 0%
Histidine 0.547mg 0.221mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.01g 0g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g 0g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.017g 0g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cheese Tofu
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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
35%
Cheese
6%
Tofu
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
79%
Cheese
59%
Tofu

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Tofu
Tofu is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 99mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Tofu
Tofu contains less Sodium (difference - 646mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Tofu
Tofu is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 18.176g)
Which food is cheaper?
Tofu
Tofu is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.14g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Cheese
Cheese is lower in glycemic index (difference - 15)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cheese
Cheese is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

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. Tofu - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172476/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.