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  6. Kefir vs. Cheese

Kefir vs. Cheese — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are kefir and cheese different?

  • Kefir contains less calcium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin B2, and vitamin A than cheese.
  • Cheese covers your daily need for saturated fat, 91% more than kefir.
  • Kefir contains less sodium.
  • Kefir has a higher glycemic index. The glycemic index of kefir is 36, while the glycemic index of cheese is 0.

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

Infographic

Kefir vs Cheese 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.
Kefir
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%
Cheese
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%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +115.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -93.9%
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%

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.
Kefir
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% 57% 0.4% 15% 7.5% 31% 2.8% 23% 13% 36% 0.25% 9.8% 8.3%
Cheese
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% 110% 14% 9% 7.3% 99% 1.1% 25% 15% 138% 6% 20% 9%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +154.2%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +93%
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%
~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.029mg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.41mg
~equal in Choline ~16.5mg

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Kefir Cheese DV% diff.
Saturated fat 0.658g 18.867g 83%
Calcium 130mg 710mg 58%
Fats 0.93g 33.31g 50%
Phosphorus 105mg 455mg 50%
Selenium 3.6µg 28.5µg 45%
Protein 3.79g 22.87g 38%
Vitamin B12 0.29µg 1.1µg 34%
Cholesterol 5mg 99mg 31%
Zinc 0.46mg 3.64mg 29%
Sodium 40mg 653mg 27%
Vitamin B2 0.135mg 0.428mg 23%
Monounsaturated fat 0.31g 9.246g 22%
Calories 41kcal 404kcal 18%
Vitamin A 171µg 330µg 18%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.053g 1.421g 9%
Vitamin E 0.02mg 0.71mg 5%
Folate 13µg 27µg 4%
Magnesium 12mg 27mg 4%
Potassium 164mg 76mg 3%
Vitamin D 1µg 0.6µg 2%
Copper 0.009mg 0.03mg 2%
Vitamin K 0.1µg 2.4µg 2%
Vitamin D 41IU 24IU 2%
Manganese 0.005mg 0.027mg 1%
Iron 0.04mg 0.14mg 1%
Vitamin B3 0.15mg 0.059mg 1%
Vitamin B6 0.058mg 0.066mg 1%
Vitamin C 0.2mg 0mg 0%
Carbs 4.48g 3.09g 0%
Net carbs 4.48g 3.09g N/A
Sugar 4.61g 0.48g N/A
Vitamin B1 0.03mg 0.029mg 0%
Vitamin B5 0.385mg 0.41mg 0%
Trans fat 0.037g 0.917g N/A
Choline 15.2mg 16.5mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.547mg 0%
Threonine 1.044mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.206mg 0%
Leucine 1.939mg 0%
Lysine 1.025mg 0%
Methionine 0.547mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.074mg 0%
Valine 1.404mg 0%
Histidine 0.547mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 0.01g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.006g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.001g 0.017g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.002g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0g 0.007g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.029g N/A

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Kefir
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
Cheese
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
Contains more CarbsCarbs +45%
Contains more WaterWater +143.3%
Contains more ProteinProtein +503.4%
Contains more FatsFats +3481.7%
Contains more OtherOther +408.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Kefir
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
Cheese
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
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -96.5%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +2882.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2581.1%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Kefir
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
Cheese
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
Contains more LactoseLactose +2983.3%
Contains more GalactoseGalactose +810%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~equal in Sucrose ~0g
~equal in Fructose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~0g

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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. Kefir - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170904/nutrients
  2. Cheese - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173414/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.