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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 of Saturated Fat 91% more than Kefir.
  • Kefir contains less Sodium.

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
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
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
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%
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%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +154.2%
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%
~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.029mg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.41mg
~equal in Choline ~16.5mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
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
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
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
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
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

Comparison summary table

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

Which food is preferable for your diet?

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

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. 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.