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Tofu vs. Cheese — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between tofu and cheese?

  • Tofu is richer in iron, while cheese is higher in phosphorus, vitamin B12, calcium, selenium, vitamin B2, and zinc.
  • Cheese's daily need coverage for saturated fat is 91% higher.
  • Cheese has 38 times less iron than tofu. Tofu has 5.36mg of iron, while cheese has 0.14mg.
  • Tofu is lower in saturated fat.
  • Tofu has a higher glycemic index (15) than cheese (0).

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

Infographic

Tofu 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.
Tofu
Tofu
5
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%
Cheese
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%
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%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +102.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +355%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +369.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +220.2%
~equal in Magnesium ~27mg

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.
Tofu
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%
Cheese
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%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +179.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +230.5%
Contains more CholineCholine +74.5%
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%
~equal in Vitamin K ~2.4µg

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

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

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Tofu
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
Cheese
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
Contains more WaterWater +128.4%
Contains more ProteinProtein +183%
Contains more FatsFats +596.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +65.2%
Contains more OtherOther +415.3%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Tofu
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
Cheese
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
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -96.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +89.9%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +775.6%

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