Buttermilk vs. Lemon juice
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Lemon Juice
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
lemon juice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and lemon juice:
- Buttermilk has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, lemon juice contains more folate.
- Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than lemon juice.
- Buttermilk is an excellent source of calcium.
- Lemon juice has 46.4 times less saturated fat than buttermilk.
- Lemon juice has 65% less calories than buttermilk.
- Lemon juice is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Lemon juice (Lemon juice, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon juice has 65% less calories than buttermilk - lemon juice has 22 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to lemon juice per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for lemon juice, 5:88:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Lemon juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 88% |
| Fat | 48% | 7% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon juice has more dietary fiber than buttermilk - lemon juice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon juice has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Buttermilk has 817% more protein than lemon juice - lemon juice has 0.35g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lemon juice has 46.4 times less saturated fat than buttermilk - lemon juice has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Lemon juice has less cholesterol than buttermilk - buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lemon juice is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than buttermilk - lemon juice has 38.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Buttermilk has more Vitamin A than lemon juice - buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than lemon juice - buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon juice has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Buttermilk and lemon juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Buttermilk has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, lemon juice contains more folate. Both buttermilk and lemon juice contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Buttermilk | Lemon juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.024 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.015 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.131 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 20 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Buttermilk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of iron - lemon juice has 0.08mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon juice has 103mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both buttermilk and lemon juice contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Buttermilk | Lemon juice | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 15 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, buttermilk has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lemon juice per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Lemon juice | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.009 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.009 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, buttermilk has more linoleic acid than lemon juice per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Lemon juice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.122 G | 0.012 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Lemon juice (Lemon juice, raw) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Lemon juice g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does lemon juice or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon juice has 70% less calories than buttermilk - lemon juice has 22 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.
Does lemon juice or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon juice and buttermilk contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon juice or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Buttermilk is a rich source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.