Food · Dairy and Egg Products
Buttermilk nutrition facts
A typical portion of buttermilk (1 cup; 244 g, buttermilk) has 100 calories and 8g of protein (USDA FoodData Central). USDA lists 6 descriptions of it: per 100 g they range from 40 calories (milk, fluid, cultured, lowfat) to 387 (milk, dried).
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Protein % DV here is not corrected for protein quality.
USDA values per 100 g for Buttermilk, scaled to the portion. Check the USDA record.
- Protein per 100 g
- 3.5g
- more than 33% of 8,218 USDA reference foods
- Calories per 100 g
- 43
- more than 11% of reference foods
- Sodium per 100 g
- 92mg
- more than 58% of reference foods
1 cup weighs 244 g in USDA's record for Buttermilk (FDC 2705393); across 5 records of buttermilk USDA weighs it at 120 to 245 g, so a linked record can show a different gram weight for the same measure.
Where the calories come from: 45% carbohydrate, 23% fat and 32% protein (4 calories a gram of protein or carbohydrate, 9 of fat).
Also rich in
- Riboflavin0.5 mg in 1 cup (244 g), 37% of the Daily Value
- Vitamin B120.5 µg in 1 cup (244 g), 22% of the Daily Value
- Phosphorus224 mg in 1 cup (244 g), 18% of the Daily Value
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2705393), every nutrient the record reports; FDA Daily Values, 21 CFR 101.9.
Every form of buttermilk USDA describes
Dried has the most calories per 100 g (387); the fewest: Lowfat (40)
| USDA description | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk | 43 | 3.5 g | 1.1 g | 92 mg |
| Milk, buttermilk, dried | 387 | 34.3 g | 5.8 g | 517 mg |
| Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, reduced fat | 56 | 4.1 g | 2 g | 105 mg |
| Buttermilk, low fat | 43 | 3.5 g | 1.1 g | 92 mg |
| Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat | 40 | 3.3 g | 1.1 g | 148 mg |
| Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole | 62 | 3.2 g | 3.3 g | 105 mg |
Every nutrient in this record (65)
The portion is 1 cup (244 g); % DV is for that portion.
Energy, macronutrients and sugars (12)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 8.44 g | 3.46 g | 17% |
| Total lipid (fat) | 2.64 g | 1.08 g | 3% |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 11.7 g | 4.81 g | 4% |
| Energy | 105 kcal | 43.0 kcal | |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | |
| Water | 219 g | 89.8 g | |
| Total Sugars | 13.1 g | 5.36 g | |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0 g | 0 g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 12.2 mg | 5.00 mg | 4% |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.35 g | 0.55 g | 7% |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.49 g | 0.20 g | |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.081 g | 0.033 g |
Minerals (9)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium, Ca | 293 mg | 120 mg | 23% |
| Iron, Fe | 0.024 mg | 0.010 mg | 0% |
| Magnesium, Mg | 26.8 mg | 11.0 mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus, P | 224 mg | 92.0 mg | 18% |
| Potassium, K | 386 mg | 158 mg | 8% |
| Sodium, Na | 224 mg | 92.0 mg | 10% |
| Zinc, Zn | 1.05 mg | 0.43 mg | 10% |
| Copper, Cu | 0.0024 mg | 0.0010 mg | 0% |
| Selenium, Se | 4.88 µg | 2.00 µg | 9% |
Vitamins (23)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol | 87.8 µg | 36.0 µg | |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 87.8 µg | 36.0 µg | 10% |
| Carotene, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.12 mg | 0.050 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 1.22 µg | 0.50 µg | 6% |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 2.44 mg | 1.00 mg | 3% |
| Thiamin | 0.12 mg | 0.048 mg | 10% |
| Riboflavin | 0.48 mg | 0.20 mg | 37% |
| Niacin | 0.31 mg | 0.13 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.095 mg | 0.039 mg | 6% |
| Folate, total | 12.2 µg | 5.00 µg | |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.54 µg | 0.22 µg | 22% |
| Choline, total | 43.2 mg | 17.7 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 0.24 µg | 0.10 µg | 0% |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Folate, food | 12.2 µg | 5.00 µg | |
| Folate, DFE | 12.2 µg | 5.00 µg | 3% |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg |
Fatty acids (19)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFA 4:0 | 0.071 g | 0.029 g | |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.041 g | 0.017 g | |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.024 g | 0.010 g | |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.054 g | 0.022 g | |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.068 g | 0.028 g | |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.22 g | 0.089 g | |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.63 g | 0.26 g | |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.21 g | 0.085 g | |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.54 g | 0.22 g | |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.054 g | 0.022 g | |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.032 g | 0.013 g | |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.049 g | 0.020 g | |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 2705393: every value the record reports, per 100 g as USDA gives it and scaled to the portion; Daily Values: 21 CFR 101.9.
Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, Foundation Foods and Survey foods), April 30, 2026 release.
Questions
How many calories are in buttermilk?
100 in 1 cup (244 g) of buttermilk; 40 to 387 per 100 g across USDA's descriptions.
How much protein is in buttermilk?
8g in 1 cup; 3.5 g per 100 g.
How much sodium is in buttermilk?
220mg in 1 cup; 92 mg per 100 g. Salt added in cooking changes it: USDA lists salted and unsalted forms separately where it measured both.
Sources for this page
- USDA FoodData Central
- the food and product records, April 30, 2026 release. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- FoodData Central documentation
- what each data type is and how branded records are submitted. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies
- the survey foods and their portions. ars.usda.gov
- 21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food
- the label format, rounding and Daily Values. ecfr.gov
- FDA, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule. fda.gov