Dairy & Eggs
Kefir
Overview
Why drink kefir?
Kefir is a cultured milk drink that delivers a lot of nutrition for very few calories: one cup has about 104 calories, 9.2 g of protein and nearly a quarter of a day's calcium. It is a fermented food, so it also carries live cultures alongside the usual dairy minerals and B vitamins.
Good to know: Plain kefir still contains about 11 g of naturally occurring milk sugar per cup, and flavored versions usually add more, so check the label if you are watching sugar.
Calcium for bones
A 1-cup serving supplies 316 mg of calcium, 24% of the Daily Value, along with 255 mg of phosphorus, the two minerals that make up bone mineral.
Filling, low-calorie protein
With 9.2 g of protein per cup (18% DV) for roughly 104 calories, kefir helps maintain muscle and can make a snack more satisfying.
B vitamins and B12
One cup covers 25% of the Daily Value for riboflavin and 29% for vitamin B12, nutrients involved in energy metabolism and healthy red blood cells.
Overview drafted with AI from USDA FoodData Central figures. For education, not medical advice.
Nutrition facts
What’s in kefir?
Calories
43kcal
Protein
3.8g
Carbs
4.8g
Fat
1g
Fiber
0g
Sugars
4.6g
Minerals
- Calcium130 mg10%
- Iron0.04 mg0%
- Magnesium12 mg3%
- Phosphorus105 mg8%
- Potassium164 mg3%
- Sodium40 mg2%
- Zinc0.46 mg4%
- Copper<0.01 mg1%
- Selenium3.6 µg7%
Vitamins
- Vitamin A171 µg19%
- Vitamin C0.2 mg0%
- Vitamin D1 µg5%
- Vitamin E0.02 mg0%
- Vitamin K0.1 µg0%
- Thiamin (B1)0.03 mg3%
- Riboflavin (B2)0.14 mg10%
- Niacin (B3)0.15 mg1%
- Vitamin B60.06 mg3%
- Folate13 µg3%
- Vitamin B120.29 µg12%
Other compounds
- Omega-3 ALA<0.01 g
% Daily Value is based on FDA reference amounts for adults. Bars cap at 100%.
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Source: USDA FoodData Central, “Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY” (SR Legacy, FDC ID 170904).View the USDA record ↗ (opens in a new tab).