Every 100 kcal of buttermilk brings 8.3 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 15th of the 81 dairy foods in this database and 290th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 3.31 g per 100 g ranks 72nd in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 33% of the calories in buttermilk, making it moderately protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Weight for weight, buttermilk has 3.1 g of protein for each gram of fat (3.31 g against 1.07 g per 100 g).
Set against swiss cheese, another dairy food entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (swiss cheese has 7.6 g per 1 oz).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 245 g, and it covers about 16% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of buttermilk
Protein and calories in Buttermilk for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
3.31 g
40 kcal
1 cup (serving used here)
245 g
8.1 g
98 kcal
1 fl oz
30.6 g
1 g
12 kcal
1 quart
980 g
32.4 g
392 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in buttermilk
The nine essential amino acids in Buttermilk, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
0.313 g
0.77 g
95
lysine
0.277 g
0.68 g
84
valine
0.217 g
0.53 g
66
isoleucine
0.171 g
0.42 g
52
threonine
0.141 g
0.35 g
43
phenylalanine
0.171 g
0.42 g
52
methionine
0.087 g
0.21 g
26
histidine
0.1 g
0.25 g
30
tryptophan
0.042 g
0.1 g
13
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
3.31 g. The 1 cup serving used on this page weighs 245 g and so carries 8.1 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of buttermilk?
8.3 g. That figure divides its 3.31 g of protein per 100 g by its 40 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in buttermilk complete?
Yes. The protein in buttermilk supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of buttermilk?
About 16%. One 1 cup serving has 8.1 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #170874 (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.