
Kefir, 2–3.9% fat
Checked by us One serving: 193 g (about 188 mL) · 122 kcal
Lots of riboflavin and calcium.
Nothing to watch.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (193 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.35 mg in one serving: 27% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 32% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
219 mg in one serving: 22% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
15 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
6.76 g in one serving: 12% of the 56 g a day men need, 15% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Some
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0.39 µg in one serving: 16% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
294 mg in one serving: 9% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 11% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.09 mg in one serving: 8% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 8% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
69.5 µg in one serving: 8% of the 900 µg a day men need, 10% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.81 mg in one serving: 7% of the 11 mg a day men need, 10% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
27 µg in one serving: 7% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.08 mg in one serving: 6% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
22.2 mg in one serving: 6% of the 400 mg a day men need, 7% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
2.22 µg in one serving: 4% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
52.1 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 5% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0.19 µg in one serving: 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.17 mg in one serving: 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.14 mg in one serving: 2% of the 8 mg a day men need, 1% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0.58 mg in one serving: 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
Missing from our databases for this food, so left out, not counted as zero: fibre, vitamin K1, niacin, choline and omega-3: EPA + DHA.
Watch out
How we counted this
Nothing here reaches a limit at ordinary amounts.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
7.6 g of sugar in a 193 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Lactose: 3.8 g per 100 g, so about 7.3 g in a 193 g serving. · Canadian Nutrient File 2026 · grade B
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 193 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More riboflavin
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat0.54 mg in 193 g (this food: 0.35 mg)
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For calcium: Parmesan would lead, in the same 193 g, but is left out (portions too different to compare by weight).
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other dairy foods we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
Skim milk- More vitamin B12 (0.97 µg vs 0.39 µg)
- More vitamin D (2.32 µg vs 0.19 µg)
Kefir, low-fat- More vitamin A (330 µg vs 69.5 µg)
- More vitamin D (1.93 µg vs 0.19 µg)
Milk, 2%- More vitamin B12 (1.02 µg vs 0.39 µg)
- More vitamin D (2.32 µg vs 0.19 µg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Skim milk- 66 kcal in 193 g (this food: 122)
- More vitamin B12 (0.97 µg vs 0.39 µg)
- More vitamin D (2.32 µg vs 0.19 µg)
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat- More vitamin B12 (1.45 µg vs 0.39 µg)
- More selenium (18.7 µg vs 2.22 µg)
- More protein (19.7 g vs 6.76 g)
Kefir, low-fat- 83 kcal in 193 g (this food: 122)
- More vitamin A (330 µg vs 69.5 µg)
- More vitamin D (1.93 µg vs 0.19 µg)
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
Parmesan35.8 g protein · 392 kcal per 100 g
Swiss cheese27 g protein · 393 kcal per 100 g
Mozzarella, part-skim23.7 g protein · 298 kcal per 100 g
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Parmesan (portions too different to compare by weight).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Kefir, 2-3.9% M.F.
How the serving was set: 3/4 cup (188 mL) = 193.1 g (Health Canada TRA row D.12; grams derived from FDC 170904's cup weight, a low-fat kefir: density of the fuller-fat product not checked)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.027 g | 0.05 g | 0.04 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Calcium | 113.5 mg | 219.17 mg | 180.16 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Carbohydrate | 4.25 g | 8.21 g | 6.75 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Energy | 63 kcal | 121.65 kcal | – | CNF Energy (kcal) used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 | – |
| Fat | 3.6 g | 6.95 g | 5.71 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Folate | 14 µg | 27.03 µg | 22.22 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Iron | 0.075 mg | 0.14 mg | 0.12 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Magnesium | 11.5 mg | 22.21 mg | 18.25 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Phosphorus | 90 mg | 173.79 mg | 142.86 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Potassium | 152 mg | 293.51 mg | 241.27 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6.76 g | 5.56 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.182 mg | 0.35 mg | 0.29 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Selenium | 1.15 µg | 2.22 µg | 1.83 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Sodium | 42.5 mg | 82.07 mg | 67.46 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Sugars | 3.92 g | 7.57 g | 6.22 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.048 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.08 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin A | 36 µg | 69.52 µg | 57.14 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.2 µg | 0.39 µg | 0.32 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.039 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0.3 mg | 0.58 mg | 0.48 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 µg | 0.19 µg | 0.16 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0.09 mg | 0.17 mg | 0.14 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Water | 87.8 g | 169.54 g | 139.37 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Zinc | 0.42 mg | 0.81 mg | 0.67 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 20.5 µg | 39.59 µg | 32.54 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Copper | 0.01 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.027 g | 0.05 g | 0.04 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Lactose | 3.78 g | 7.3 g | 6 g | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Manganese | 0.009 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 0.1 mg | 0.19 mg | 0.16 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.31 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.49 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
| Retinol | 33.5 µg | 64.69 µg | 53.17 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6291 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Milk allergy · Worth knowing · Person-specific: kefir is a dairy food made from milk, a Health Canada priority allergen. · Health Canada, priority allergens · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- lactose: 3.78 g/100 g (Observations not recorded) g/100 g · as sold · Canadian Nutrient File 2026, 'Kefir, 2-3.9% M.F.' · grade B · Canadian Nutrient File 2026
Sources
- Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Health Canada, Common food allergens (priority allergens list)
hc-priority-allergens· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL)
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.