Babybel Vs. Babybel Light (What’s the Difference?)

When it comes to lighter options, this can often lead to less flavor, a reduction in certain nutrients, or the addition of synthetic ingredients to replicate flavors.

Babybel Light cheeses are marketed as a healthier, lower-calorie option compared to Original Babybel, but is the switch worth it for flavor and nutritional benefits?

In this article, I’ll compare Babybel Original Cheeses head-to-head to find out the difference between the two and which (if any) is the best for nutrition, cost, and flavor.

Ingredients Comparision

When it comes to ingredients, both Original Babybel and Babybel Light are 100% real cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk.

The difference between the two kinds of cheese is that Original Babybel is made from higher fat milk, whereas Light Babybels are made from lower fat skimmed milk, which helps to decrease calorie content.

Babybel Ingredients	Babybel Light Ingredients
Made from Pasteurised Milk	Made from Pasteurised Milk

Babybel Vs. Babybel Nutritional Comparison

In this section, we’ll look at the nutritional comparison between Original Babybel cheese and Light Babybel to find out the difference between the two.

The comparison will be weight-for-weight, per 100g and per 20g serving which is the edible weight of both kinds of Babybel.

Best for Calorie Content

Starting with calorie content and as you’d expect, the Babybel with the least calories is Babybel Light, with 20kcal less per 20g serving than full-fat Original Babybel.

This makes Babybel Light an excellent low-calorie snack option if you’re on a reduced-calorie diet.

Cheese Type	Calories Per 100g	Calories Per 20g Serving
Babybel Original	308kcal	62kcal
Babybel Light	208kcal	42kcal

Best for Carbohydrate Content

Both Original Babybel and Babybel Light contain the same amount of carbohydrates and sugars per serving which is a nominal amount less than 0.01g per mini cheese.

Either Babybel is a good snack option if you’re on a low-carb diet such as keto.

Cheese Type	Carbohydrates Per 20g Serving	Of Which are Sugars
Babybel Original	<0.01g	<0.01g
Babybel Light	<0.01g	<0.01g

Best for Protein Content

You might be surprised to learn that Light Babybel contains slightly more protein per mini cheese than Original Babybel, although both kinds of cheese are a high-protein snack option.

Cheese Type	Protein Per 100g	Protein Per 20g Serving
Babybel Original	23g	4.6g
Babybel Light	25g	5g

Best for Fat Content

Cheese is generally high in fat, but fat levels vary depending on its production. When it comes to Babybel cheese, the original version is made with full-fat milk, whereas the lighter version is made using skimmed milk.

This means that Babybel Light contains half the fat and saturated fat of Original Babybel. Although this is natural fat, if you’re looking to reduce your fat and saturated fat intake, then Babybel Light is the better option for you.

Cheese Type	Fat	Of Which is Saturated Fat
Babybel Original (20g Serving)	4.8g	3.2g
Babybel Original (100g Serving)	24g	16g
Babybel Light (20g Serving)	2.4g	1.6g
Babybel Light (100g Serving)	12g	8g

Best for Sodium/Salt Content

As you can see from the table below, the salt content of Babybel Original and Babybel Light is the same for both kinds of cheese.

Cheese Type	Sodium/Salt Per 100g	Sodium/Salt per 20g Serving
Babybel Original	1.8g	0.36g
Babybel Light	1.8g	0.36g

Best for Calcium

Both Babybel Original and Babybel Light are high in calcium, with each cheese containing just under 20% of the recommended daily intake. Babybel Light contains slightly more calcium per cheese than the original version when comparing the two.

Cheese Type	Calcium Per 100g	Calcium Per 20g Serving
Babybel Original	700mg (88%)	140mg (18%)
Babybel Light	760mg (95%)	152mg (19%)

Best for Flavor/Texture

When it comes to flavor, both products are similar, but Original Babybels have a creamier texture and taste compared to Babybel Light.

It’s very much like comparing full-fat milk to skimmed milk which is a little thinner and less creamy.

Personally, I like the taste of both, and I’ll happily eat Babybel Light if I’m looking for a low-calorie snack.

Ultimately, the cheese with the best taste and texture is subjective, and all comes down to the individual’s personal preference.

To help future readers and us find out which cheese is most popular, please vote in the poll below to tell us which you like best to reveal the votes so far.

Best for Price

At the time of writing this article, a 200g pack of Original Babybel and Babybel Light containing 10x20g mini cheeses both cost an average of £2.19 (UK price), which means each individual cheese costs 22p.

Based on this information, both Babybel Original and Babybel Light Cost the same amount per pack for the same cheese weight.

Babybel Original & Babybel Light Compared

We’ve now compared each type of cheese, and I can summarise the difference and announce the best cheese in most categories.

Babybel Light came out as the best cheese because not only are they lower in calories and fat they’re also slightly higher in protein and calcium, making them the healthier choice when compared to Original Babybel.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. Still, if you like Babybel Light and you’re counting your calories or increasing your protein or calcium intake, they’re definitely the better option and worth the switch.

Comparison Category	Winner (Babybel Original or Babybel Light)
Best for Calorie Content	Babybel Light
Best for Carbohydrate Content	Same Content
Best for Protein Content	Babybel Light
Best for Fat Content	Babybel Light
Best for Salt Content	Same Content
Best for Calcium	Babybel Light
Best for Price	Joint Winners
Overall Winner	Babybel Light