Whole Milk vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has 24.2 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Alfalfa sprout has 26 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Alfalfa sprout has 62% less calories than whole milk.
- Alfalfa sprout has more niacin and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Alfalfa sprout has signficantly more dietary fiber than whole milk.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than alfalfa sprout.
- Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Alfalfa sprout has 62% less calories than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to alfalfa sprouts for carbs. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for alfalfa sprouts, 53:29:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 29% |
| Fat | 48% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both alfalfa sprouts and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Alfalfa sprout has signficantly more dietary fiber than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Alfalfa sprout has 24.2 times less sugar than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprouts and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Alfalfa sprout has 26 times less saturated fat than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Alfalfa sprout has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and alfalfa sprout does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Whole milk has 475% more Vitamin A than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than alfalfa sprout - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and alfalfa sprout does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has 100 times more Vitamin K than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Alfalfa sprout has more niacin and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both whole milk and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Whole Milk | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 36 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 253% more calcium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Alfalfa sprout has 31 times more iron than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk has 67% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 0.175 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both whole milk and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Whole Milk | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.12 G | 0.234 G |
| Total | 0.12 G | 0.234 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Whole Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does alfalfa sprouts or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Alfalfa sprout has 60% less calories than whole milk - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or whole milk better for protein?
Alfalfa sprouts and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both alfalfa sprouts and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
Does alfalfa sprouts or whole milk contain more calcium?
Whole milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 250% more calcium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.