Cocoa Powder vs. Whey Protein Powder

Nutrition comparison of Cocoa Powder and Whey Protein Powder


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cocoa powder versus whey protein powder (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cocoa powder and whey protein powder:

  • Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in calcium, calories, dietary fiber, potassium and protein.
  • Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron.
  • Whey protein powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, cocoa powder contains more pantothenic acid.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cocoa powder and whey protein powder is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in calories. Whey protein powder has 54% more calories than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 228 calories per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cocoa powder is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whey protein powder per calorie. Cocoa powder has a macronutrient ratio of 18:54:29 and for whey protein powder, 89:7:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cocoa Powder Whey Protein Powder
Protein 18% 89%
Carbohydrates 54% 7%
Fat 29% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cocoa powder is high in carbohydrates and whey protein powder has 89% less carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in dietary fiber. Cocoa powder has 10 times more dietary fiber than whey protein powder - cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 3.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Whey protein powder has less sugar than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 299% more protein than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and whey protein powder has 90% less saturated fat than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 0.78g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Cocoa powder has less cholesterol than whey protein powder - whey protein powder has 16mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin E

Cocoa powder and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Cocoa powder and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Whey protein powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, cocoa powder contains more pantothenic acid. Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of niacin and folate.

Cocoa Powder Whey Protein Powder
Thiamin 0.078 MG 0.609 MG
Riboflavin 0.241 MG 2.017 MG
Niacin 2.185 MG 1.136 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.254 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.118 MG 0.607 MG
Folate 32 UG 33 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 2.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in calcium. Whey protein powder has 266% more calcium than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

iron

Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than whey protein powder - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 205% more potassium than whey protein powder - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cocoa powder and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Cocoa Powder Whey Protein Powder
linoleic acid 0.44 G 0.264 G
Total 0.44 G 0.264 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cocoa Powder or Whey Protein Powder .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) .

Cocoa Powder g

()
Daily Values (%)

Whey Protein Powder g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does cocoa powder or whey protein powder contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in calories. Whey protein powder has 50% more calories than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 228 calories in 100g and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

Is cocoa powder or whey protein powder better for protein?
Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 300% more protein than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Does cocoa powder or whey protein powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cocoa powder is high in carbohydrates and whey protein powder has 90% fewer carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbs for 100g and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

Does cocoa powder or whey protein powder contain more calcium?
Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in calcium. Whey protein powder has 270% more calcium than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

Does cocoa powder or whey protein powder contain more iron?
Cocoa powder is an abundant source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than whey protein powder - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

Does cocoa powder or whey protein powder contain more potassium?
Both cocoa powder and whey protein powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 210% more potassium than whey protein powder - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.