Egg Yolk vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
egg yolk
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium.
- Egg yolk has 8 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin.
- Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
- Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha and epa than whole milk.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Egg yolk is high in calories and whole milk has 81% less calories than egg yolk - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:75 and for whole milk, 21:31:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Egg Yolk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 5% | 31% |
| Fat | 75% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole milk and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Egg yolk has 8 times less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 403% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 80% less saturated fat than egg yolk - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and whole milk has 99% less cholesterol than egg yolk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 728% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 327% more Vitamin D than whole milk - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Egg yolk has 35 times more Vitamin E than whole milk - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin.
| Egg Yolk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.176 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.528 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.024 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.99 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.35 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 146 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.95 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 14% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.
iron
Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 90 times more iron than whole milk - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk and egg yolk contain similar amounts of potassium - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Egg Yolk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 88 UG | 7 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 38 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1094 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more DHA and EPA than whole milk per 100 grams. Both egg yolk and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Egg Yolk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.103 G | 0.075 G |
| DHA | 0.114 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.011 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.228 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Egg Yolk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.438 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 3.538 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 3.976 G | 0.12 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 Egg Yolk or Whole Milk .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Egg Yolk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does whole milk or egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?Egg yolk is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than egg yolk - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.
Does whole milk or egg yolk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 10% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.