Feta Cheese vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Feta Cheese and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
feta cheese
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in feta cheese and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and feta cheese are high in calcium.
- Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Feta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A.
- Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Whole milk has 7.9 times less cholesterol than feta cheese.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) 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
Feta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 77% less calories than feta cheese - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and feta cheese has 265 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, feta cheese is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Feta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 21:6:73 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Feta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 6% | 32% |
| Fat | 73% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole milk and feta cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and feta cheese has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Feta cheese has less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and feta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 351% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and feta cheese has 14.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Feta cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 86% less saturated fat than feta cheese - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and feta cheese has 13.3g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Whole milk has 7.9 times less cholesterol than feta cheese - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and feta cheese has 89mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Feta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 172% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and feta cheese has 125ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has 219% more Vitamin D than feta cheese - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and feta cheese has 16iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and feta cheese has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Feta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.154 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.844 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.991 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.967 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.424 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 32 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.69 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 336% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.
iron
Feta cheese has 20 times more iron than whole milk - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.65mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk has 113% more potassium than feta cheese - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 62mg 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, both feta cheese and whole milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Feta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, feta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Feta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.265 G | 0.075 G |
| Total | 0.265 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, feta cheese has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Feta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.326 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 0.326 G | 0.12 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: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Feta Cheese g
()
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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% |
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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 % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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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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5% | selenium | 5% |
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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 feta cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Feta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than feta cheese - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and feta cheese has 265 calories.
Does whole milk or feta cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and feta cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and feta cheese has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or feta cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 340% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.