Milk vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and kale:
- Both kale and milk are high in calcium.
- Kale has 4.1 times less sugar than milk.
- Kale has 6 times less saturated fat than milk.
- Kale has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Kale has signficantly more iron than milk.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and milk contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is heavier in fat and similar to kale for protein and carbs. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 27:38:35 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 41% |
| Fat | 35% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and milk are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in milk comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Kale has 4.1 times less sugar than milk - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and milk contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kale has 6 times less saturated fat than milk - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and kale are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and kale are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 466 times more Vitamin C than milk - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 338% more Vitamin A than milk - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than kale - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1947 times more Vitamin K than milk - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both milk and kale contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 62 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and milk are high in calcium. Kale has 112% more calcium than milk - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has signficantly more iron than milk - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 149% more potassium than milk - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.291 G |
| Total | 0.062 G | 0.294 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.
Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale 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 kale or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and milk contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Does kale or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and milk are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in milk comprise of 100% sugar.
Does kale or milk contain more calcium?
Both kale and milk are high in calcium. Kale has 110% more calcium than milk - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
Does kale or milk contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than milk - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.