Kefir vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kefir
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kefir and milk:
- Both kefir and milk are high in calcium.
- Kefir has more folate.
- Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of calories - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kefir is heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to milk per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kefir | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 38% |
| Fat | 21% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and milk are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kefir and milk are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of sugar - kefir has 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of saturated fat - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and milk are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and milk has 0.09g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Both kefir and milk are low in cholesterol - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and milk has 8mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 211% more Vitamin A than milk - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and milk has 49iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kefir has more folate. Both kefir and milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Kefir | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.03 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.135 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 0.15 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.385 MG | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.058 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.29 UG | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and milk are high in calcium. Kefir has a little more calcium (8%) than milk by weight - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of potassium - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both kefir and milk contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Kefir | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.006 G | 0.008 G |
| DPA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both kefir and milk contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Kefir | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.004 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.062 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.066 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.
Kefir g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Milk 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 kefir or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of calories - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Is kefir or milk better for protein?
Kefir and milk contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Does kefir or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and milk are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kefir and milk are both made of 100% sugar.
Does kefir or milk contain more calcium?
Both kefir and milk are high in calcium. Kefir has a little more calcium ( 10%) than milk by weight - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.