Pasta vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and milk:
- Milk is an excellent source of calcium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) 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
Pasta is high in calories and milk has 87% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to milk per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 38% |
| Fat | 4% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and milk has 94% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 295% more protein than milk - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and pasta are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and pasta are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Milk has more Vitamin A than pasta - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than pasta - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and milk contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 471% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 164 times more iron than milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 59% more potassium than milk - pasta has 223mg 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, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.062 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.54 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.
Pasta 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 pasta or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and milk has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Does pasta or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and milk has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or milk contain more calcium?
Milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 470% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
Does pasta or milk contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 164 times more iron than milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.