Milk vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and spinach:
- Both spinach and milk are high in calcium.
- Spinach has 11 times less sugar than milk.
- Spinach has 18.9 times less saturated fat than milk.
- Spinach has 54% less calories than milk.
- Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 54% less calories than milk - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 26:38:36 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 49% |
| Fat | 36% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and milk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach has 11 times less sugar than milk - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and milk contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spinach has 18.9 times less saturated fat than milk - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and spinach are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and spinach are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 139 times more Vitamin C than milk - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 753% more Vitamin A than milk - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than spinach - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 66 times more Vitamin E than milk - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 2413 times more Vitamin K than milk - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both milk and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and milk are high in calcium. Milk has 21% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 134 times more iron than milk - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 299% more potassium than milk - spinach has 558mg 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, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, milk has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.066 G | 0.026 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 Milk or Spinach .
Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach 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 spinach or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 50% less calories than milk - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Is spinach or milk better for protein?
Spinach and milk contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Does spinach or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and milk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or milk contain more calcium?
Both spinach and milk are high in calcium. Milk has 20% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
Does spinach or milk contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 300% more potassium than milk - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.