Ricotta Cheese vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Ricotta 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
ricotta cheese
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in ricotta cheese and whole milk:
- Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium.
- Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
- Whole milk has 3.9 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
- Whole milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) 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
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 59% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Ricotta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 19% | 32% |
| Fat | 61% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese has 139% more protein than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 71% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Whole milk has 3.9 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 161% more Vitamin A than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has 410% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6. Both ricotta cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Ricotta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.013 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.298 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.137 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.461 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.097 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.85 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 82% more calcium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 66% more potassium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both ricotta cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Ricotta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.075 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.004 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.006 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.054 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Ricotta Cheese | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.356 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 0.368 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: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
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 ricotta cheese or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 60% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does ricotta cheese or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 80% more calcium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.