Kefir vs. Skim Milk
Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Skim Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kefir
versus
skim milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kefir and skim milk:
- Both kefir and skim 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 Skim Milk (Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (fat free or skim)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of calories - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and skim milk has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kefir is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to skim milk per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for skim milk, 40:58:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kefir | Skim Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 58% |
| Fat | 21% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and skim milk are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and skim milk has 5g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kefir and skim milk are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of sugar - kefir has 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams and skim milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and skim milk has 3.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kefir and skim milk are low in saturated fat - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.06g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and skim milk are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both kefir and skim milk are low in cholesterol - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and skim milk has 2mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 180% more Vitamin A than skim milk - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and skim milk has 61ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and skim milk has 47iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Kefir has more folate. Both kefir and skim milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Kefir | Skim Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.03 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.135 MG | 0.182 MG |
| Niacin | 0.15 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.385 MG | 0.357 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.058 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.29 UG | 0.5 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and skim milk are high in calcium. Kefir has a little more calcium (7%) than skim milk by weight - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and skim milk has 122mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of potassium - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and skim milk has 156mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both kefir and skim milk contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Kefir | Skim Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.006 G | 0.001 G |
| DPA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.007 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both kefir and skim milk contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Kefir | Skim Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.002 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 (%) |
Skim 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 skim milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of calories - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and skim milk has 34 calories.
Is kefir or skim milk better for protein?
Kefir and skim milk contain similar amounts of protein - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and skim milk has 3.4g of protein.
Does kefir or skim milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and skim milk are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and skim milk has 5g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kefir and skim milk are both made of 100% sugar.
Does kefir or skim milk contain more calcium?
Both kefir and skim milk are high in calcium. Kefir has a little more calcium ( 10%) than skim milk by weight - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and skim milk has 122mg of calcium.