Soy Milk vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Soy Milk and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
soy milk
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in soy milk and whole milk:
- Both whole milk and soy milk are high in calcium.
- Soy milk has 8.1 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Soy milk has more niacin, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than soy milk.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Soy Milk (Soy milk, fortified) 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
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of calories - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and soy milk has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, soy milk is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Soy milk has a macronutrient ratio of 24:46:31 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Soy Milk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 46% | 32% |
| Fat | 31% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole milk and soy milk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and soy milk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Soy milk has more dietary fiber than whole milk - soy milk has 0.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of sugar - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and soy milk has 3.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of protein - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and soy milk has 2.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Soy milk has 8.1 times less saturated fat than whole milk - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and soy milk has 0.21g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Soy milk has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and soy milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and soy milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than soy milk - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and soy milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and soy milk has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and soy milk has 3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Soy milk has more niacin, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid. Both soy milk and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Soy Milk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.184 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.425 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.031 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.85 UG | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whole milk and soy milk are high in calcium. Soy milk has a little more calcium (9%) than whole milk by weight - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and soy milk has 123mg of calcium.
iron
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of iron - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and soy milk has 0.42mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of potassium - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and soy milk has 122mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both soy milk and whole milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Soy Milk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2 UG | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both soy milk and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Soy Milk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 0.075 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, soy milk has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Soy Milk | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.584 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 0.584 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: Soy Milk (Soy milk, fortified) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Soy Milk 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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 whole milk or soy milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Whole milk and soy milk contain similar amounts of calories - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and soy milk has 43 calories.
Does whole milk or soy milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and soy milk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and soy milk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does whole milk or soy milk contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and soy milk are high in calcium. Soy milk has a little more calcium ( 10%) than whole milk by weight - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and soy milk has 123mg of calcium.