Whole Milk vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and spinach:
- Both spinach and whole milk are high in calcium.
- Spinach has 11 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Spinach has 28.6 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Spinach has 62% less calories than whole milk.
- Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole 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.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than spinach.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 62% less calories than whole milk - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 49% |
| Fat | 48% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach has 11 times less sugar than whole milk - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spinach has 28.6 times less saturated fat than whole milk - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg 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 more Vitamin C than whole milk - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 920% more Vitamin A than whole milk - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than spinach - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 28 times more Vitamin E than whole milk - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1608 times more Vitamin K than whole milk - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both whole milk and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Whole Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and whole milk are high in calcium. Whole milk has 14% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 89 times more iron than whole milk - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 323% more potassium than whole milk - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg 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,
| Whole Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both whole milk and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Whole Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole milk has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.12 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.12 G | 0.026 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: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Whole 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 whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 60% less calories than whole milk - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Is spinach or whole milk better for protein?
Spinach and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Does spinach or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both spinach and whole milk are high in calcium. Whole milk has 10% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
Does spinach or whole milk contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 320% more potassium than whole milk - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.