Milk vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and milk are high in calcium.
- Milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Milk has 53% less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than milk.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than milk.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and milk has 83% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 27:38:35 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 24% |
| Fat | 35% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spirulina and milk contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 16 times more protein than milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Milk has 53% less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and spirulina are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and spirulina are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than milk - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Milk has 90% more Vitamin A than spirulina - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than spirulina - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than milk - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 126 times more Vitamin K than milk - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12.
| Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spirulina and milk are high in calcium. is very similar to spirulina for calcium - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 1424 times more iron than milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 874% more potassium than milk - spirulina has 1363mg 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, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.066 G | 1.254 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.
Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and milk has 80% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Is spirulina or milk better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 16 times more protein than milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Does spirulina or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, milk has 3.9 times fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spirulina or milk contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and milk are high in calcium. is very similar to spirulina for calcium - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or milk contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 1424 times more iron than milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
Does spirulina or milk contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 870% more potassium than milk - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.