Skim Milk vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Skim Milk and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
skim milk
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in skim milk and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and skim milk are high in calcium.
- Skim milk has 3.8 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Skim milk has 46.3 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, skim milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than skim milk.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than skim milk.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Skim Milk (Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (fat free or skim)) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and skim milk has 88% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and skim milk has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, skim milk is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Skim milk has a macronutrient ratio of 40:58:2 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Skim Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 40% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 58% | 24% |
| Fat | 2% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Skim milk has 3.8 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and skim milk has 5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than skim milk - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spirulina and skim milk contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and skim milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 16 times more protein than skim milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and skim milk has 3.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Skim milk has 46.3 times less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.06g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Both skim milk and spirulina are low in cholesterol - skim milk has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than skim milk - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Skim milk has 110% more Vitamin A than spirulina - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and skim milk has 61ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Skim milk has more Vitamin D than spirulina - skim milk has 47iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than skim milk - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has more Vitamin K than skim milk - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and skim milk does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, skim milk contains more Vitamin B12.
| Skim Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.045 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.182 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.094 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.357 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.037 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.5 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spirulina and skim milk are high in calcium. Spirulina is very similar to spirulina for calcium - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and skim milk has 122mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 949 times more iron than skim milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and skim milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 774% more potassium than skim milk - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and skim milk has 156mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than skim milk per 100 grams.
| Skim Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.001 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.001 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than skim milk per 100 grams.
| Skim Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.002 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.002 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.
Skim 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 skim milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and skim milk has 90% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and skim milk has 34 calories.
Is spirulina or skim milk better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 16 times more protein than skim milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and skim milk has 3.4g of protein.
Does spirulina or skim milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, skim milk has 3.8 times fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of carbs for 100g and skim milk has 5g of carbohydrates.
Does spirulina or skim milk contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and skim milk are high in calcium. Spirulina is very similar to spirulina for calcium - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and skim milk has 122mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or skim milk contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 949 times more iron than skim milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and skim milk has 0.03mg of iron.
Does spirulina or skim milk contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 770% more potassium than skim milk - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and skim milk has 156mg of potassium.