Whole Milk vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and whole milk are high in calcium.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than whole milk.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than whole milk.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Whole milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than spirulina.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added 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 whole milk has 79% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 22:30:48 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 22% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | 30% | 25% |
| Fat | 48% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spirulina and whole milk contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 17 times more protein than whole milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spirulina and whole milk contain similar amounts of saturated fat - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spirulina has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than whole milk - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than spirulina - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than whole milk - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 84 times more Vitamin K than whole milk - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12.
| Whole Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spirulina and whole milk are high in calcium. Spirulina has a little more calcium (6%) than whole milk by weight - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 949 times more iron than whole milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 933% more potassium than whole milk - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg 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 whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.12 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.12 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Whole 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 whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Is spirulina or whole milk better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 17 times more protein than whole milk - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Does spirulina or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and whole milk are high in calcium. Spirulina has a little more calcium ( 10%) than whole milk by weight - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or whole milk contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 949 times more iron than whole milk - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
Does spirulina or whole milk contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 930% more potassium than whole milk - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.