Whole Milk vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and kale:
- Both kale and whole milk are high in calcium.
- Kale has 4.1 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Kale has 9.4 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Kale has signficantly more iron than whole milk.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than kale.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale has 43% less calories than whole milk - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to kale per calorie. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 41% |
| Fat | 48% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Kale has 4.1 times less sugar than whole milk - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kale has 9.4 times less saturated fat than whole milk - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Kale has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than whole milk - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 424% more Vitamin A than whole milk - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than kale - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1297 times more Vitamin K than whole milk - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both whole milk and kale contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Whole Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 62 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and whole milk are high in calcium. Kale has 125% more calcium than whole milk - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has signficantly more iron than whole milk - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 164% more potassium than whole milk - kale has 348mg 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, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.12 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.12 G | 0.294 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 Kale (Kale, raw) .
Whole Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale 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 kale or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale has 40% less calories than whole milk - kale has 35 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does kale or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
Does kale or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both kale and whole milk are high in calcium. Kale has 130% more calcium than whole milk - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
Does kale or whole milk contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 160% more potassium than whole milk - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.