Egg Yolk vs. Whole Milk

Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk and Whole Milk


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of egg yolk versus whole milk (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and whole milk:

  • Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium.
  • Egg yolk has 8 times less sugar than whole milk.
  • Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin.
  • Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
  • Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha and epa than whole milk.
Detailed nutritional comparison of egg yolk and whole milk is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Egg Yolk src
Image of Whole Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Egg yolk is high in calories and whole milk has 81% less calories than egg yolk - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:76 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Egg Yolk Whole Milk
Protein 20% 21%
Carbohydrates 5% 32%
Fat 76% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both whole milk and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Egg yolk has 8 times less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 403% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 80% less saturated fat than egg yolk - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and whole milk has 99% less cholesterol than egg yolk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 728% more Vitamin A than whole milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 327% more Vitamin D than whole milk - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Egg yolk has 35 times more Vitamin E than whole milk - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole milk and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, whole milk contains more niacin.

Egg Yolk Whole Milk
Thiamin 0.176 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.528 MG 0.169 MG
Niacin 0.024 MG 0.089 MG
Pantothenic acid 2.99 MG 0.373 MG
Vitamin B6 0.35 MG 0.036 MG
Folate 146 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 1.95 UG 0.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 14% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.

iron

Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 90 times more iron than whole milk - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Whole milk and egg yolk contain similar amounts of potassium - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg 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,

Egg Yolk Whole Milk
beta-carotene 88 UG 7 UG
alpha-carotene 38 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 1094 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more DHA and EPA than whole milk per 100 grams. Both egg yolk and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Egg Yolk Whole Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.103 G 0.075 G
DHA 0.114 G ~
EPA 0.011 G ~
Total 0.228 G 0.075 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.

Egg Yolk Whole Milk
other omega 6 0.438 G ~
linoleic acid 3.538 G 0.12 G
Total 3.976 G 0.12 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: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .

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FAQ

Does whole milk or egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Egg yolk is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than egg yolk - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.

Does whole milk or egg yolk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

Does whole milk or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 10% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.