Pasta vs. Milk

Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Milk


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and milk:

  • Milk is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Pasta is a great source of potassium.
  • Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of pasta and 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Pasta src
Image of Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Pasta is high in calories and milk has 87% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to milk per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Pasta Milk
Protein 14% 27%
Carbohydrates 82% 38%
Fat 4% 35%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Pasta is high in carbohydrates and milk has 94% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 295% more protein than milk - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both milk and pasta are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Both milk and pasta are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Milk and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Milk has more Vitamin A than pasta - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Milk has more Vitamin D than pasta - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Pasta and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and milk contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Pasta Milk
Thiamin 0.891 MG 0.039 MG
Riboflavin 0.4 MG 0.185 MG
Niacin 7.177 MG 0.092 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.431 MG 0.356 MG
Vitamin B6 0.142 MG 0.038 MG
Folate 237 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.53 UG

Minerals

calcium

Milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 471% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 164 times more iron than milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.

potassium

Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 59% more potassium than milk - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg 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,

Pasta Milk
lutein + zeaxanthin 18 UG ~
beta-carotene ~ 4 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.

Pasta Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.024 G 0.008 G
Total 0.024 G 0.008 G

omega 6s

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

Pasta Milk
linoleic acid 0.54 G 0.062 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.004 G
Total 0.54 G 0.066 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .

Pasta g

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G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
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protein
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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does pasta or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Pasta is high in calories and milk has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.

Does pasta or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and milk has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

Does pasta or milk contain more calcium?
Milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 470% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.

Does pasta or milk contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 164 times more iron than milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.