Milk vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and milk are high in calcium.
- Milk has 5.1 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
- Milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6.
- Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than milk.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and milk has 67% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to ricotta cheese per calorie. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 27:38:35 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 19% |
| Fat | 35% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than milk - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese has 128% more protein than milk - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and milk has 80% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and milk are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and milk has 0.09g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Milk has 5.1 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and milk has 8mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 118% more Vitamin A than milk - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has 390% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and milk has 49iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6. Both milk and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Milk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 72% more calcium than milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and milk contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 56% more potassium than milk - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.356 G |
| Total | 0.062 G | 0.368 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: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese 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 % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 ricotta cheese or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and milk has 70% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, ricotta cheese and milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does ricotta cheese or milk contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 70% more calcium than milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.