Pasta vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and whole milk:
- Pasta has 5.7 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than pasta.
- Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and whole milk has 84% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 32% |
| Fat | 4% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 94% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Pasta and whole milk contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 314% more protein than whole milk - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta has 5.7 times less saturated fat than whole milk - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole milk has more Vitamin A than pasta - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than pasta - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and whole milk contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 438% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 109 times more iron than whole milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 69% more potassium than whole milk - pasta has 223mg 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, whole milk has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.075 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.12 G |
| Total | 0.54 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk 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 pasta or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does pasta or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or whole milk contain more calcium?
Whole milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 440% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
Does pasta or whole milk contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 109 times more iron than whole milk - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.