Ricotta Cheese vs. Whole Milk

Nutrition comparison of Ricotta Cheese and Whole Milk


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in ricotta cheese and whole milk:

  • Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium.
  • Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than whole milk.
  • Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
  • Whole milk has 3.9 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
  • Whole milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of ricotta cheese 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: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Ricotta Cheese src
Image of Whole Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Ricotta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 59% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for protein. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for whole milk, 21:31:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk
Protein 20% 21%
Carbohydrates 19% 31%
Fat 61% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Ricotta cheese has 17.7 times less sugar than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Ricotta cheese has 139% more protein than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 71% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Whole milk has 3.9 times less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 161% more Vitamin A than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Whole milk has 410% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole milk has more thiamin, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B6. Both ricotta cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.

Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk
Thiamin 0.013 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.298 MG 0.169 MG
Niacin 0.137 MG 0.089 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.461 MG 0.373 MG
Vitamin B6 0.097 MG 0.036 MG
Folate 4 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 0.85 UG 0.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 82% more calcium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.

iron

Ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 66% more potassium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg 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,

Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk
beta-carotene 33 UG 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both ricotta cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.043 G 0.075 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.004 G ~
DPA 0.006 G ~
Total 0.054 G 0.075 G

omega 6s

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

Ricotta Cheese Whole Milk
other omega 6 0.012 G ~
linoleic acid 0.356 G 0.12 G
Total 0.368 G 0.12 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Ricotta Cheese or Whole Milk .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .

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FAQ

Does ricotta cheese or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and whole milk has 60% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.

Does ricotta cheese or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, ricotta cheese and whole milk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

Does ricotta cheese or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and whole milk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 80% more calcium than whole milk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.