Sour Cream vs. Whole Milk

Nutrition comparison of Sour Cream and Whole Milk


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in sour cream and whole milk:

  • Both sour cream and whole milk are high in calcium.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more dpa than whole milk.
  • Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
  • Whole milk has 4.9 times less cholesterol than sour cream.
  • Whole milk has more Vitamin B12.
  • Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream.
Detailed nutritional comparison of sour cream 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: Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Sour Cream src
Image of Whole Milk src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between sour cream and whole milk. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Sour cream is high in calories and whole milk has 69% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, sour cream is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Sour cream has a macronutrient ratio of 5:10:85 and for whole milk, 22:30:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Sour Cream Whole Milk
Protein 5% 22%
Carbohydrates 10% 30%
Fat 85% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both sour cream and whole milk are low in carbohydrates - sour cream has 4.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of sugar - sour cream has 3.4g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Sour cream is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 82% less saturated fat than sour cream - sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both sour cream and whole milk are low in trans fat - sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Whole milk has 4.9 times less cholesterol than sour cream - sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sour cream has more Vitamin C than whole milk - sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 170% more Vitamin A than whole milk - sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole milk has more Vitamin B12. Both sour cream and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Sour Cream Whole Milk
Thiamin 0.02 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.168 MG 0.169 MG
Niacin 0.093 MG 0.089 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.472 MG 0.373 MG
Vitamin B6 0.041 MG 0.036 MG
Folate 6 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 0.21 UG 0.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both sour cream and whole milk are high in calcium. Whole milk has 12% more calcium than sour cream - sour cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.

iron

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of iron - sour cream has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Sour cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of potassium - sour cream has 125mg 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,

Sour Cream Whole Milk
beta-carotene 25 UG 7 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 4 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Sour Cream Whole Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.074 G 0.075 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.006 G ~
DPA 0.011 G ~
Total 0.092 G 0.075 G

omega 6s

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

Sour Cream Whole Milk
other omega 6 0.018 G ~
linoleic acid 0.648 G 0.12 G
Total 0.666 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: Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .

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FAQ

Does sour cream or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Sour cream is high in calories and whole milk has 70% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.

Does sour cream or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both sour cream and whole milk are high in calcium. Whole milk has 10% more calcium than sour cream - sour cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.