Milk vs. Vanilla Ice Cream
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Vanilla Ice Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
vanilla ice cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and vanilla ice cream:
- Both vanilla ice cream and milk are high in calcium.
- Milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream.
- Milk has 4.5 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream.
- Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Vanilla ice cream is high in calories and milk has 76% less calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to vanilla ice cream per calorie. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 27:38:35 and for vanilla ice cream, 7:46:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Vanilla Ice Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 46% |
| Fat | 35% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Vanilla ice cream has more dietary fiber than milk - vanilla ice cream has 0.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Vanilla ice cream is high in sugar and milk has 76% less sugar than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 21.2g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Vanilla ice cream and milk contain similar amounts of protein - vanilla ice cream has 3.5g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Vanilla ice cream is high in saturated fat and milk has 81% less saturated fat than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 6.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and vanilla ice cream are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and vanilla ice cream does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Milk has 4.5 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 44mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and milk has 8mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Vanilla ice cream and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - vanilla ice cream has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 115% more Vitamin A than milk - vanilla ice cream has 118ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has 513% more Vitamin D than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 8iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and milk has 49iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Vanilla ice cream and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - vanilla ice cream has 0.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Vanilla ice cream and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - vanilla ice cream has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both milk and vanilla ice cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Milk | Vanilla Ice Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 0.24 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 0.581 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.048 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | 0.39 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both vanilla ice cream and milk are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has a little more calcium (7%) than milk by weight - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Vanilla ice cream and milk contain similar amounts of iron - vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Vanilla ice cream has 42% more potassium than milk - vanilla ice cream has 199mg 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, both milk and vanilla ice cream contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Milk | Vanilla Ice Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 4 UG | 19 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, vanilla ice cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Vanilla Ice Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.175 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.178 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, vanilla ice cream has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Vanilla Ice Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.275 G |
| Total | 0.066 G | 0.275 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 Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) .
Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Vanilla Ice Cream 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 vanilla ice cream or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Vanilla ice cream is high in calories and milk has 80% less calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Does vanilla ice cream or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, milk has 3.9 times fewer carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does vanilla ice cream or milk contain more calcium?
Both vanilla ice cream and milk are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has a little more calcium ( 10%) than milk by weight - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.