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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of milk and vanilla ice cream 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: 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.


Image of Milk src
Image of Vanilla Ice Cream src

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


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 26:38:36 and for vanilla ice cream, 7:46:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Milk Vanilla Ice Cream
Protein 26% 7%
Carbohydrates 38% 46%
Fat 36% 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 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 Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream .

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) .

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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.