Vanilla Ice Cream vs. Whole Milk

Nutrition comparison of Vanilla Ice 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 vanilla ice cream versus whole milk (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both vanilla ice cream and whole milk are high in calcium.
  • Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
  • Whole milk has 3.4 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream.
  • Whole milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream.
Detailed nutritional comparison of vanilla ice 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: Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Vanilla Ice Cream src
Image of Whole Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Vanilla ice cream is high in calories and whole milk has 71% less calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, vanilla ice cream is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to whole milk for fat. Vanilla ice cream has a macronutrient ratio of 7:46:48 and for whole milk, 21:31:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Vanilla Ice Cream Whole Milk
Protein 7% 21%
Carbohydrates 46% 31%
Fat 48% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Whole milk has 3.9 times less carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Vanilla ice cream has more dietary fiber than whole milk - vanilla ice cream has 0.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Vanilla ice cream is high in sugar and whole milk has 76% less sugar than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 21.2g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - vanilla ice cream has 3.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Vanilla ice cream is high in saturated fat and whole milk has 73% less saturated fat than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 6.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Whole milk has 3.4 times less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 44mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - vanilla ice cream has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 157% more Vitamin A than whole milk - vanilla ice cream has 118ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Whole milk has 538% more Vitamin D than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 8iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - vanilla ice cream has 0.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - vanilla ice cream has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Both vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Vanilla Ice Cream Whole Milk
Thiamin 0.041 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.24 MG 0.169 MG
Niacin 0.116 MG 0.089 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.581 MG 0.373 MG
Vitamin B6 0.048 MG 0.036 MG
Folate 5 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 0.39 UG 0.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both vanilla ice cream and whole milk are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has 13% more calcium than whole milk - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.

iron

Vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain similar amounts of iron - vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Vanilla ice cream has 51% more potassium than whole milk - vanilla ice cream has 199mg 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, both vanilla ice cream and whole milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Vanilla Ice Cream Whole Milk
beta-carotene 19 UG 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, vanilla ice cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.

Vanilla Ice Cream Whole Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.175 G 0.075 G
EPA 0.003 G ~
Total 0.178 G 0.075 G

omega 6s

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

Vanilla Ice Cream Whole Milk
linoleic acid 0.275 G 0.12 G
Total 0.275 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 Vanilla Ice Cream or Whole Milk .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .

Vanilla Ice Cream g

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FAQ

Does vanilla ice cream or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Vanilla ice cream is high in calories and whole milk has 70% less calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.

Does vanilla ice cream or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole milk has 3.9 times fewer carbohydrates than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

Does vanilla ice cream or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both vanilla ice cream and whole milk are high in calcium. Vanilla ice cream has 10% more calcium than whole milk - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.