Whole Milk vs. White Sugar
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and White Sugar
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
white sugar
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and white sugar:
- Whole milk has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than white sugar.
- Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
White sugar is high in calories and whole milk has 84% less calories than white sugar - white sugar has 387 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to white sugar per calorie. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for white sugar, 0:100:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 100% |
| Fat | 48% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
White sugar is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 95% less carbohydrates than white sugar - white sugar has 100g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in white sugar and whole milk are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
White sugar is high in sugar and whole milk has 95% less sugar than white sugar - white sugar has 99.8g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole milk has more protein than white sugar - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Fat
saturated fat
White sugar has less saturated fat than whole milk - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
White sugar has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole milk has more Vitamin A than white sugar - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than white sugar - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole milk and white sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and white sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Whole milk has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Whole Milk | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | ~ |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 0.019 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | ~ |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 5 UG | ~ |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 112 times more calcium than white sugar - white sugar has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
White sugar and whole milk contain similar amounts of iron - white sugar has 0.05mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Whole milk has 65 times more potassium than white sugar - white sugar has 2mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.
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: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) .
Whole Milk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
White Sugar 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 white sugar or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?White sugar is high in calories and whole milk has 80% less calories than white sugar - white sugar has 387 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does white sugar or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, white sugar is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 100% fewer carbohydrates than white sugar - white sugar has 100g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in white sugar and whole milk are both made of 100% sugar.
Does white sugar or whole milk contain more calcium?
Whole milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 112 times more calcium than white sugar - white sugar has 1mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.