What is the difference between almond milk and regular milk

Almond milk and cow's milk are both packed with nutrients, but pros and cons may exist for each. Many different types of cow's and almond milks are available commercially, so it's often difficult to determine which is the healthiest. The best choice for you depends on a variety of factors.

Calorie Content

Almond milk generally contains fewer calories than cow's milk, but it depends on the type of milk you buy. Unsweetened almond milk provides just 30 calories per cup, vs. 90 calories in a cup of skim cow's milk. One-percent low-fat milk contains 110 calories, two-percent milk provides 130 calories, and whole cow's milk contains 150 calories per cup. Sweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk generally contains 90 calories in each cup.

What about Protein?

Cow's milk is much higher in protein than almond milk. Protein is beneficial because it boosts satiety, helps your body burn extra calories, aids in healthy weight management, and allows you to maintain lean muscle mass -- even during periods of weight loss. Skim, low-fat, and whole cow's milk each provide 8 grams of protein per cup, but a cup of almond milk contains just 1 gram of protein. Even protein-fortified almond milk generally provides just 5 grams of protein. Some brands of high-protein cow's milk contain up to 13 grams of protein per cup.

Carb Comparison

Cow's milk is naturally higher in carbohydrates than almond milk, unless the almond milk is sweetened with added sugar. Cow's milk contains about 12 grams of carbohydrates -- mainly from a natural sugar called lactose -- in each cup. Unsweetened almond milk provides less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and no sugar, but sweetened almond milk may contain up to 16 grams of added sugar per cup.

Types of Fat

Almond milk is rich in heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, while the fat in cow's milk is primarily saturated fat. But, skim milk is fat-free and low-fat milk contains very little saturated fat. While some studies show that getting too much saturated fat in your diet may boost your risk for heart disease, other research indicates otherwise, according to a study published in 2013 in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. Researchers who conducted this study report that a high dairy fat intake is actually associated with a lower obesity risk.

Which Milk is Healthier?

Cow's milk and almond milk are both packed with essential nutrients and generally healthy for you. Both are rich in calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Cow's milk is a good source of phosphorous, but almond milk is rich in vitamin E. Cow's milk is high in protein, which is the main advantage of cow's milk over almond milk. But almond milk is naturally lactose-free, so likely won't cause problems if you're lactose intolerant. If you're seeking a plant-based milk that's rich in high-quality protein like cow's milk, soy milk is a good option. If you enjoy cow's milk but want to steer clear from hormones and antibiotics, try organic brands of cow's milk.

An experienced health, nutrition and fitness writer, Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian and holds a dietetics degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also has worked as a clinical dietitian and health educator in outpatient settings. Erin's work is published on popular health websites, such as TheNest.com and JillianMichaels.com.

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

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

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• Calories and Carbs
• Protein
• Fat
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Omegas
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For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in almond milk and whole milk:

• Both whole milk and almond milk are high in calcium.
• Almond milk has 22.3 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
• Almond milk has 5.2 times less sugar than whole milk.
• Almond milk has 75% less calories than whole milk.
• Almond milk has signficantly more Vitamin E than whole milk.
• Whole milk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Detailed nutritional comparison of almond milk 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: Almond Milk (Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Calories and Carbs

calories

Almond milk has 75% less calories than whole milk - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and almond milk has 15 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, almond milk is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to whole milk for carbs. Almond milk has a macronutrient ratio of 10:34:56 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

carbohydrates

Both whole milk and almond milk are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and almond milk has 1.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in almond milk are made of 75% sugar, 19% dietary fiber and 6% starch, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.

dietary fiber

Almond milk has more dietary fiber than whole milk - almond milk has 0.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Almond milk has 5.2 times less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and almond milk has 0.81g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Whole milk has 688% more protein than almond milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and almond milk has 0.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Almond milk has 22.3 times less saturated fat than whole milk - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and almond milk has 0.08g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Almond milk has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and almond milk does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Whole milk has more Vitamin A than almond milk - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and almond milk does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Whole milk and almond milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and almond milk has 41iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Almond milk has signficantly more Vitamin E than whole milk - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and almond milk has 6.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole milk and almond milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and almond milk does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Minerals

calcium

Both whole milk and almond milk are high in calcium. Almond milk has 63% more calcium than whole milk - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and almond milk has 184mg of calcium.

iron

Whole milk and almond milk contain similar amounts of iron - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and almond milk has 0.28mg of iron.

potassium

Whole milk has 97% more potassium than almond milk - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and almond milk has 67mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 6s

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

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