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Milk

Milk

Milk is nutrient-rich food that provides a large number of nutrients relative to the calories consumed. For a complete listing of the nutrients in milk, consult the tables below.

Milk is delicious as a beverage and can be used as a base for other drinks such as hot chocolate or specialty coffees. Milk is a common ingredient in recipes such as cream soups, sauces and batters. It can also be used as a base to make delicious desserts, custards, sauces and mousses.

Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet. According to government statistics nine out of 10 women and seven out of 10 men fall short of calcium recommendations.

Milk produced in California meets the federal standards for fat content, but exceeds the standards for other nutrients such as protein and calcium. California milk producers accomplish this by fortifying milk with nonfat milk solids, which improves taste and adds additional nutritional benefits. For more detailed nutritional information on California milk and Federal milk standards, see the tables on this page. The nutrient content of chocolate and other flavored milk is similar to that of unflavored milk. In general, chocolate-flavored milks have about 60 more calories than their unflavored counterparts per eight-ounce serving.

One serving of milk is one eight-ounce cup. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that individuals ages nine and older consume three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day.

Milk (1 cup) - California Standards*   Fat-free Low-fat 1% Reduced Fat 2% Whole
Calories 92 127 139 156
Protein (g) 9 10 10 8
Total Carbohydrate (g) 13 16 14 13
Sugars, natural & added (g) 12 15 13 12
Fiber (g) 0 0 0 0
Total Fat (g) 1 2 5 8
Calories from Fat 5 21 43 72
Saturated Fat (g) 0 2 3 5
Trans Fat (g) 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3
Cholesterol (mg) 5 13 22 35
Cholesterol (%DV) 2 4 7 12
Sodium (mg) 129 157 143 124
Sodium (%DV) 5 7 6 5
Potassium (mg) 418 511 465 404
Potassium (%DV) 12 15 13 12
Vitamin A (IU) 23 92 184 313
Vitamin A (%DV) 0 2 4 6
Vitamin C (mg) 2 3 3 2
Vitamin C (%DV) 4 5 4 4
Vitamin D*
Calcium (mg) 311 380 346 301
Calcium (%DV) 31 38 35 30
Iron (mg) 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1
Iron (%DV) 1 1 1 1
Phosphorus (mg) 244 298 271 236
Phosphorus (%DV) 24 30 27 24
 

*Vitamin D fortified milk can be an excellent source of vitamin D however, levels in milk vary considerably. Read the food label or contact manufacturer for specific levels.

*Values are calculated from percent fat and percent solids-not-fat of milk using minimal California and national standards for Fat-free, 1%, 2% and whole milk. Actual values may vary.

Click here to see additional footnotes.

Milk (1 cup) – Federal Standards* Fat-free Low-fat 1% Reduced Fat 2% Whole Chocolate 1% Milk
Calories 90 101 122 152 158
Protein (g) 8 8 8 8 8
Total Carbohydrate (g) 12 12 12 12 26
Sugars, natural & added (g) 11 11 11 11 25
Fiber (g) 0 0 0 0 1
Total Fat (g) 1 2 5 8 3
Calories from Fat 11 21 43 72 22
Saturated Fat (g) 1 2 3 5 2
Trans Fat (g) 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 n/a
Cholesterol 8 12 22 35 8
Cholesterol (%DV) 3 4 7 12 3
Sodium (mg) 118 118 118 118 152
Sodium (%DV) 5 5 5 5 6
Potassium (mg) 383 383 383 383 425
Potassium (%DV) 11 11 11 11 12
Vitamin A (IU) 46 92 184 313 490
Vitamin A (%DV) 1 2 4 6 10
Vitamin C (mg) 2 2 2 2 2
Vitamin C (%DV) 4 4 4 4 3
Vitamin D*
Calcium (mg) 285 285 285 285 288
Calcium (%DV) 29 29 29 29 29
Iron (mg) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.6
Iron (%DV) 1 1 1 1 3
Phosphorus (mg) 223 223 223 223 258
Phosphorus (%DV) 22 22 22 22 26
Magnesium (mg) 27 27 27 24 32
Magnesium (%DV) 7 7 7 6 8
Vitamin B 12 (mcg) 1.3 1.07 1.12 1.07 0.85
Vitamin B 12 (%DV) 54% 45% 47% 45% 35%
 
*Vitamin D fortified milk can be an excellent source of vitamin D however, levels in milk vary considerably. Read the food label or contact manufacturer for specific levels.

*Values are calculated from percent fat and percent solids-not-fat of milk using minimal California and national standards for Fat-free, 1%, 2% and whole milk. Actual values may vary.

Click here to see additional footnotes.
n/a = data not available.