Milk — semi-skimmed (2%): how many calories?

Milk — semi-skimmed (2%) carries 50 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (200 g) comes to 100 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g50kcal
  • Protein3.3 g
  • Carbs4.9 g
  • Fat2.0 g
  • Fibre0.0 g
1 portion · 200 g100kcal
  • Protein6.6 g
  • Carbs9.8 g
  • Fat4.0 g
  • Fibre0.0 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbs 39%
  • Fat 35%

Each macro's grams are multiplied by its own calorie value: 4 for protein and carbohydrate, 9 for fat. Fibre sits inside the carbohydrate figure and alcohol is not in the list at all, which is why the three shares add up to exactly one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Milk — semi-skimmed (2%) carries 0.5 calories per gram: it takes 200 grams to reach 100 calories. In this band the portion is hard to misjudge by eye, because piling up calories means genuinely filling the plate.

A typical portion is 200 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Milk — semi-skimmed (2%) that means understating the calories by 50%.

In calories, one portion (200 g · 100 kcal) comes to: 192 g Apple. Apple page

One portion every day adds up to 36,500 calories a year — roughly a 4.7 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

Calories in a drink go down without chewing, so they turn into little sense of fullness; the same calories from solid food would have covered part of a meal.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Small glass (100 ml)103 g52 kcal3.4 g
Glass (200 ml)206 g103 kcal6.8 g
US cup (240 ml)247 g124 kcal8.2 g
Can / bottle (330 ml)340 g170 kcal11.2 g
Bowl (300 ml)309 g155 kcal10.2 g
1 serving200 g100 kcal6.6 g

A cup measures 200 millilitres, not 200 grams; the grams in the table therefore come from the food's own bulk density rather than from volume. Packing the cup down or chopping more finely shifts the figure by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 200 g
Calories2,000 kcal3%5%
Fat70 g3%6%
Carbs260 g2%4%
Protein50 g7%13%
Fibre25 g0%0%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 11 of the 13 foods in the Drinks group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 32 kcal; Milk — semi-skimmed (2%) is 57% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 200 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
Milk — skimmedGood swap68 kcal−32 kcal6.8 g
Water0 kcal−100 kcal0.0 g
Cola — sugar-free0 kcal−100 kcal0.0 g

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (200 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)25 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)11 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h14 min

The maths assumes 70 kg and is NET rather than gross: the resting calories that would burn without any exercise are not counted, because they do not pay for this portion. The heavier you are, the shorter the times. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Milk — semi-skimmed (2%) meets 1 of them:

  • High protein26% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 20%

The thresholds apply to a product's OWN analysis; the values here come from average composition tables. So this list is not an authorisation, only an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks the energy and fat thresholds are per 100 millilitres and lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.