Snickers vs. Milky Way: Differences & Which Is Better?

Choosing the right chocolate snack for you can be sometimes difficult because there are so many choices, but also many of them are so similar to one another. That is exactly the case with Snickers and Milky Way, especially since they come from the same manufacturer. So, what exactly are the differences between Snickers and Milky Way, and how do you know which one is better for you? 

Snickers and Milky Way are produced by the same chocolate company, meaning they have a lot of similar ingredients, and their tastes are quite similar. However, besides the same ingredients, such as nougat and caramel, Snickers includes peanuts in its content, which is not the case for Milky way. 

I have written this article in order to shed some light on the differences between Snickers and Milky Way. If you enjoy these chocolate bars, it would be good for you to know what you are ingesting when you consume these sweet pleasures. Once you read the article, you will be completely aware of the ingredients and nutritional values of both Snickers and Milky Way, along with some other features that make them distinguishable. 

Difference Between Snickers and Milky Way

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are a lot of similar ingredients and flavors included in both Snickers and Milky Way, therefore many people wonder about the additional features of Snickers vs. Milky Way. 

This is important because these additional features are the things that make them separate and unique chocolate bars. They are created for people with different tastes, so it is important to acknowledge their differences.

Ownership

Snickers and Milky Way are products of the same chocolate manufacturer, i.e. Mars Wrigley. This corporation is also known as Mars Incorporation, and they are known for the production of many sweet chocolate bars that are popular across the whole world. This information might not come as a surprise to you, and you are probably aware of the many chocolate tastes that Mars Inc. offers. 

In addition, the tastes of the chocolate bars by Mars Wrigley are quite unique and recognizable, meaning that it is very easy to recognize such distinguishable combinations of ingredients. However, many of the products are not available in some countries since the company has different policies for distinct places of production. 

Appearance 

Firstly, you may notice that the packages of both Milky Way and Snickers are quite similar, i.e., the colors are somehow the same, and the font of the letters quite resemble one another. What is more, when you open the chocolate bars and when you see the whole surface, you will notice that they are actually identical. This means, that you will have to take a bite of them or cut them in half in order to see some differences in their structures.

Therefore, if you cut Snickers and Milky Way in half, you will notice some color changes and structure. While both of them have brownish tones coming from the caramel and nougat, Snickers changes its structure a little bit due to the presence of peanuts. In other words, peanuts make the structure look a little bit rough and brighter compared to Milky Way. 

Ingredients 

If you read the labels of both Milky Way and Snickers, you will notice a lot of the same ingredients. This is the reason why these chocolate bars might give off a similar taste. Therefore, the dominant ingredients in both chocolate bars are milk chocolate, sugar, skim milk, corn syrup, lactose, milk fat, egg whites, and salt. [1][2]

However, the ingredients that are present in Snickers, but not in Milky Way, are peanuts. Peanuts make Snickers taste crunchy, while Milky Way is smoother with the combination of creamy caramel and nougat. 

Nutritional Values 

If you compare two chocolate bars of regular size, you will notice that Snickers is slightly heavier than Milky Way, i.e. Snickers weighs 1.86 oz, while Milky Way is 1.84 oz. This is not such a big difference, but it leads to the difference in the number of calories both of the chocolate bars contain. Therefore, while Snickers contains 250 calories per bar, Milky Way is slightly lighter with 240 calories per bar. [1][2]

In addition, there is also a difference in the presence of sodium since Snickers contains 125 mg of it, while Milky Way only contains 70 mg. Furthermore, there are fewer carbs in Snickers than there are in Milky Way, and there are fewer sugars in the former as well. 

Lastly, Snickers has always been considered the better option since it has the highest amount of protein compared to all other chocolate bars produced by Mars Wrigley. The reason behind this is mostly the presence of peanuts since they are the main sources of protein. Milky Way also contains protein but in a lower amount. 

Popularity 

While both chocolate bars are quite popular around the world, Snickers is quite more recognizable both in the US and worldwide. In 2020, 48.06 million Americans ate Snickers, while 16.76 million Americans ate Milky Way. [3]

Also, some countries do not have Milky Way available on the market. There are substitutes, like Mars chocolate, in some parts of the world where the Milky Way is not available.

On the other hand, Snickers is available throughout the whole world. There are probably very few countries where Snickers is not sold, but everyone has generally heard about this chocolate bar. In addition, for this reason, Snickers is available in many variations, so people across the world can try different kinds of the same treat. 

Price 

Since they come from the same chocolate producer, there is not a big difference in the prices of Milky Way and Snickers. Usually, in most parts of the world, they come at the same price, or with a really slight difference in the cost. However, if you notice that somewhere Snickers and Milky Way come at quite different prices, this is due to the fact that some stores change the prices according to their necessities. 

That is why you can come across Snickers that is really cheap, while it would be significantly expensive in other places. Again, supermarkets and stores have the right to do variations with prices because they have different marketing strategies and policies to achieve greater profit.

Variations of Chocolate Bars 

Since Mars Wrigley has been on the market for a long time with the same products, it is understandable that they have made some variations of their products in order to prevent a monotonous circle of the same products. Therefore, both Snickers and Milky Way have various different kinds of the same chocolate bars, but they are not available everywhere. 

Therefore, you can find the same chocolate bars in different sizes and packages and with different flavors. According to particular market needs, manufacturers responsible for a certain country might decide which variations will be sold, i.e. which ones would be available to the customers. That is why when you travel, you might come across different flavors of these chocolate bars, especially Snickers. 

Vegan Features of the Chocolate Bars 

Since both Milky Way and Snickers are made mostly out of chocolate, people wonder whether they are suitable for vegan dietary plans. Unfortunately, neither of them is considered vegan due to the presence of milk and egg whites. 

While they are completely okay for vegetarians, Milky Way and Snickers are not recommended for vegans, so if you are one of them, you should avoid including these chocolate bars in your diet. 

Milky Way vs. Snickers: Which One to Choose?

Since Snickers contains a major ingredient that changes the change of the chocolate bar, your choice would primarily depend on your taste. For instance, some people do not tolerate peanuts in their chocolate bar; therefore, they will not go for it even if you claim that that would be the better option. Also, here, we are discussing two very similar chocolate bars with a lot of the same ingredients, so there is no big difference in your choice in terms of healthy features. 

However, if we are going to dig deeper, then Snickers would probably be the better choice. This is mainly due to the higher amount of protein present in the chocolate bar, and the lower amount of sugar. Compared to Milky Way, Snickers has more calories, but fewer sugars, fat, and carbs.

Considering this, it would be better for you and your diet to opt for Snickers but bear in mind that the difference is not so significant. This means if you are craving Milky Way, go for one since you are not making a very different choice here. 

Which Came First, Milky Way or Snickers? 

According to the historical facts and events, Milky Way was the first on the market. It was invented and launched in 1923, while Snickers came out later in 1930. It is also important to know that peanuts were included later in the same chocolate texture. 

As you can see, Milky Way and Snickers have a lot of different features, but the peanuts in the latter can make a huge difference for some tastes and palates. When it comes to health features, there are no significant differences in that relations, although Snickers is considered slightly healthier than Milky Way.