Cottage Cheese vs. Sour Cream
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
sour cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and sour cream:
- Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese has 71% less cholesterol than sour cream.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
- Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sour cream is high in calories and cottage cheese has 51% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sour cream per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for sour cream, 5:10:85 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 10% |
| Fat | 40% | 85% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both sour cream and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - sour cream has 4.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - sour cream has 3.4g of sugar per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 356% more protein than sour cream - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sour cream is high in saturated fat and cottage cheese has 83% less saturated fat than sour cream - sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both sour cream and cottage cheese are low in trans fat - sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Cottage cheese has 71% less cholesterol than sour cream - sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sour cream has more Vitamin C than cottage cheese - sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 235% more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cottage cheese and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Both cottage cheese and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Cottage Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.472 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | 0.21 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has 22% more calcium than cottage cheese - sour cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - sour cream has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - sour cream has 125mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Cottage Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 12 UG | 25 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.074 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.092 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sour cream has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 0.648 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.018 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 0.666 G |
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: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sour Cream 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 sour cream or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Sour cream is high in calories and cottage cheese has 50% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
Is sour cream or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 360% more protein than sour cream - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Does sour cream or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has 20% more calcium than cottage cheese - sour cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.