Cottage Cheese vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and spinach:
- Both spinach and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
- Spinach has 26.2 times less saturated fat than cottage cheese.
- Spinach has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Spinach has signficantly less calories than cottage cheese.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has signficantly less calories than cottage cheese - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 49% |
| Fat | 40% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cottage cheese - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g 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 289% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spinach has 26.2 times less saturated fat than cottage cheese - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than cottage cheese - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 11 times more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cottage cheese and spinach contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 24 times more Vitamin E than cottage cheese - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than cottage cheese - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both cottage cheese and spinach contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Cottage Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Spinach has 19% more calcium than cottage cheese - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 37 times more iron than cottage cheese - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 437% more potassium than cottage cheese - spinach has 558mg 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 | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 12 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cottage cheese has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 0.026 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cottage Cheese or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 spinach or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has signficantly less calories than cottage cheese - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
Is spinach or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 290% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Does spinach or cottage cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both spinach and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Spinach has 20% more calcium than cottage cheese - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
Does spinach or cottage cheese contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 440% more potassium than cottage cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium.