Cottage Cheese vs. Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Tofu
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and tofu:
- Both cottage cheese and tofu are high in calcium and protein.
- Tofu has 60% less saturated fat than cottage cheese.
- Tofu has more thiamin, however, cottage cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Tofu is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Tofu has 22% less calories than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 98 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to tofu per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 9% |
| Fat | 40% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cottage cheese and tofu are low in carbohydrates - cottage cheese has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in tofu are made of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cottage cheese comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Tofu has more dietary fiber than cottage cheese - tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Cottage cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both cottage cheese and tofu are high in protein. Cottage cheese has 38% more protein than tofu - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Tofu has 60% less saturated fat than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Tofu has less cholesterol than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tofu and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Cottage cheese has more Vitamin A than tofu - cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cottage cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cottage cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Tofu and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Tofu has more thiamin, however, cottage cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both cottage cheese and tofu contain significant amounts of niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cottage Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.081 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.068 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 15 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both cottage cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 322% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Tofu is an excellent source of iron and it has 75 times more iron than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Cottage cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of potassium - cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.319 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.319 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 2.38 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 2.38 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 Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Tofu 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 cottage cheese or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Tofu has 20% less calories than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 98 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is cottage cheese or tofu better for protein?
Both cottage cheese and tofu are high in protein. Cottage cheese has 40% more protein than tofu - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does cottage cheese or tofu contain more calcium?
Both cottage cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 320% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does cottage cheese or tofu contain more iron?
Tofu is an abundant source of iron and it has 75 times more iron than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.