Cottage Cheese vs. Cream Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Cream Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
cream cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and cream cheese:
- Both cottage cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese has 4.9 times less cholesterol than cream cheese.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
- Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cream cheese is high in calories and cottage cheese has 72% less calories than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 98 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cream cheese per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for cream cheese, 7:6:87 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 6% |
| Fat | 40% | 87% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - cottage cheese has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 81% more protein than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cream cheese is high in saturated fat and cottage cheese has 92% less saturated fat than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Cottage cheese has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Cottage cheese has 4.9 times less cholesterol than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cream cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 732% more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cream cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Both cottage cheese and cream cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Cottage Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.23 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.517 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.056 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | 0.22 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both cottage cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cream cheese has 17% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Cottage cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 132mg 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 | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 12 UG | 59 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cream cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.131 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.161 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cream cheese has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Cream Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 1.212 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 1.248 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 Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cream Cheese 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 % |
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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 % |
|
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 % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cream cheese is high in calories and cottage cheese has 70% less calories than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 98 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Is cottage cheese or cream cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 80% more protein than cream cheese - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Does cottage cheese or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both cottage cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Cream cheese has 20% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.