Egg vs. Ricotta Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Egg and Ricotta Cheese


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of egg versus ricotta cheese (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg and ricotta cheese:

  • Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in Vitamin A, calcium and calories.
  • Egg has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than ricotta cheese.
  • Egg has more lutein + zeaxanthin than ricotta cheese, however, ricotta cheese contains more beta-carotene than egg.
  • Egg has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
  • Egg has signficantly more iron than ricotta cheese.
  • Egg is a great source of Vitamin D.
  • Egg is an excellent source of protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, egg has more dha than ricotta cheese.
  • Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of egg and ricotta cheese is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg (Egg, whole, raw, fresh) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Egg src
Image of Ricotta Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in calories. Ricotta cheese has a little more calories (5%) than egg by weight - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and egg has 143 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, egg is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to ricotta cheese for fat. Egg has a macronutrient ratio of 36:2:62 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Egg Ricotta Cheese
Protein 36% 20%
Carbohydrates 2% 19%
Fat 62% 61%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Egg has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg has 0.72g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Ricotta cheese and egg contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and egg has 0.37g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Egg is an excellent source of protein and it has 67% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and egg has 12.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and egg has 51% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg has 3.1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both ricotta cheese and egg are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and egg has 0.04g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Egg is high in cholesterol and ricotta cheese has 87% less cholesterol than egg - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg has 372mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in Vitamin A. Egg has 33% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg has 160ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Egg is a great source of Vitamin D and it has 720% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg has 82iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Ricotta cheese and egg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg has 1.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Ricotta cheese and egg contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Egg has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both egg and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

Egg Ricotta Cheese
Thiamin 0.04 MG 0.013 MG
Riboflavin 0.457 MG 0.298 MG
Niacin 0.075 MG 0.137 MG
Pantothenic acid 1.533 MG 0.461 MG
Vitamin B6 0.17 MG 0.097 MG
Folate 47 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 0.89 UG 0.85 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 268% more calcium than egg - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg has 56mg of calcium.

iron

Egg has signficantly more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and egg has 1.8mg of iron.

potassium

Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 59% more potassium than egg - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg has 138mg 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, egg has more lutein + zeaxanthin than ricotta cheese per 100 grams, however, ricotta cheese contains more beta-carotene than egg per 100 grams.

Egg Ricotta Cheese
lutein + zeaxanthin 503 UG ~
beta-carotene ~ 33 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, egg has more DHA than ricotta cheese per 100 grams. Both egg and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Egg Ricotta Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.048 G 0.043 G
DHA 0.058 G 0.001 G
DPA 0.007 G 0.006 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
Total 0.113 G 0.054 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.

Egg Ricotta Cheese
other omega 6 0.022 G 0.012 G
linoleic acid 1.555 G 0.356 G
Total 1.577 G 0.368 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: Egg (Egg, whole, raw, fresh) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .

Egg g

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FAQ

Does ricotta cheese or egg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in calories. Ricotta cheese has a little more calories ( 10%) than egg by weight - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and egg has 143 calories.

Is ricotta cheese or egg better for protein?
Egg is a fantastic source of protein and it has 70% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and egg has 12.6g of protein.

Does ricotta cheese or egg contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and egg are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 270% more calcium than egg - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg has 56mg of calcium.