Feta Cheese vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Feta Cheese and Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
feta cheese
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in feta cheese and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calories. Feta cheese has 77% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and feta cheese has 265 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, feta cheese is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to ricotta cheese for protein. Feta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 21:6:73 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Feta Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 6% | 19% |
| Fat | 73% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and feta cheese has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and feta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 88% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and feta cheese has 14.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in saturated fat. Feta cheese has 107% more saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and feta cheese has 13.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and feta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Ricotta cheese has 45% less cholesterol than feta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and feta cheese has 89mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in Vitamin A. Ricotta cheese is very similar to ricotta cheese for Vitamin A - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and feta cheese has 125ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and feta cheese has 16iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and feta cheese has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both feta cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of Vitamin B12.
| Feta Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.154 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.844 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.991 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.967 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.424 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 32 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.69 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 139% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.
iron
Feta cheese has 400% more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.65mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 253% more potassium than feta cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 62mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, feta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Feta Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.265 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.265 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both feta cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Feta Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.326 G | 0.356 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.326 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: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Feta Cheese g
()
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Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese g
()
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does ricotta cheese or feta cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calories. Feta cheese has 80% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and feta cheese has 265 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or feta cheese contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 140% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.