Cottage Cheese vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cottage 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
cottage cheese
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese has 65% less cholesterol than ricotta cheese.
- Cottage cheese has more folate.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and cottage cheese has 35% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to ricotta cheese per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 19% |
| Fat | 40% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g 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 47% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and cottage cheese has 73% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and cottage cheese are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Cottage cheese has 65% less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 224% more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Cottage cheese has more folate. Both cottage cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Cottage Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 148% more calcium than cottage cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 111% more potassium than cottage cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ricotta cheese has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 0.356 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.105 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: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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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 ricotta cheese or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and cottage cheese has 40% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
Is ricotta cheese or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 50% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Does ricotta cheese or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 150% more calcium than cottage cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.