Ricotta Cheese vs. Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Ricotta Cheese and Tofu
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
ricotta cheese
versus
tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in ricotta cheese and tofu:
- Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
- Tofu has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Tofu is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and tofu has 49% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to tofu per calorie. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Ricotta Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 19% | 9% |
| Fat | 61% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Tofu has more dietary fiber than ricotta cheese - tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of protein - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and tofu has 89% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and tofu are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Tofu has less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tofu and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than tofu - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese has more Vitamin D than tofu - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Tofu has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both ricotta cheese and tofu contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Ricotta Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.013 MG | 0.081 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.298 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Niacin | 0.137 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.461 MG | 0.068 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.097 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 15 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.85 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 70% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Tofu is an excellent source of iron and it has 40 times more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 81% more potassium than tofu - ricotta cheese has 219mg 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 ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Ricotta Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.319 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.004 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.006 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.054 G | 0.319 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Ricotta Cheese | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.356 G | 2.38 G |
| Total | 0.368 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: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) .
Ricotta 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 ricotta cheese or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and tofu has 50% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is ricotta cheese or tofu better for protein?
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of protein - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does ricotta cheese or tofu contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 70% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does ricotta cheese or tofu contain more iron?
Tofu is an abundant source of iron and it has 40 times more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.