Cottage cheese protein and calories
Lowfat 2% cottage cheese is 10.5 g of protein for 81 calories per 100 g. A US cup is 226 g, which makes it 23.6 g of protein for 183 calories — a genuinely large amount of protein in one bowl, which is why a food that was unfashionable for thirty years is suddenly everywhere.
Per 100 g, lowfat 2% milkfat
| Serving | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 oz | 113 g | 92 | 11.8 g | 5.4 g | 2.6 g |
| 1 cup (not packed) | 226 g | 183 | 23.6 g | 10.8 g | 5.1 g |
A US cup, not packed.
Against Greek yogurt, honestly
These two get compared constantly and they are close:
| Per 100 g | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese, lowfat 2% | 81 | 10.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.3 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 59 | 10.2 g | 3.6 g | 0.4 g |
Per 100 g cottage cheese has slightly more protein and slightly more calories. Per calorie nonfat Greek yogurt edges it — 0.17 g per calorie against 0.13. But the comparison is unfair in one direction: this is 2% cottage cheese against nonfat yogurt. Compare like with like and they are within noise of each other. Pick on taste and on sodium.
The sodium, which nobody mentions
Cottage cheese is a salted product and yogurt is not. If you are watching sodium, this is the meaningful difference between the two, not the protein. Low-sodium versions exist and are worth finding if you eat it daily.
Curd size, fat percentage, and what is on the tub
Curd size — small or large — changes texture and nothing else. The fat percentage is what moves the numbers: 4%, 2% and nonfat are all sold, and the figures here are 2%. Whipped, flavored and fruit-added versions change things further and should be scanned rather than assumed.
Why it works as a food rather than a number
23.6 g of protein in a cup that takes no preparation, keeps for a week and costs very little. Very few foods hit all four. It is not more efficient than chicken breast per calorie; it is enormously more convenient at ten at night, which for most people is the constraint that actually binds.
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy release 2018-04. Figures are per 100 g as published; serving weights are USDA’s own. Records used: Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat (FDC 172182), Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) (FDC 170894).
Common questions
A US cup is 226 g, which at 10.45 g per 100 g is about 23.6 g of protein for 183 calories.
Per 100 g cottage cheese is slightly higher, 10.5 g against 10.2 g. Per calorie nonfat Greek yogurt wins, but that compares nonfat yogurt with 2% cottage cheese — matched for fat they are very close.
It is a salted product, unlike yogurt, and that is the more meaningful difference between the two. Low-sodium versions are available.
No. Small curd and large curd differ in texture only. The fat percentage on the tub is what changes the numbers.
Compare it with
| Food | Per 100 g | Protein | The page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | 61 whole | 3.2 g | Whole against skim, and the coffee problem |
| Egg | 143 kcal | 12.6 g | Every size — a jumbo is 66% heavier than a small |
| Chicken breast | 120 raw | 22.5 g | Raw against cooked, and which to weigh |
All twenty-four are on the food macros index.
Log it without doing this arithmetic
Scan the barcode or weigh it in grams and EatSleepRep does the conversion. The scanner is free forever, there are no ads, and every entry exports as CSV whenever you want it.