Cottage Cheese vs. Kefir
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Kefir
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
kefir
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and kefir:
- Both kefir and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
- Kefir has 56% less calories than cottage cheese.
- Kefir has 62% less saturated fat than cottage cheese.
- Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kefir has 56% less calories than cottage cheese - kefir has 43 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to kefir per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for kefir, 35:44:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 44% |
| Fat | 40% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kefir and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kefir and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - kefir has 4.6g 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 193% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kefir has 62% less saturated fat than cottage cheese - kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both kefir and cottage cheese are low in trans fat - kefir has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 362% more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Kefir has 12 times more Vitamin D than cottage cheese - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Both cottage cheese and kefir contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Cottage Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.135 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.15 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.385 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | 0.29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kefir and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Kefir has 57% more calcium than cottage cheese - kefir has 130mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Kefir and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - kefir has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Kefir has 58% more potassium than cottage cheese - kefir has 164mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cottage cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.006 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.007 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cottage cheese has more linoleic acid than kefir per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Kefir | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 0.042 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 0.044 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 Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kefir 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 kefir or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Kefir has 60% less calories than cottage cheese - kefir has 43 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
Is kefir or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 190% more protein than kefir - kefir has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Does kefir or cottage cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kefir and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - kefir has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kefir and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.
Does kefir or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both kefir and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Kefir has 60% more calcium than cottage cheese - kefir has 130mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.