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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cottage cheese and kefir is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of Cottage Cheese src
Image of Kefir src

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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cottage Cheese or Kefir .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) .

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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.