Cottage Cheese vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cottage cheese
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and milk:
- Both milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
- Cottage cheese has more folate.
- Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Milk has 49% less calories than cottage cheese - milk has 50 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 milk per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cottage Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 38% |
| Fat | 40% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both milk and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in milk and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.
sugar
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - milk has 5.1g 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 237% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of saturated fat - milk has 1.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and cottage cheese are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Milk has 15 times more Vitamin D than cottage cheese - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk has 0.2ug 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 milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Cottage Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.163 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 0.099 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.557 MG | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.43 UG | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Milk has 45% more calcium than cottage cheese - milk has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - milk has 0.02mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - milk has 140mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both cottage cheese and milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Cottage Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 12 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cottage cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Cottage Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.017 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cottage cheese and milk contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cottage Cheese | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.105 G | 0.062 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.105 G | 0.066 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 Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .
Cottage Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Milk 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 milk or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Milk has 50% less calories than cottage cheese - milk has 50 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.
Is milk or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 240% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.
Does milk or cottage cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both milk and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in milk and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.
Does milk or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Milk has 50% more calcium than cottage cheese - milk has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.