Cottage Cheese vs. Sour Cream

Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cottage cheese versus sour cream (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and sour cream:

  • Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
  • Cottage cheese has 71% less cholesterol than sour cream.
  • Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
  • Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cottage cheese and sour cream 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 Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Cottage Cheese src
Image of Sour Cream src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Sour cream is high in calories and cottage cheese has 51% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sour cream per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for sour cream, 5:9:86 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cottage Cheese Sour Cream
Protein 46% 5%
Carbohydrates 14% 9%
Fat 40% 86%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both sour cream and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - sour cream has 4.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - sour cream has 3.4g 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 356% more protein than sour cream - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Sour cream is high in saturated fat and cottage cheese has 83% less saturated fat than sour cream - sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both sour cream and cottage cheese are low in trans fat - sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Cottage cheese has 71% less cholesterol than sour cream - sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sour cream has more Vitamin C than cottage cheese - sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 235% more Vitamin A than cottage cheese - sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cottage cheese and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Both cottage cheese and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Cottage Cheese Sour Cream
Thiamin 0.027 MG 0.02 MG
Riboflavin 0.163 MG 0.168 MG
Niacin 0.099 MG 0.093 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.557 MG 0.472 MG
Vitamin B6 0.046 MG 0.041 MG
Folate 12 UG 6 UG
Vitamin B12 0.43 UG 0.21 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has 22% more calcium than cottage cheese - sour cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.

iron

Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - sour cream has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.

potassium

Sour cream and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - sour cream has 125mg 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,

Cottage Cheese Sour Cream
beta-carotene 12 UG 25 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 4 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than cottage cheese per 100 grams.

Cottage Cheese Sour Cream
alpha linoleic acid 0.017 G 0.074 G
DHA ~ 0.001 G
EPA ~ 0.006 G
DPA ~ 0.011 G
Total 0.017 G 0.092 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sour cream has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.

Cottage Cheese Sour Cream
linoleic acid 0.105 G 0.648 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.018 G
Total 0.105 G 0.666 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 Sour Cream .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .

Cottage Cheese 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Sour Cream 100g

( 100 g )
98KCAL 5%
calories 102%
198KCAL 10%
3.4G 1%
carbohydrates 35%
4.6G 2%
2.7G sugar 26% 3.4G
4.3G 7%
total fat 342%
19G 30%
1.7G 10%
saturated fat 488%
10G 56%
0.78G monounsaturated fat 490% 4.6G
0.12G polyunsaturated fat 566% 0.8G
trans fat >999% 0.8G
17MG cholesterol 247% 59MG
315MG 21%
916% sodium
31MG 2%
Vitamins and Minerals
37UG 5%
Vitamin A 235%
124UG 18%
Vitamin C >999%
0.9MG 1%
3IU 1%
>999% Vitamin D
83MG 8%
calcium 22%
101MG 10%
0.07MG 0.4%
iron
0.07MG 0.4%
8MG 3%
magnesium 25%
10MG 3%
104MG 5%
potassium 20%
125MG 5%
0.03MG 3%
50% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.02MG 2%
0.16MG 15%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 6%
0.17MG 15%
0.1MG 1%
11% niacin (Vit B3)
0.09MG 1%
0.05MG 4%
25% Vitamin B6
0.04MG 3%
0.56MG 11%
19% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.47MG 9%
12UG 3%
100% folate (Vit B9)
6UG 2%
0.43UG 18%
105% Vitamin B12
0.21UG 9%
0.08MG 1%
Vitamin E 375%
0.38MG 3%
Vitamin K >999%
1.5UG 2%
11G 22%
358% protein
2.4G 5%
18MG 4%
choline 6%
19MG 5%
0.03MG 2%
50% copper
0.02MG 2%
32UG 1%
>999% fluoride
0MG 0.1%
manganese >999%
0.02MG 1%
159MG 23%
109% phosphorus
76MG 11%
9.7UG 18%
162% selenium
3.7UG 7%
0.4MG 5%
21% zinc
0.33MG 4%
80G 10% Water 73G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Starch, Alcohol, dietary fiber, chlorine, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, biotin (Vit B7).

FAQ

Does sour cream or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Sour cream is high in calories and cottage cheese has 50% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

Is sour cream or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 360% more protein than sour cream - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Does sour cream or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both sour cream and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has 20% more calcium than cottage cheese - sour cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.