Cottage Cheese vs. Whey Protein Powder

Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Whey Protein Powder


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and whey protein powder:

  • Both cottage cheese and whey protein powder are high in calcium and protein.
  • Whey protein powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Whey protein powder is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cottage cheese and whey protein powder 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 Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Whey protein powder is high in calories and cottage cheese has 72% less calories than whey protein powder - cottage cheese has 98 calories per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whey protein powder per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for whey protein powder, 89:7:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Powder
Protein 46% 89%
Carbohydrates 14% 7%
Fat 40% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cottage cheese and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of carbs - cottage cheese has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Whey protein powder is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cottage cheese - whey protein powder has 3.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Whey protein powder has less sugar than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both cottage cheese and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 603% more protein than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cottage cheese and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of saturated fat - cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 0.78g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Cottage cheese and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 16mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cottage cheese has more Vitamin A than whey protein powder - cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

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

Vitamin E

Cottage cheese and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Whey protein powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid.

Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Powder
Thiamin 0.027 MG 0.609 MG
Riboflavin 0.163 MG 2.017 MG
Niacin 0.099 MG 1.136 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.557 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.046 MG 0.607 MG
Folate 12 UG 33 UG
Vitamin B12 0.43 UG 2.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both cottage cheese and whey protein powder are high in calcium. Whey protein powder has 465% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

iron

Whey protein powder has 15 times more iron than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Whey protein powder is an excellent source of potassium and it has 381% more potassium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both cottage cheese and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Powder
alpha linoleic acid 0.017 G 0.034 G
Total 0.017 G 0.034 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whey protein powder has more linoleic acid than cottage cheese per 100 grams.

Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Powder
linoleic acid 0.105 G 0.264 G
Total 0.105 G 0.264 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 Whey Protein Powder .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) .

Cottage Cheese g

()
Daily Values (%)

Whey Protein Powder g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does cottage cheese or whey protein powder contain more calories in 100 grams?
Whey protein powder is high in calories and cottage cheese has 70% less calories than whey protein powder - cottage cheese has 98 calories in 100g and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

Is cottage cheese or whey protein powder better for protein?
Both cottage cheese and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 600% more protein than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Does cottage cheese or whey protein powder contain more calcium?
Both cottage cheese and whey protein powder are high in calcium. Whey protein powder has 470% more calcium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

Does cottage cheese or whey protein powder contain more potassium?
Whey protein powder is a rich source of potassium and it has 380% more potassium than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 104mg of potassium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.