Feta Cheese vs. Ricotta Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Feta Cheese and Ricotta Cheese


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in feta cheese and ricotta cheese:

  • Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
  • Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein.
  • Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of feta cheese and ricotta cheese 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: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Feta Cheese src
Image of Ricotta Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calories. Feta cheese has 77% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and feta cheese has 265 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, feta cheese is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to ricotta cheese for protein. Feta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 21:6:73 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Feta Cheese Ricotta Cheese
Protein 21% 20%
Carbohydrates 6% 19%
Fat 73% 61%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and feta cheese has 3.9g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and feta cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Feta cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 88% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and feta cheese has 14.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in saturated fat. Feta cheese has 107% more saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and feta cheese has 13.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and feta cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Ricotta cheese has 45% less cholesterol than feta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and feta cheese has 89mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in Vitamin A. Ricotta cheese is very similar to ricotta cheese for Vitamin A - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and feta cheese has 125ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and feta cheese has 16iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Ricotta cheese and feta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and feta cheese has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Feta cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both feta cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of Vitamin B12.

Feta Cheese Ricotta Cheese
Thiamin 0.154 MG 0.013 MG
Riboflavin 0.844 MG 0.298 MG
Niacin 0.991 MG 0.137 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.967 MG 0.461 MG
Vitamin B6 0.424 MG 0.097 MG
Folate 32 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.69 UG 0.85 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 139% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.

iron

Feta cheese has 400% more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and feta cheese has 0.65mg of iron.

potassium

Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 253% more potassium than feta cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and feta cheese has 62mg 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,

Feta Cheese Ricotta Cheese
beta-carotene 3 UG 33 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, feta cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.

Feta Cheese Ricotta Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.265 G 0.043 G
DHA ~ 0.001 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
DPA ~ 0.006 G
Total 0.265 G 0.054 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both feta cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Feta Cheese Ricotta Cheese
linoleic acid 0.326 G 0.356 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.012 G
Total 0.326 G 0.368 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: Feta Cheese (Cheese, feta) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .

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FAQ

Does ricotta cheese or feta cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calories. Feta cheese has 80% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and feta cheese has 265 calories.

Does ricotta cheese or feta cheese contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and feta cheese are high in calcium. Feta cheese has 140% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and feta cheese has 493mg of calcium.