Cheddar Cheese vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar 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
cheddar cheese
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Cheddar cheese has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more niacin.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Ricotta cheese has 51% less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 169% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to ricotta cheese for protein. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:4:74 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 4% | 19% |
| Fat | 74% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 203% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in saturated fat. Cheddar cheese has 194% more saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Ricotta cheese has 51% less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cheddar cheese has 181% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has 140% more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheddar cheese has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more niacin. Both cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Cheddar Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 245% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of iron - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 188% more potassium than cheddar cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than ricotta cheese per 100 grams. Both cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese contain small amounts of DHA and EPA.
| Cheddar Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | 0.001 G |
| EPA | 0.01 G | 0.004 G |
| DPA | 0.017 G | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | 0.012 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 0.356 G |
| Total | 1.207 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese g
()
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does ricotta cheese or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 170% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 250% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.