Cheese vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of 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
cheese
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Cheese has 54.9 times less carbohydrates than ricotta cheese.
- Cheese has more folate.
- Cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 156% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to ricotta cheese per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 19% |
| Fat | 75% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheese has 54.9 times less carbohydrates than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 212% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in saturated fat. Cheese has 150% more saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Ricotta cheese has 48% less cholesterol than cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cheese has 45% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheese has more folate. Both cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.318 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.114 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.249 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.061 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.23 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 220% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Cheese has 354% more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 158% more potassium than cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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 cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 56 UG | 33 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.332 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.332 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cheese and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cheese | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.532 G | 0.356 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.532 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese 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 ricotta cheese or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 160% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or cheese contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 220% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.