Egg Yolk vs. Ricotta Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk and Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
egg yolk
versus
ricotta cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and ricotta cheese:
- Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, ricotta cheese contains more niacin.
- Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
- Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and protein.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 115% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to ricotta cheese for protein. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:76 and for ricotta cheese, 20:19:61 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Egg Yolk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 5% | 19% |
| Fat | 76% | 61% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Ricotta cheese and egg yolk contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and egg yolk contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 110% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in saturated fat. Egg yolk has 49% more saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and egg yolk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and ricotta cheese has 95% less cholesterol than egg yolk - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A. Egg yolk has 218% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 20 times more Vitamin D than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Egg yolk has 22 times more Vitamin E than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, ricotta cheese contains more niacin. Both egg yolk and ricotta cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Egg Yolk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.176 MG | 0.013 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.528 MG | 0.298 MG |
| Niacin | 0.024 MG | 0.137 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.99 MG | 0.461 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.35 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Folate | 146 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.95 UG | 0.85 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 60% more calcium than egg yolk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.
iron
Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 20 times more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 101% more potassium than egg yolk - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg 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,
| Egg Yolk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 88 UG | 33 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 38 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1094 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and EPA than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Egg Yolk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.103 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | 0.114 G | 0.001 G |
| EPA | 0.011 G | 0.004 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.228 G | 0.054 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Egg Yolk | Ricotta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.012 G |
| linoleic acid | 3.538 G | 0.356 G |
| Total | 3.538 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: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) .
Egg Yolk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 120% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.
Does ricotta cheese or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and egg yolk are high in calcium. Ricotta cheese has 60% more calcium than egg yolk - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.