Ricotta Cheese vs. Tofu

Nutrition comparison of Ricotta Cheese and Tofu


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

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

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

  • Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium.
  • Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and potassium.
  • Tofu has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
  • Tofu is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of ricotta cheese and tofu 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: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Ricotta Cheese src
Image of Tofu src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Ricotta cheese is high in calories and tofu has 49% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to tofu per calorie. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Ricotta Cheese Tofu
Protein 20% 39%
Carbohydrates 19% 9%
Fat 61% 52%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of carbs - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Tofu has more dietary fiber than ricotta cheese - tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of protein - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and tofu has 89% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.

trans fat

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

cholesterol

Tofu has less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Tofu and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than tofu - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Ricotta cheese has more Vitamin D than tofu - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Tofu has more thiamin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both ricotta cheese and tofu contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.

Ricotta Cheese Tofu
Thiamin 0.013 MG 0.081 MG
Riboflavin 0.298 MG 0.052 MG
Niacin 0.137 MG 0.195 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.461 MG 0.068 MG
Vitamin B6 0.097 MG 0.047 MG
Folate 4 UG 15 UG
Vitamin B12 0.85 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 70% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.

iron

Tofu is an excellent source of iron and it has 40 times more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.

potassium

Ricotta cheese is a great source of potassium and it has 81% more potassium than tofu - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Ricotta Cheese Tofu
alpha linoleic acid 0.043 G 0.319 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.004 G ~
DPA 0.006 G ~
Total 0.054 G 0.319 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.

Ricotta Cheese Tofu
other omega 6 0.012 G ~
linoleic acid 0.356 G 2.38 G
Total 0.368 G 2.38 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 Ricotta Cheese or Tofu .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) .

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FAQ

Does ricotta cheese or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and tofu has 50% less calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.

Is ricotta cheese or tofu better for protein?
Ricotta cheese and tofu contain similar amounts of protein - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.

Does ricotta cheese or tofu contain more calcium?
Both ricotta cheese and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 70% more calcium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.

Does ricotta cheese or tofu contain more iron?
Tofu is an abundant source of iron and it has 40 times more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.