Cottage Cheese vs. Whole Milk

Nutrition comparison of Cottage Cheese and Whole Milk


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cottage cheese and whole milk:

  • Both whole milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium.
  • Cottage cheese has more folate.
  • Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cottage cheese and whole milk 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: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cottage Cheese src
Image of Whole Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Whole milk has 38% less calories than cottage cheese - whole milk has 61 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cottage cheese is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Cottage cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 46:14:40 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cottage Cheese Whole Milk
Protein 46% 21%
Carbohydrates 14% 32%
Fat 40% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both whole milk and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in whole milk and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.

sugar

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - whole milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 253% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of saturated fat - whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Whole milk has 16 times more Vitamin D than cottage cheese - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cottage cheese does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Cottage cheese has more folate. Both cottage cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

Cottage Cheese Whole Milk
Thiamin 0.027 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.163 MG 0.169 MG
Niacin 0.099 MG 0.089 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.557 MG 0.373 MG
Vitamin B6 0.046 MG 0.036 MG
Folate 12 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 0.43 UG 0.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both whole milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Whole milk has 36% more calcium than cottage cheese - whole milk has 113mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.

iron

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of iron - whole milk has 0.03mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.

potassium

Whole milk and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - whole milk has 132mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg 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 cottage cheese and whole milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Cottage Cheese Whole Milk
beta-carotene 12 UG 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Cottage Cheese Whole Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.017 G 0.075 G
Total 0.017 G 0.075 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cottage cheese and whole milk contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Cottage Cheese Whole Milk
linoleic acid 0.105 G 0.12 G
Total 0.105 G 0.12 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: Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .

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FAQ

Does whole milk or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Whole milk has 40% less calories than cottage cheese - whole milk has 61 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

Is whole milk or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 250% more protein than whole milk - whole milk has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Does whole milk or cottage cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole milk and cottage cheese are low in carbohydrates - whole milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in whole milk and cottage cheese are both made of 100% sugar.

Does whole milk or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole milk and cottage cheese are high in calcium. Whole milk has 40% more calcium than cottage cheese - whole milk has 113mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.