Protein in Cottage Cheese: How Much per 100g and per Portion
Plain cottage cheese provides 9.4g of protein per 100g. In terms of protein density, it contains 9.1g of protein for every 100 kcal you eat, with protein accounting for 37% of its total energy. A 100g amount provides 19% of the UK’s daily Reference Intake for protein.
CoFID 12-539 · Cheese, cottage, plain
What the numbers say
- Protein per calorie. Cottage cheese provides 9.1g of protein per 100 kcal. Protein makes up 37% of its total energy, which is a significant contribution from a single macronutrient.
- Front-of-pack profile. Per 100g, cottage cheese is rated ‘medium’ for fat, saturated fat, and salt according to UK front-of-pack guidance. It is rated ‘low’ for sugars.
- Fibre and carbohydrates. This food contains no fibre (0.0g per 100g). Its carbohydrate content of 3.1g per 100g comes entirely from sugars.
Cottage Cheese macros per 100g
| Per 100g | Amount | % RI | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 103 kcal 431 kJ |
5% | – |
| Protein | 9.4g | 19% | – |
| Fat | 6g | 9% | medium |
| of which saturates | 3.2g | 16% | medium |
| Carbohydrate | 3.1g | 1% | – |
| of which sugars | 3.1g | 3% | low |
| Fibre | 0g | – | – |
| Salt | 0.62g | 10% | medium |
% RI is the share of the adult reference intake used on UK food labels (protein 50g, energy 2,000 kcal). Label colour applies the FSA front-of-pack bands for fat, saturates, sugars and salt per 100g. “Trace” means CoFID reports only a trace amount.
Protein in cottage cheese by amount
| Amount | Protein | kcal | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | 9.4g | 103 | 3.1g | 6g |
| 150g | 14.1g | 154 | 4.7g | 9g |
| 200g | 18.8g | 206 | 6.2g | 12g |
Example amounts for comparison, not recommended portions. Weigh your own serving.
Amount of cottage cheese for 20g or 30g of protein
- To get 20g of protein from this cottage cheese, you would need to eat about 213g, which also contains 219 kcal and 1.32g of salt.
- For a larger 30g protein target from this food alone, the amount needed is 319g, providing 329 kcal and 1.98g of salt.
- These nutritional values are for plain cottage cheese; flavoured varieties or those with different fat contents will have different macronutrient and energy profiles.
How it compares with other egg and dairy foods
The data is for ‘Cheese, cottage, plain’. Within the egg and dairy food group on this site, it ranks 16th out of 23 foods for protein per 100g. However, it has a better ranking for protein density, placing 8th for protein per 100 kcal. Compared to similar foods, its 9.4g of protein per 100g is considerably higher than Low-Fat Natural Yoghurt (4.8g) but lower than Eggs (12.6g) and Boiled Egg (14.1g). Its protein-per-calorie score is also slightly lower than that of eggs, which provide around 9.6g to 9.9g per 100 kcal.
| Per 100g | Protein | kcal | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Cheese | 9.4g | 103 | 9.1g |
| Eggs | 12.6g | 131 | 9.6g |
| Low-Fat Natural Yoghurt | 4.8g | 57 | 8.4g |
| Scrambled Egg | 14.6g | 152 | 9.6g |
| Boiled Egg | 14.1g | 143 | 9.9g |
Quick answers
Is cottage cheese a high-protein food?
Plain cottage cheese contains 9.4g of protein per 100g. This is almost double the protein in low-fat natural yoghurt but less than the 12.6g found in 100g of eggs.
How much cottage cheese for 30g of protein?
You would need to eat 319g of plain cottage cheese to get 30g of protein. This amount also contains 329 kcal, 19.1g of fat, and 1.98g of salt.
How much fat is in cottage cheese?
According to the data for plain cottage cheese, there is 6.0g of fat per 100g, of which 3.24g is saturated fat. This gives it a ‘medium’ front-of-pack colour rating for both fat and saturates.
When to speak to a GP or dietitian
- This food contains milk, one of the 14 allergens that UK food law requires to be declared. If you have a milk allergy, follow the plan from your GP or allergy clinic and check labels on the products you buy.
- If tracking protein or calories starts to feel stressful or takes over your day, talk to your GP. Our safety note lists support services.