Cottage cheese vs Greek yogurt: which has more protein?

Per 3.5 oz (100 g), this full-fat cottage cheese has 11.6 g of protein and this whole-milk Greek yogurt 8.8 g. A cup of cottage cheese, 7.4 oz (210 g), gives about 23 g, and a 6 oz (170 g) pot of nonfat Greek yogurt about 17.5 g. The UK table lists a Greek-style yogurt at just 5.7 g of protein.

No trial put the two side by side for fullness. A cottage cheese snack kept 30 adults as full as an omelette, about 167 minutes before they asked for food. A Greek yogurt with 24 g of protein pushed dinner back to 178 minutes in 15 women, against 152 with a lower-protein yogurt. Yet 9 g of extra protein in another yogurt did not change dinner intake in 32 women. None of these trials measured weight.

Salt is the clearest split. Full-fat cottage cheese averages about 350 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), from 277 to 412 across 10 samples. The yogurt here has 34 mg. If lactose bothers you, live cultures in yogurt carry an EU-authorized claim for easier lactose digestion. If you are pregnant, the CDC lists both as safer choices when made with pasteurized milk.

For the most protein per ounce, pick cottage cheese. If you watch sodium, plain Greek yogurt is the easier fit.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level E A US cup of cottage cheese weighs 7.4 oz (210 g) and carries about 23 g protein and 674 mg sodium. USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey), Cheese, cottage, NFS, food code 14200100, fdc_id 2705747
2. Level E A 170 g (6 oz) container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt gives about 17.5 g protein in US survey data. USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey), Yogurt, Greek, nonfat milk, plain, food code 11411420, fdc_id 2705424
3. Level E UK Greek-style plain yogurt is a richer unstrained style with 5.7 g protein and 10.2 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), unlike US strained nonfat Greek yogurt. CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 12-555 Yogurt, Greek style, plain
4. Level B Cottage cheese and an omelette with the same 26 g protein kept 30 adults full equally long, about 167 minutes before the next meal. Appetite, 2015
5. Level B A 160 calories Greek yogurt snack with 24 g protein delayed dinner requests to 178 minutes versus 152 minutes with a 5 g protein yogurt in 15 women. Appetite, 2013
6. Level B Swapping regular yogurt for Greek-style yogurt with 9 g more protein did not change hunger or dinner intake in 32 women. Nutr J, 2013
7. Level E Across 10 US samples of full-fat cottage cheese, sodium ranged from 277 to 412 mg and calcium from 67 to 112 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g). USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd
8. Level E The EU authorizes one claim for yogurt cultures: live cultures in yogurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion in people who have difficulty digesting lactose. EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6400, snapshot 2026-09-21
9. Level E CDC lists cottage cheese among safer cheese choices for preventing Listeria when it is made with pasteurized milk. US CDC, Preventing Listeria Infection
10. Level E CDC lists raw unpasteurised milk, yogurt and ice cream among foods to avoid for Listeria, and pasteurized milk, yogurt and ice cream as the safer choice. US CDC, Preventing Listeria Infection

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt: two protein snacks side by side
• Cottage cheese: the calcium stays, the B12 goes
• Greek yogurt: filling at one meal, untested for body weight

What the studies say

• Is cottage cheese good for weight loss? Untested, and dairy helps only on a diet
• Is cottage cheese bad for cholesterol? No sign of it, but it is barely tested
• Is cottage cheese safe during pregnancy? Pasteurized is a safer choice, per CDC
• Is Greek yogurt good for weight loss? Never tested, and dairy helps only on a diet
• Is Greek yogurt good for cholesterol? Untested itself, and plain yogurt is mixed
• Is Greek yogurt good during pregnancy? Choose pasteurized, and know it is untested on its own

Rankings and guides

• Which foods are highest in protein?
• Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
• How much protein do you need per day?
• Protein: what it does and how much you need
• Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
• Cottage cheese: full nutrition facts
• Greek yogurt: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Cottage cheese vs yogurt
• Cottage cheese vs ricotta cheese

• Cottage cheese: USDA FoodData Central, Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd, FDC ID 2346384 · full profile · all forms of cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt: USDA FoodData Central, Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk, FDC ID 2259794 · full profile · all forms of Greek yogurt

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.