Cottage cheese vs yogurt: which has more protein?
Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Carbs
Cottage cheese has more protein: 11.6 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) of cottage cheese vs 3.8 g in yogurt (3.0× as much).
USDA FoodData Central.
| Cottage cheese | Yogurt | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 3.5 oz (100 g) | 11.6 g | 3.8 g |
| Per serving | 3.3 g in 1 oz (28 g) | 3.8 g in 3.5 oz (100 g) |
| Per 100 calories | 11.1 g | 4.9 g |
| To get 30 g of protein | 9.1 oz (258 g), about 9.1 × 1 oz | 27.7 oz (785 g), about 7.8 × 3.5 oz |
Protein per calorie
Per 100 calories, cottage cheese gives 11.1 g of protein and yogurt 4.9 g. This is the number that matters when you are fitting protein into a calorie budget, and it can rank foods differently from grams per 3.5 oz (100 g).
What the numbers don't tell you
For protein, the answer depends on the yogurt. Full-fat cottage cheese has 11.6 g of protein per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 3.8 g in plain whole-milk yogurt. Plain nonfat Greek yogurt nearly matches it, at 10.3 g in USDA samples.
The same cottage cheese carries about 350 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 42 mg in plain yogurt and 36 mg in Greek. A cup (7.4 oz, 210 g) gives about 24 g of protein and 735 mg of sodium. If lactose bothers you, yogurt's live cultures help digest its own lactose. In adults who malabsorb lactose, yogurt cut the breath sign of undigested lactose by 27%. In a UK survey, plain and Greek yogurts held about 5 g of sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), but over half of low-fat ones held 10 to 20 g.
A cottage cheese snack with 26 g of protein kept 30 healthy adults as full as an omelette. In pregnancy, CDC lists cottage cheese made with pasteurized milk among the safer cheeses, and a 2026 US Listeria outbreak included requeson sold as cottage cheese. The label of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin says to take it at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after either one.
For protein, pick cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. For less salt, pick yogurt, plain or Greek.
Compare against the right yogurt. Plain whole-milk yogurt has 3.8 g of protein per 3.5 oz (100 g), while plain nonfat Greek yogurt had 10.3 g in USDA samples, close to the 11.6 g in full-fat cottage cheese. The cottage cheese brings about 350 mg of sodium with it, against 36 mg in the Greek yogurt.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E Per 100 g, cottage cheese carried 11.6 g protein and 350 mg sodium against 3.8 g protein and 42 mg sodium in plain whole-milk yogurt, while Greek nonfat yogurt had 10.3 g protein. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30
- Level E In the US survey database a cup of cottage cheese weighs 7.4 oz (210 g) and an unspecified portion 3.7 oz (105 g), while a yogurt container is 170 g and a cup 245 g. USDA FNDDS, Cheese cottage NFS 14200100 and Yogurt whole milk plain 11411100
- Level E The EU authorized the claim that 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
- Level B For people who cannot digest lactose, yogurt cut the measurable sign of undigested lactose by about a quarter - and adding a stomach-acid-resistant lactase to it nearly doubled that. Clinical Nutrition, 2015
- Level C A survey of 921 UK yogurts found natural and Greek yogurts had about 5 g sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), while 55% of low-fat yogurts had 10 to 20 g. BMJ Open, 2018
- Level B In a crossover RCT of 30 adults, a cottage cheese snack with 26 g protein was as filling as an omelette, with the buffet requested about 167 minutes later after either snack. Appetite, 2015
- 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
- Level E In a 2026 US Listeria outbreak with 15 cases, 14 hospitalizations and one death, the recalled products included requeson, a Latin-style cottage cheese. US CDC, Listeria Outbreak Linked to Soft Cheese, June 2026
- Level E The FDA label for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin says dairy products reduce its absorption and the drug should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after them. Ciprofloxacin, FDA-approved label (DailyMed), effective 2025-03-06
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Cottage cheese vs yogurt: more salt in one, more trials on the other
- Cottage cheese: the calcium stays, the B12 goes
- Yogurt: one proven job and a label full of maybes
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
- Does yogurt help with weight loss? About a kilo, and only on a calorie-cut diet
- Is yogurt good for gut health? For lactose digestion yes, the rest is thin
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
- Yogurt: full nutrition facts
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Cottage cheese: USDA FoodData Central, Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd, FDC ID 2346384 · full profile · all forms of cottage cheese
- Yogurt: USDA FoodData Central, Yogurt, plain, whole milk, FDC ID 2259793 · full profile · all forms of 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.