Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt: two protein snacks side by side

Both foods are sold on protein, and the trials behind them mostly measure appetite over one afternoon. In a randomized crossover study of 15 healthy women, a 160 calories Greek yogurt snack with 24 g protein pushed the request for dinner back to 178 minutes, against 152 minutes after a yogurt with 5 g protein. A smaller protein gap showed no measurable effect. When 32 women swapped regular yogurt for a Greek style one with 9 g more protein, dinner intake was 709 against 686 calories (p = 0.324), with no difference in hunger. Cottage cheese matched an omelette carrying the same 26 g protein in 30 adults, and both kept people going about 167 minutes before they asked for a buffet. We found no trial that put cottage cheese and Greek yogurt head to head on any outcome. The label matters as much as the choice between them. A US 170 g pot of plain nonfat Greek yogurt gives about 17.5 g protein. UK Greek style plain yogurt has 5.7 g protein and 10.2 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), a protein level that suggests an unstrained, richer product.

How much is actually in it

• Among 612 UK supermarket cheeses, cottage cheese had the least salt at 0.55 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) versus a 1.7 g average. — 612 cheeses in UK supermarkets, 2012 label data (n = 612) Evidence C source
  Cottage cheese 0.55 +/- 0.14 g salt/100 g; all cheese mean 1.7 +/- 0.58 g/100 g
• Across 921 UK yogurts, natural and Greek-style products had a median 5.0 g sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), far below fruit or flavored yogurts. — 921 yogurt products in five major UK online supermarkets, November 2016 (n = 921) Evidence C source
  Natural/Greek median 5.0 g/100 g (1.6-9.5), mostly lactose; fruit 11.9, flavored 12.0 g/100 g
• UK data list plain cottage cheese at 103 calories, 9.4 g protein and 250 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — CoFID 2021 Cheese, cottage, plain (12-539) (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 103 calories, protein 9.4 g, fat 6.0 g, lactose 3.1 g, calcium 127 mg, sodium 250 mg, iodine 24 ug
• 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 Foundation Foods, Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd, 10 samples (n = 10) Evidence E source
  Sodium mean 349.8 mg (276.5-412.0); calcium mean 88.27 mg (67.3-111.5); protein 9.7-14.7 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A US cup of cottage cheese weighs 7.4 oz (210 g) and carries about 23 g protein and 674 mg sodium. — USDA FNDDS Cheese, cottage, NFS (14200100, fdc_id 2705747) (n = 2 measures) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: protein 11 g, sodium 321 mg, calcium 103 mg; 1 cup 210 g: 23.1 g protein, 674.1 mg sodium, 216.3 mg calcium
• A 170 g (6 oz) container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt gives about 17.5 g protein in US survey data. — USDA FNDDS Yogurt, Greek, nonfat milk, plain (11411420, fdc_id 2705424) (n = 5 measures) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: protein 10.3 g, calcium 111 mg; 5.3 oz container 150 g: 15.4 g protein, 166.5 mg calcium; 6 oz 170 g: 17.5 g protein

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial of 30 adults, amino acids from a 26 g protein cottage cheese snack reached the blood faster than from an omelette. — 30 healthy volunteers, blood kinetics in a subgroup of 10 (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Marked delay in plasma amino acid and urea delivery after eggs vs cottage cheese; GIP and insulin rose more after cottage cheese

What it does to your health

• Cottage cheese and an omelette with the same 26 g protein kept 30 adults full equally long, about 167 minutes before the next meal. — 30 healthy volunteers, single test snacks of 1346 kJ (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Time to buffet request 167 +/- 8 min and buffet intake 3988 +/- 180 kJ, no difference between snacks
• Eating cottage cheese with 30 g protein before bed did not change next-morning resting energy expenditure in 10 active women versus placebo. — 10 active women, single pre-sleep dose of cottage cheese, casein drink or placebo (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Morning REE 5840 (cottage cheese) vs 5991 kJ/d (placebo), P=0.79; appetite not different
• 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. — 15 healthy women, 3-day snack patterns, crossover (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Dinner requested at 178 +/- 7 min (24 g protein) vs 152 +/- 7 min (5 g) and 124 +/- 7 min (no snack)
• In 30 untrained young men training for 12 weeks, Greek yogurt with 20 g protein per dose raised the bone formation marker P1NP more than a placebo pudding. — 30 untrained university-aged males, resistance and plyometric training 12 weeks (n = 30) Evidence B source
  P1NP change greater with Greek yogurt vs pudding (p = 0.029); P1NP/CTX ratio p = 0.015

Safety, limits and interactions

• A toddler with intestinal failure and a central line developed a Lactobacillus bloodstream infection about 99% genetically matched to his daily Greek yogurt. — One toddler with intestinal failure and a central venous catheter (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Lactobacillus CLABSI, ~99% similarity to isolates from the consumed Greek yogurt
• Mixing lansoprazole capsule contents into cottage cheese kept the dose bioequivalent in 23 adults but delayed peak level to 2.1 versus 1.5 hours. — 23 healthy adults completing a 4-period crossover, 30 mg lansoprazole (n = 23) Evidence B source
  AUC and Cmax equivalent (90% CI within 0.80-1.25); Tmax 2.1 h with cottage cheese vs 1.5 h intact capsule

What people believe that the data does not support

• Swapping regular yogurt for Greek-style yogurt with 9 g more protein did not change hunger or dinner intake in 32 women. — 32 healthy women, 160 calories yogurt snack with 5 g vs 14 g protein, crossover (n = 32) Evidence B source
  Dinner 686 vs 709 calories, p = 0.324; no difference in hunger or fullness
• A review of 57 dairy and bone outcomes found milk and yogurt likely helpful but flagged cottage cheese as possibly unfavorable for bone. — Studies of dairy foods and bone health across ages, 57 outcomes (n = 57 outcomes) Evidence C source
  53% of outcomes not significant, 42% favorable, 5% unfavorable
• 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 Yogurt, Greek style, plain (12-555) (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 133 calories, protein 5.7 g, fat 10.2 g, saturates 6.75 g, calcium 126 mg, sodium 66 mg, iodine 39 ug

Who this works differently for

• In 40 children aged 9 to 14, a 180 calories Greek yogurt snack curbed appetite more than milk but did not lower later food intake. — 40 children aged 9-14, five isoenergetic 180 calories snacks, crossover (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Appetite lower after Greek yogurt vs 2% milk (P < 0.0001); food intake at 120 min not different (P = 0.15)
• In 47 adolescent athletes over 16 weeks, two 6.2 oz (175 g) servings of Greek yogurt a day performed about the same as whey protein on bone and inflammation markers. — Adolescent athletes aged about 16, Greek yogurt (n = 24) vs whey (n = 23), 16 weeks (n = 47) Evidence B source
  Modest, often sex-specific marker fluctuations; no consistent advantage of either source
• In a pilot of adults over 55 who exercised, adding two 6.2 oz (175 g) servings of Greek yogurt daily for 8 weeks raised a bone resorption marker by 14%. — 48 adults aged 55+, exercisers randomized to Greek yogurt or none, plus non-exercisers on yogurt, 8 weeks (n = 48) Evidence B source
  CTX +14% in yogurt exercisers (interaction p = 0.022); body mass +1.1 lb (0.49 kg) across groups
• In 20 premenopausal women with obesity, Greek yogurt with 32 g protein after interval exercise kept parathyroid hormone lower for 3 hours than a carbohydrate pudding. — 20 premenopausal women with obesity (BMI 38.7), randomized crossover, single post-exercise snack (n = 20) Evidence B source
  PTH lower at 1 h (p < 0.001) and 3 h (p = 0.001); osteoprotegerin higher at 1 h

The bottom line

Cottage cheese is the low salt cheese in Britain and a saltier food in America. Among 612 UK supermarket cheeses on 2012 labels, cottage cheese averaged 0.55 g salt per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 1.7 g for cheese overall. UK composition data give plain cottage cheese 103 calories, 9.4 g protein and 250 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). Ten US samples of full fat cottage cheese ran from 277 to 412 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), and a US cup of 210 g carries about 23 g protein and 674 mg sodium, recalculated from the 100 g values. Across 921 UK yogurts on sale in 2016, natural and Greek style products had a median 5.0 g sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), mostly lactose, against about 12 g in fruit and flavored ones. Protein from cottage cheese reached the blood faster than protein from eggs in the crossover trial of 30 adults, with the blood work done in a subgroup of 10. A 30 g protein serving of cottage cheese before bed did not change next morning resting energy use in 10 active women, one night each. The bone results are blood markers, and they point in different directions. In 30 untrained young men training for 12 weeks, Greek yogurt with 20 g protein per dose raised the bone formation marker P1NP more than a placebo pudding (p = 0.029). In a pilot of 48 adults over 55, exercisers who added two 6.2 oz (175 g) servings a day for 8 weeks saw a bone resorption marker rise 14 percent, and the authors urge caution. In 47 teenage athletes over 16 weeks, the yogurt did about as well as whey protein. None of these trials measured bone density or fractures. A 2000 review that counted 57 dairy and bone outcomes, mostly observational, suggested cottage cheese may be unfavorable for bone, a concern resting on a hypothesis about calcium excretion. In 40 children aged 9 to 14, a 180 calories Greek yogurt snack lowered appetite more than milk, and they ate no less two hours later (P = 0.15). Two cautions come from specific patients. A toddler with intestinal failure and a central line developed a Lactobacillus bloodstream infection about 99 percent genetically matched to the Greek yogurt he ate daily, a single case relevant to people with central lines or intestinal failure. If you open lansoprazole capsules into cottage cheese, a trial in 23 healthy adults found the same total dose absorbed, with the peak arriving at 2.1 hours instead of 1.5, after a single 30 mg dose. Both foods are milk products, and this page has no card on milk allergy or lactose intolerance. UK composition data put lactose in plain cottage cheese at 3.1 g per 3.5 oz (100 g).

Sources

1. cgy-daily-r3-14 · cross-sectional survey
   Salt content in cheese was high with a mean (±SD) of 1.7±0.58 g/100 g. ... cottage cheese (0.55±0.14 g/100 g) contained the lowest amount of salt.
   BMJ Open, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
2. cgy-daily-r3-15 · cross-sectional survey
   Natural/Greek yogurts had dramatically lower sugar contents (5.0 g/100 g (1.6, 9.5), largely lactose) than all other categories.
   BMJ Open, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
3. cgy-daily-r3-16 · food composition dataset
   Cheese, cottage, plain (12-539): Energy 103 kcal | Protein 9.4 g | Fat 6.0 g | Lactose 3.1 g | Calcium 127 mg | Sodium 250 mg | Iodine 24 ug
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 12-539 Cheese, cottage, plain · checked 2026-09-29
4. cgy-daily-r3-20 · food composition dataset
   Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd: Sodium, Na 349.8 mg (276.5-412.0, n 10) | Calcium, Ca 88.27 mg (67.3-111.5, n 10) | Protein 11.62 g (9.70-14.67)
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Cottage cheese, full fat, large or small curd · checked 2026-09-29
5. cgy-daily-r3-18 · reference dataset
   Cheese, cottage, NFS, FNDDS 14200100, fdc_id 2705747: 1 cup 210 g | Quantity not specified 105 g || Protein 11 g | Sodium 321 mg | Calcium 103 mg per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey), Cheese, cottage, NFS, food code 14200100, fdc_id 2705747 · checked 2026-09-29
6. cgy-daily-r3-19 · reference dataset
   Yogurt, Greek, nonfat milk, plain, FNDDS 11411420, fdc_id 2705424: 1 5.3 oz container 150 g | 1 6 oz container 170 g | 1 cup 245 g || Protein 10.3 g | Calcium 111 mg per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey), Yogurt, Greek, nonfat milk, plain, food code 11411420, fdc_id 2705424 · checked 2026-09-29
7. cgy-daily-r3-01 · randomized controlled trial
   Thirty healthy volunteers participated in a randomized crossover trial. On each test day, the subjects consumed one of the two snacks, both providing 1346 kJ, 26 g protein, 21 g lipids, and 8 g lactose. ... Plasma amino acid and urea concentrations indicated a marked delay in kinetic delivery after the eggs compared with the cottage cheese.
   Appetite, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
8. cgy-daily-r3-02 · randomized controlled trial
   The two preloads were similar in terms of the time between the snack and a request for the buffet (167 ± 8 min), energy intake at the buffet (3988 ± 180 kJ) and appetite ratings.
   Appetite, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
9. cgy-daily-r3-03 · randomized controlled trial
   In a beverage-blinded, randomised, cross-over design, ten active women ... consumed pre-sleep CC (30 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate and 0 g of fat) ... morning REE (CC, 5840 (sd 1225); CP, 5694 (sd 732); PL, 5991 (sd 903) kJ/d, P=0·79)
   Br J Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
10. cgy-daily-r3-04 · randomized controlled trial
    Specifically, dinner was requested at 124 ± 7 min following NS, 152 ± 7 min with LP, 158 ± 7 min following MP, and 178 ± 7 min post-snack for HP. ... In conclusion, an afternoon snack of Greek yogurt, containing 24 g protein, led to reduced hunger, increased fullness, and delayed subsequent eating compared to lower protein snacks in healthy women.
    Appetite, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
11. cgy-daily-r3-07 · randomized controlled trial
    Thirty untrained, university-aged, males were randomized to 2 groups (n = 15/group): GY (20 g protein, 208 mg calcium/dose) or placebo pudding (PP; 0 g protein, 0 g calcium/dose) ... P1NP changed more in GY than PP (baseline to week 12; p = 0.029) as did the P1NP/CTX ratio (p = 0.015) indicating a greater increase in formation with GY.
    Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
12. cgy-daily-r3-12 · case report
    Comparative genetic analysis predicted ~99% similarity between the CLABSI isolate and Lactobacillus isolates from the Greek yogurt the patient regularly consumed. Our patient's Lactobacillus CLABSI was linked to the consumption of Greek yogurt.
    Nutr Clin Pract, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
13. cgy-daily-r3-13 · randomized controlled trial
    Of the 23 subjects who completed all 4 periods of the study, 18 were male and 5 were female. ... A statistically significant difference was detected in the time to maximum concentration between regimens C and D at 2.1 and 1.5 hours, respectively (P < or = 0.05). ... The 90% CIs were all within an acceptable equivalence range of 0.80 to 1.25.
    Clin Ther, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
14. cgy-daily-r3-05 · randomized controlled trial
    Ad libitum dinner intake was not different between the snacks (NP: 686 ± 33 kcal vs. HP: 709 ± 34 kcal; p = 0.324). ... The additional 9 g of protein contained in the high protein Greek yogurt was insufficient to elicit protein-related improvements in markers of energy intake regulation.
    Nutr J, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
15. cgy-daily-r3-11 · evidence review
    Of 57 outcomes of the effects of dairy foods on bone health, 53% were not significant, 42% were favorable, and 5% were unfavorable. ... Foods such as milk and yogurt are likely to be beneficial; others, such as cottage cheese, may adversely affect bone health.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
16. cgy-daily-r3-17 · food composition dataset
    Yogurt, Greek style, plain (12-555): Energy 133 kcal | Protein 5.7 g | Fat 10.2 g | Satd FA 6.75 g | Calcium 126 mg | Sodium 66 mg | Iodine 39 ug
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 12-555 Yogurt, Greek style, plain · checked 2026-09-29
17. cgy-daily-r3-06 · randomized controlled trial
    Following a repeated-measures crossover design, 40 children aged 9-14 years randomly consumed 1 of 5 isoenergetic (180 kcal) snacks per study session. ... FI did not differ between snacks (P = 0.15). The Greek yogurt (P < 0.0001) and cheese (P = 0.0009) snacks reduced average appetite compared with the 2% fat milk snack.
    Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
18. cgy-daily-r3-08 · randomized controlled trial
    followed by randomization to GY (n = 24; 15.8 ± 1.1 y; 11 females) or WP (n = 23; 16.0 ± 1.4 y; 10 females) for a 16-wk intervention (weeks 8‒24). GY consumed 2 servings per day of 175 g GY (17 g protein) ... Increased protein intake, independent of source, was associated with modest, often sex-specific fluctuations in bone and inflammatory markers in adolescent athletes
    J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
19. cgy-daily-r3-09 · randomized controlled trial
    A total of 48 participants aged 55+ completed this 8-week intervention ... GYEX and GYNE supplemented their diet with two daily servings of 175 g of GY (17 g protein, 225 mg calcium per serving). ... C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (bone resorption marker) increased 14% in GYEX (time × group interaction, p = 0.022).
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
20. cgy-daily-r3-10 · randomized controlled trial
    Using a randomized crossover design, 20 participants (age: 36 ± 5 years; BMI: 38.7 ± 7.6 kg/m2) completed high-intensity interval exercise ... followed by consumption of GY (247 kcal, 14 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 350 mg calcium) or isoenergetic CP ... parathyroid hormone (PTH) was lower at both 1 h (p < 0.001) and 3 h postprandially (p = 0.001) in GY versus CP.
    Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29