Full-fat cottage cheese provides 103 calories, 11.6 grams of protein and 4.2 grams of fat per 100 grams, per USDA FoodData Central. That weight is a touch over a half-cup serving. Sodium runs near 350 milligrams for the same 100 grams. Cottage cheese nutrition reads as a trade. Dense protein comes at a fair calorie price, paid for partly in sodium.
The cheese starts as curds drained from soured milk. Salt enters during processing, not at the table. That single step explains most of the sodium in the finished cup. It also shapes how the food fits different eating patterns.
Cottage cheese nutrition per 100 grams
These USDA values describe creamed, full-fat cottage cheese. Daily Value percentages follow FDA label references.
- Calories: 103.
- Protein: 11.6 grams.
- Fat: 4.2 grams.
- Carbohydrate: 4.6 grams, mostly lactose.
- Calcium: 88 milligrams (7 percent of the Daily Value).
- Sodium: 350 milligrams (15 percent of the Daily Value).
A half-cup serving weighs about 113 grams. Each line scales by roughly 1.13. That works out to about 116 calories and 13 grams of protein per half cup.
Low-fat versions trim fat to around 2 grams per 100 grams, with protein holding near 12 grams. Calories drop into the mid-80s. Nonfat goes lower still on both fat and calories.
Protein density: the main draw
Cottage cheese nutrition earns its reputation on one line. The scoop delivers 11 to 12 grams of protein per 100 grams. Few fridge staples match that density at the same calorie cost. Two large eggs, for comparison, deliver 12.6 grams of protein at 144 calories, per USDA data. A half cup of cottage cheese matches the protein for about 30 fewer calories. Readers following this should also see Chicken breast nutrition by preparation: protein per gram and more.
Harvard's Nutrition Source reads protein foods as packages. The package means protein plus whatever fat, sodium and other nutrients ride along. Cottage cheese leans protein-heavy. It carries more sodium than most fresh meats, though.
The curd structure helps the protein story. The protein sits in solid curds rather than liquid, so a scoop measures like a food, not a drink. That texture makes a serving easy to see and easy to count.
The sodium side of the ledger
The FDA sets the Daily Value for sodium at 2,300 milligrams. American adults average around 3,400, the agency reports. Most of that arrives through packaged and prepared foods rather than the salt shaker. Cottage cheese sits in the prepared column by nature.
At about 350 milligrams per 100 grams, the cheese spends 15 percent of the Daily Value per scoop. A half cup runs closer to 400 milligrams. Three servings across a day would spend nearly half the allowance. Reduced-sodium versions from several brands cut that figure sharply, and the label carries the exact number for the container at hand.
Brands vary by curd size and salt level, so the side panel settles the question. A quick compare across two cartons often shows a meaningful gap on the sodium line alone.
Milk-fat levels and what they change
Fat level moves calories more than protein. Full-fat runs 103 calories per 100 grams. Low-fat lands near the mid-80s, and nonfat drops further. Protein stays close to 12 grams across the dairy case. The choice mostly trades richness against calories.
Calcium barely moves across the case, either. The line holds near steady from full-fat to nonfat, per USDA tables. Shoppers comparing fat levels can leave the calcium math out of the decision.
The protein package, compared
Harvard's Nutrition Source compares protein foods by their full package, not by protein alone. Three examples from its tables show the range.
- Salmon: a 4-ounce grilled portion supplies about 30 grams of protein, stays low in sodium, and brings omega-3 fats.
- Ham steak: the same weight supplies 22 grams of protein but about 1,500 milligrams of sodium.
- Lentils: one cooked cup supplies about 18 grams of protein plus 15 grams of fiber, with little sodium or saturated fat.
Cottage cheese sits between those poles. Its protein runs dense and its calcium rides along. Its sodium line lands closer to the ham than to the salmon or lentils. That placement, not the protein count, is what the trade-off means.
Conclusion: cottage cheese nutrition in balance
A half cup delivers roughly 13 grams of protein for about 116 calories. It brings calcium along, plus sodium in the 400-milligram neighborhood. Read as a package, the trade stays reasonable for most eating patterns. It also stays easy to audit from the label before the carton reaches the cart.
One last line belongs on any summary. A scoop from the tub reads the same as a measured serving, which keeps the counting simple. Few protein foods make the audit that easy. This connects to our earlier piece, Sweet potato nutrition: what one medium baked serving provides.
