Dairy

Cottage cheese nutrition, every number, sourced.

1 cup of cottage cheese is 185 calories and 24 g of protein. In USDA’s database this is “Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat”. Beyond the headline number, it is notable for selenium and riboflavin. Choose how much you are eating and the panel does the arithmetic from there.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Drawn from USDA FoodData Central, FDC 328841. No account, no upload, percentages against FDA Daily Values.

Calories in cottage cheese, serving by serving

USDA puts 1 cup of cottage cheese at 185 calories and 100 g at 84. Other household measures follow, each with its weighed gram figure.

What cottage cheese offers in protein

For protein, 1 cup of cottage cheese gives you 24 g, which fills 48 percent of the daily 50 g benchmark. Roughly 52 percent of the calories in cottage cheese come from protein, which puts it firmly in the lean-protein bracket.

Of every 100 calories, 54 come from protein, 25 from fat and 21 from carbohydrate.

Cottage cheese in the kitchen

This fresh curd cheese is sold by curd size, ranging from small to large. Choose small curd for a smoother, firmer texture or large curd for a softer, wetter consistency. Look for tubs containing actual cream rather than thickeners like starch or gums, which make the flavour bland and the texture chalky.

Direct heat makes the curds tighten and release water, leaving you with rubbery lumps in a thin puddle. The most common mistake is boiling the cheese in sauces. Instead, fold it into baked dishes or stir it into warm sauces at the very end of cooking, off the heat, so it retains its moisture.

Eat it cold with black pepper, fresh chives, and sliced radishes. In Eastern European kitchens, it fills savoury pastries and pancakes. For an Indian-inspired side, fold it through spiced spinach. It also blends into a smooth dip when whisked with olive oil, lemon juice, and chopped herbs.

The complete cottage cheese breakdown

Top of the list for 1 cup of cottage cheese: 58 percent of a day’s selenium, 40 percent of a day’s riboflavin, 39 percent of a day’s vitamin B12. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Sodium is the figure to watch here: 321 mg per 100 g is 14 percent of a day’s limit, which is what usually decides how often cottage cheese fits.

Putting cottage cheese into a day of eating

Against the standard 2,000 calorie reference, 1 cup of cottage cheese takes up 9 percent of the energy and supplies 48 percent of the protein. For a figure that fits you, start with the TDEE calculator, then set grams with the macro calculator.

Cottage cheese recipes, with the numbers

The Calorie Counter Team wrote these. Under every recipe the numbers are added up from the USDA record for each ingredient and split across the servings.

Breakfast · British

Cottage cheese pancakes

Thick pancakes made with cottage cheese, eggs, and flour, cooked in a frying pan.

20 min · serves 2

302kcal

20gprotein

11gfat

28gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cottage cheese 200 g
• Large eggs 100 g
• Plain wheat flour 60 g
• Baking powder 4 g
• Fine salt 2 g
• Unsalted butter 10 g

Method

1. Whisk the cottage cheese and eggs in a mixing bowl until combined.
2. Stir in the wheat flour, baking powder, and salt to form a thick batter.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Spoon the batter into the pan to form four small pancakes.
5. Cook for three minutes on each side until golden brown.

Per serving, from 6 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Snack · Northern European

Cottage cheese and herb dip

A cold herbaceous spread made with cottage cheese and spring onions, served with rye crispbread.

10 min · serves 2

223kcal

17gprotein

3.4gfat

32gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cottage cheese 250 g
• Spring onions 30 g
• Fresh dill 5 g
• Fresh chives 5 g
• Ground black pepper 1 g
• Rye crispbread 60 g

Method

1. Chop the spring onions, dill, and chives into small pieces.
2. Combine the cottage cheese, chopped herbs, spring onions, and black pepper in a bowl.
3. Stir the mixture thoroughly with a spoon to distribute the herbs.
4. Serve cold alongside the rye crispbread.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Dinner · British

Baked pasta with cottage cheese and spinach

Pasta baked with spinach, cottage cheese, and a topping of grated cheddar cheese.

45 min · serves 2

499kcal

31gprotein

13gfat

64gcarbs

Ingredients

• Dried pasta shapes 150 g
• Fresh spinach 100 g
• Cottage cheese 250 g
• Cheddar cheese 50 g
• Fine salt 3 g
• Ground nutmeg 1 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius and grease a baking dish.
2. Boil the pasta in salted water for eight minutes, then drain.
3. Steam the spinach until wilted, squeeze out excess water, and chop.
4. Mix the cottage cheese, spinach, pasta, salt, and nutmeg in the baking dish.
5. Scatter the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
6. Bake for twenty minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

What a meal with cottage cheese adds up to

To see how cottage cheese adds up in a meal, here it is beside two ordinary companions, all three from USDA figures.

Dairy: where cottage cheese sits

Compared gram for gram, with the form of each food stated. Follow any link for that food’s full page.

What people ask about cottage cheese

What is the calorie count for 1 cup of cottage cheese?

USDA measures 1 cup of cottage cheese at 185 calories, or 84 calories for each 100 g. The record used is “Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat” (FDC 328841).

How much protein is in cottage cheese?

Per 100 g, cottage cheese contains 11 g of protein. 1 cup of cottage cheese therefore gives 24 g, which is 48 percent of a 50 g day.

Can you eat cottage cheese when trying to lose weight?

No food causes or prevents weight loss on its own. The useful facts are that 1 cup of cottage cheese is 185 calories with 24 g of protein, which makes 52 percent of its calories protein; which is a favourable trade when calories are tight.

What is cottage cheese a good source of?

1 cup of cottage cheese is strongest in selenium at 58 percent, riboflavin at 40 percent, vitamin B12 at 39 percent. Other nutrients are present in smaller amounts and are listed in the profile table.

Can you freeze cottage cheese?

Yes, but the texture will change. Freezing causes the water to separate from the curds, leaving the defrosted cheese watery and grainy. Use thawed cottage cheese only for cooked dishes, where the texture shift matters less.

How do you make cottage cheese smooth?

Run the cheese through a fine mesh sieve using the back of a spoon, or process it in a food processor. This breaks down the individual curds, yielding a silky mixture suitable for spreads and sauces.

Sources

• Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 328841
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9