Head-to-head comparison

Cottage Cheese (low-fat) vs Yogurt (plain, whole milk): Which Has More Protein?

Cottage Cheese (low-fat) and Yogurt (plain, whole milk) show up in a lot of the same meal-planning conversations, and the honest comparison depends on which specific number you're optimizing for.

Cottage Cheese (low-fat)

11.1gprotein / 100g

72 cal · 2.3g fat · $ · Quality 0.95

Yogurt (plain, whole milk)

5.7gprotein / 100g

61 cal · 3.3g fat · $ · Quality 0.94

Cottage Cheese (low-fat) delivers a clearly higher protein density than Yogurt (plain, whole milk) — 11.1g vs 5.7g per 100g, a gap of 5.4g that adds up fast across multiple servings.

Neither has a meaningful edge on protein quality; they're close enough on amino acid profile that it isn't a differentiator here.

Cost is roughly comparable between the two ($), so budget isn't the deciding factor here.

Cottage Cheese (low-fat)'s typical serving also delivers more leucine (1100mg vs Yogurt (plain, whole milk)'s 560mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.

Verdict

These two are closer than the comparison headline suggests. Either Cottage Cheese (low-fat) or Yogurt (plain, whole milk) works well in most contexts — let cost, prep time, and personal preference decide rather than the macros.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gCottage Cheese (low-fat)Yogurt (plain, whole milk)
Protein11.1g5.7g
Calories7261
Fat2.3g3.3g
Carbs3.4g4.7g
Fiber0.0g0.0g
Quality score0.950.94
Relative cost$$
Prep time0 min0 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, cottage cheese (low-fat) or yogurt (plain, whole milk)?

Cottage Cheese (low-fat) has 11.1g of protein per 100g compared to Yogurt (plain, whole milk)'s 5.7g.

Which is lower in calories?

Yogurt (plain, whole milk) is lower in calories per 100g, at 61 vs the other's 72.