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Picking healthy snacks at the grocery store can feel pretty daunting at times. There are thousands of foods to choose from, many touted as beneficial or nutritional.
We put two popular high-protein snacks—plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese—head-to-head in terms of nutrition to find out which is healthier.
Let’s take a look at the nutritional information for 1 cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt and compare it to the nutrition in 1 cup of plain low-fat 2% cottage cheese.
Healthy High-Protein Snacks
Both Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are rich in lean protein and are virtually tied with each having 24 grams of protein per cup. Both yogurt and cottage cheese are available in full-fat, reduced-fat and fat-free varieties.
Some companies also make lactose-free varieties of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, so you don’t have to shy away from these high-protein choices if you’re lactose-free. Just look for the lactose-free label.
Which Is Healthier: Greek Yogurt or Regular Yogurt?
Greek yogurt has a slight edge in calcium—a mineral most people need more of. A cup of Greek yogurt has 282 milligrams of calcium, while a cup of cottage cheese has 227 mg.
One cup of low-fat plain Greek yogurt contains about 179 calories, and 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese is about 180 calories. So again, a virtual tie.
So far, these two high-protein snacks are neck in neck when considering protein, calcium and calories. But one clear distinction steers the choice: Cottage cheese can be loaded with sodium. Just 1 cup of cottage cheese can deliver 8 to 9 times the sodium found in Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt has about 83 mg of sodium in 1 cup, whereas a cup of cottage cheese can have upward of 700 mg of sodium. That’s about one-third of the recommended daily limit of 2,300 mg.If you’re watching your sodium intakeand eat cottage cheese, opt for a reduced-sodium or no-salt-added variety.
9 Easy Ways to Cut Sodium in Your Diet
While Greek yogurt is more likely to contain probiotics—those microscopicgut-friendly bacteria—there are some brands of cottage cheese that also contain probiotics. Not all brands of cottage cheese contain probiotics, though, so be sure to read the label.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, both Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are healthy high-protein snacks. You really can’t go wrong with either one.If you choose cottage cheese, though, try to opt for a low-sodium variety. Fruit can be added to it for added sweetness and nutrition, or if you prefer savory, try mixing in your favorite diced vegetables with a little bit of fresh dill and cracked black pepper.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Correct: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Yogurt, Greek, plain, low-fatCorrect: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 2%
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Correct: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Yogurt, Greek, plain, low-fatCorrect: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 2%
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Correct: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Yogurt, Greek, plain, low-fatCorrect: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 2%
Correct: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Yogurt, Greek, plain, low-fat
Correct: U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 2%
