The typical cottage cheese varieties include the following milkfat percentages: nonfat, 1%, 2%, and 4%. Low-fat cottage cheese usually refers to 1% milkfat while reduced fat refers to 2% milkfat. However, you will occasionally see a 2% milkfat cottage cheese labeled as low fat. Yeah, totally confusing, but the government does not require strict labeling in regards to low fat/reduced fat vs. 1%/2%. The difference in terms of required labeling is that low fat has 3 grams or less of fat with 30% or less of total calories. Reduced fat has 25% or less fat than the full-fat version (1).
Below, we have provided both reduced fat (2%) and low fat (1%) cottage cheese nutrition facts since the two are often associated. The data used is from various commercially available brands. Overall, the low-fat (1%) cottage cheese calories are only slightly lower than the reduced fat (2%) cottage cheese. You really aren’t going to kill your diet if you select 2% cottage cheese over 1% cottage cheese. Generally, low fat cottage cheese is good for you, but you have to be aware of ingredients. Often there are additional fillers and processing that go into low-fat versions that are not in full-fat varieties. There is also evidence to show that people who eat full-fat dairy gained less weight than those who ate only low-fat. This may be because full-fat tends to keep a people full for longer so that they aren’t consuming additional calories. While the low-fat cottage cheese nutrition facts are better in terms of numbers, numbers can be deceiving when it comes to food.
Low Fat Cottage Cheese Nutrition
1% Milkfat| Low Fat Cottage Cheese Brand (1% Milkfat) | Serving Size | Calories | Calories from Fat | Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Tran Fat | Cholesterol | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Dietary Fiber | Sugars | Protein | Vitamin A (% dv) | Vitamin C (% dv) | Calcium (% dv) | Iron (% dv) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship Dairies 1% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 10 | 1 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 5 mg | 360 mg | 3 g | 0 g | 3 g | 15 g | --- | 0% | 10% | 0% |
| Borden 1% | 1/2 Cup | 80 | 10 | 1 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 440 mg | 5 g | 0 g | 4 g | 13 g | 4% | 0% | 10% | 0% |
| Kemps 1% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 15 | 1.5 g | 1 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 450 mg | 5 g | 0 g | 3 g | 13 g | 4% | 0% | 8% | 0% |
| Crowley 1% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 15 | 1.5 g | 1 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 480 mg | 6 g | 0 g | 4 g | 14 g | 6% | 0% | 8% | 0% |
| Fiber One 1% | 1/2 Cup | 80 | 20 | 2 g | 1 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 430 mg | 8 g | 5 g | 1 g | 10 g | 4% | 0% | 4% | 0% |
| Hood 1% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 10 | 1 g | 1 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 440 mg | 5 g | 0 g | 4 g | 14 g | 4% | 0% | 10% | 0% |
| Penn Maid 1% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 15 | 1.5 g | 1 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 480 mg | 6 g | 0 g | 4 g | 14 g | 6% | 0% | 8% | 0% |
Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese Nutrition
2% Milkfat**May also be referred to as low fat on label & not reduced fat
| Low Fat Cottage Cheese Brand (1% Milkfat) | Serving Size | Calories | Calories from Fat | Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Tran Fat | Cholesterol | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Dietary Fiber | Sugars | Protein | Vitamin A (% dv) | Vitamin C (% dv) | Calcium (% dv) | Iron (% dv) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship Dairies 2% - Pot Style | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 20 | 2.5 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 400 mg | 3 g | 0 g | 2 g | 14 g | --- | 0% | 8% | 0% |
| Kemps 2% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 25 | 2.5 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 450 mg | 4 g | 0 g | 3 g | 13 g | 4% | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Daisy Brand 2% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 20 | 2.5 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 350 mg | 4 g | 0 g | 4 g | 13 g | 4% | 0% | 10% | 0% |
| Breakstone's 2% | 1/2 Cup | 90 | 20 | 2.5 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 340 mg | 5 g | 0 g | 5 g | 10 g | 6% | 0% | 15% | 0% |
| Horizon Organic 2% | 1/2 Cup | 100 | 20 | 2.5 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 390 mg | 4 g | 0 g | 4 g | 14 g | 4% | 0% | 20% | 0% |
| Organic Valley 2% | 1/2 Cup | 100 | 20 | 2 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 10 mg | 450 mg | 4 g | 0 g | 3 g | 15 g | 4% | 0% | 8% | 0% |