Calories in Dairy
Milk, cheese, yogurt, and dairy products. 23 dairy with detailed nutrition.
Dairy at a glance
Best dairy for weight loss
Highest protein, most satiating, fewest junk additives:
Yogurt
Greek-strained yogurt is 15-20g protein per cup at 100-150 calories. The most protein-dense common dairy product.
Cottage Cheese
28g protein per cup of 1% at 163 calories. Slow-digesting casein keeps you full for hours. Best protein-per-dollar in the dairy aisle.
Milk
8g protein and 30% of daily calcium per cup of 1% (100 cal). Useful calorie-dense add-on for hard gainers, easy skip if you're cutting.
Mozzarella
Part-skim mozzarella is 7g protein per ounce at 72 calories. One of the highest protein-per-calorie ratios in the cheese case.
All dairy (23)
Milk
149 cal / 1 cup whole milk
3.2g protein • 4.8g carbs • 3.3g fat
Cheese
113 cal / 1 slice cheddar (1 oz)
23.3g protein • 3.4g carbs • 33.3g fat
Yogurt
100 cal / 1 cup plain greek (nonfat)
10.2g protein • 3.6g carbs • 0.4g fat
Butter
102 cal / 1 tablespoon
0.85g protein • 0.1g carbs • 81.1g fat
Cottage Cheese
84 cal / 100g
11g protein • 4.3g carbs • 2.3g fat
Cream Cheese
343 cal / 100g
5.8g protein • 4.6g carbs • 33.5g fat
Ice Cream
207 cal / 100g
3.5g protein • 23.6g carbs • 11g fat
Heavy Cream
343 cal / 100g
2g protein • 3.8g carbs • 35.6g fat
Sour Cream
196 cal / 100g
3.1g protein • 5.6g carbs • 18g fat
American Cheese
79 cal / 1 slice
17.5g protein • 6.3g carbs • 31.1g fat
Swiss Cheese
110 cal / 1 slice
27g protein • 1.4g carbs • 31g fat
Gouda
100 cal / 1 slice
24.9g protein • 2.2g carbs • 27.4g fat
Mozzarella
85 cal / 1 oz (slice)
22.2g protein • 2.2g carbs • 22.4g fat
Parmesan
118 cal / 1 oz
35.8g protein • 3.2g carbs • 28.6g fat
Muenster
103 cal / 1 slice
23.4g protein • 1.1g carbs • 30g fat
Cheddar
114 cal / 1 slice (1 oz)
23.3g protein • 2.4g carbs • 34g fat
Feta
74 cal / 1 oz
14.2g protein • 4.1g carbs • 21.3g fat
Brie
94 cal / 1 oz
20.8g protein • 0.5g carbs • 27.7g fat
Ricotta Cheese
93 cal / 1/4 cup
7.5g protein • 7.3g carbs • 10.2g fat
Goat Cheese
102 cal / 1 oz (28g)
21.6g protein • 0.1g carbs • 29.8g fat
Blue Cheese
99 cal / 1 oz
21.4g protein • 2.3g carbs • 28.7g fat
Half and Half
20 cal / 1 tbsp
3.1g protein • 4.3g carbs • 11.5g fat
Whipped Cream
15 cal / 2 tbsp (pressurized)
3.2g protein • 12.5g carbs • 22.2g fat
Highest calcium dairy
If hitting 1,000-1,200mg of calcium per day matters (most adults under-consume), these deliver the most per serving:
About dairy
Dairy is the most efficient source of bioavailable calcium in the modern diet, plus real protein, fortified vitamin D, and live probiotics in the fermented stuff. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are some of the highest-protein-per-calorie foods on any shelf.
The 1990s low-fat-dairy advice has been quietly walked back. Recent meta-analyses (PURE, CHARGE) show neutral-to-favorable associations between full-fat dairy and cardiovascular outcomes. Pick on protein density and what your gut tolerates, not fat content.
Tips for eating dairy
Buy plain yogurt, sweeten yourself
Flavored fruit yogurts pack 15-25g of added sugar. More than a scoop of ice cream. Plain Greek yogurt + a teaspoon of honey + fresh berries hits the same flavor with half the sugar and double the protein. The default upgrade.
Stop fearing full-fat
PURE, CHARGE, and recent Cochrane reviews all show full-fat dairy is neutral or slightly favorable for cardiovascular outcomes. The dairy fat matrix appears to behave differently than processed meat fat. If you don't need to squeeze calories, full-fat dairy is more satiating per serving.
Greek yogurt 1:1 for sour cream
Tacos, baked potatoes, dips, dollops on chili. You drop from ~30g fat per cup of sour cream to 0-3g and gain 15-20g of protein. Most people can't taste the difference once it hits the dish.
Pre-portion cheese by weight
Hard cheese is 350-400 cal per 100g. A 'small handful' from the block can be 200 calories before you sit down. Pre-cut into 1oz / 28g portions (roughly the size of two dice stacked) and cheese stays a flavor accent, not the meal.
Lactose-intolerant? Skip milk, keep the rest
Hard aged cheese, Greek yogurt, kefir, butter, and ghee contain almost no lactose. The bacteria or aging process digests it for you. Most people who can't drink a glass of milk handle these fine. Lactase pills also work for occasional dairy nights out.
Blend cottage cheese to fix the texture
If you can't get past the curds, blend a cup smooth in a food processor. The result is a thick, ricotta-like spread you can use as a dip base, on toast, or stirred into pasta, 28g of protein with the texture problem solved.
Storage guide
Store dairy at 40°F or below. Back of the fridge, not the door (where temperature fluctuates). Hard cheese: 3-4 weeks opened. Soft cheese: 1-2 weeks. Milk and yogurt: 5-7 days past the date. Butter freezes well for 6-9 months and can go straight from freezer to a pan. Hard cheese can be frozen but the texture turns crumbly. Fine for cooking, not for a cheese board.
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Last updated: Apr 24, 2026