Calories and Protein in 48 Cheeses ranked Lowest to Highest
This is a list of popular cheeses ranked by calories and protein, from lowest to highest. Cheese nutrition varies widely by type and even brand, so it is good to know which cheese to choose before you get to the supermarket. We caution people about the calories in cheese, because they are often overlooked when cheese is an added extra in a meal. Try to choose lower calorie, higher protein cheese for best results when watching your calories.
Cheese Calories and Protein per 100g
Our list of cheeses is ranked from lowest calories to highest, on a per 100 grams basis. We have included only those cheeses which can be readily bought from most regular supermarkets. The protein content is also listed (per 100g), so that you can get a sense of overall nutrition in comparison with other cheeses with a similar calorie count. To find other specific cheeses and see nutrients such as carbs and fat, use the Food Search Box to search our food database:
Brancourts Cottage Cheese 107 Calories
Cottage cheese has the least calories because it has the highest water content relative to milk solids. Brancourt Classic Cottage Cheese is the lowest calorie cheese with 107 calories and 11.7 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Lactose free products, made for people suffering from lactose intolerance, usually have more calories and protein than their lactose-containing alternatives. Case in point: Brancourts Lactose Free Cottage Cheese, with 110 calories and 11.9g protein per 100g.
La Casa Smooth Ricotta 135 Calories
Since ricotta has a lower water content than cottage cheese, it naturally has more calories on a weight for weight basis. La Casa Del Formaggio Smooth Ricotta has 135 calories and 8.6g protein per 100g.
La Casa Traditional Ricotta 162 Calories
With 20% more calories than the Smooth type, La Casa Traditional Ricotta has 162 calories and 13 grams of protein per 100g.
Philadelphia Light Cream For Cooking 179 Calories
Philadelphia (the cheese product, not the place) is a type of cream cheese. Philadelphia Light Cream For Cooking is the lowest calorie product in the range, with 179 calories and a paltry 3.8g protein per 100 grams.
Lemnos Reduced fat Fetta Cheese 190 Calories
Lemnos Reduced Fat Fetta Cheese is the lowest calorie solid cheese on this list, with 190 calories and 10.6g protein per 100g. When you are watching calories, and if you don’t mind the taste of fetta, its a good idea to swap it in for other types of hard cheeses.
Lemnos Paneer Cheese 203 Calories
Paneer is a type of Indian cheese which complements curries very well. Lemno Paneer Cheese has 203 calories and a respectable 15.4 grams of protein per 100g.
Kraft Light Cheese Singles 218 Calories
Made for sandwich inclusions, Kraft Light Cheese Singles have 218 calories and 19.1g protein per 100g. If you are going to add a cheese slice to your sandwich, opt for these “light” types, because they really do have significantly less calories than the regular options.
Philadelphia Spreadable 220 Calories
Philadelphia Garden Herb & Onion Twist Spreadable Cream Cheese has 220 calories and 4.6g protein per 100g.
Kiri Soft Cream Cheese 241 Calories
Kiri Greek Style Soft Cream Cheese contains 241 calories and 5 grams of protein per 100g.
Philadelphia Lactose Free Spreadable 249 Calories
Another case of lactose-free equals more calories and protein, Philadelphia Lactose Free Spreadable has 249 calories and 5.4g protein per 100g.
Liddells Lactose Free Cream Cheese 258 Calories
Liddells Lactose Free Cream Cheese spreads 258 calories and 8.5g protein into each 100 grams.
La Casa Cherry Bocconcini 265 Calories
In theory, bocconcini is nothing more than small balls of regular mozzarella cheese. Puzzling then that La Casa Del Formaggio Cherry Bocconcini has significantly less calories than same brand mozzarella. These cherry-sized cheeses have 265 calories and 17.9g protein per 100g.
Philadelphia Classic Icing 275 Calories
Possibly not really a cheese, Philadelphia Classic Icing has 275 calories and 4.3g protein per 100g.
Lemnos Traditional Cheese Fetta 277 Calories
With more than 80 calories more than the reduced fat version, Lemnos Traditional Fetta has 277 calories and 18g protein per 100g.
Devondale Sandwich Cheese Slices 292 Calories
These Devondale Sandwich Cheese Slices have 292 calories and 19.6g protein per 100g.
Mersey Valley Spreadable Original 294 Calories
Spreadable cheddar from Mersey Valley (the brand, not the place) has 294 calories and 19g protein per 100g.
Le Conquerant Demi Pont L’Eveque 295 Calories
The hard to pronounce Le Conquerant Demi Pont L’Eveque cheese has 295 calories and 22g protein per 100 grams.
Perfect Italiano Grated Mozzarella 299 Calories
Perfect Italiano Grated Mozzarella stays just under the 300 mark with 299 calories and 26.1g protein per 100g.
La Casa Mozzarella 301 Calories
just making it over the 300 mark, La Casa Del Formaggio Mozzarella has 301 calories and 24.8g protein per 100 grams.
Tasmanian Heritage Camembert 304 Calories
This creamy and smooth soft white cheese going under the Tasmanian Heritage marque has 304 calories and 19g protein per 100g.
Aphrodite Halloumi 304 Calories
Aphrodite Halloumi from Will Studd combines goat and sheep milk solids for 304 calories and 21 grams protein per 100g.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese 306 Calories
The Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese contains a big 306 calories and small 6.6g protein per 100 grams. It is the highest calorie dairy soft cheese on this list.
Frico Mild Edam 319 Calories
Frico Mild Edam Cheese is named after the Dutch town of Edam. It contains 319 calories and 26 grams of protein per 100g.
Perfect Italiano 4 Cheese Melt 327 Calories
A combination of four types of grated cheese, Perfect Italiano 4 Cheese Melt has 327 calories and 26g protein per 100g.
Kraft Cheddar Sandwich Slices 333 Calories
Undoubtedly one of the most popular cheese slices on the planet, Kraft Cheddar Sandwich Slices have 333 calories and 26g protein per 100g.
Lemnos Halloumi Cheese 339 Calories
With 339 calories and 22.3 grams of protein per 100 grams, Lemnos Cyprus Style Haloumi is on the heavier end in comparison to alternative haloumis (or halloumies).
Jarlsberg Original Cheese Slices 348 Calories
Jarlsberg Original Cheese Slices are not the most calorific slices on this list, but at 348 calories and 27g protein they will add significant heft to any sandwich.
Margaret River Smoked Flavour Cheddar 355 Calories
Margaret River Dairy Company Smoked Flavour Club Cheddar Cheese (phew, what a mouthful!) has 355 calories and 22.8g protein per 100g.
Dairyworks Grated 3 Cheese Mix 358 Calories
Dairyworks 3 Cheese Grated is a blend of three different types of Italian-inspired cheeses, good for 358 calories and 26.6g protein per 100 grams.
Jarlsberg Original Cheese 361 Calories
Jarlsberg Original Cheese has 4% more calories and protein than Jarlsberg Original Cheese Slices (no, we don’t know why). Each 100g has 361 calories and 28g protein.
Mil Lel Parmesan Cheese 366 Calories
Parmesan cheese has much more protein than other common types of cheese, thanks to the way it ages during processing. Mil Lel Parmesan is a good example, with 34.7g protein and 366 calories per 100g.
Made With Plants Cream Cheese 366 Calories
Is this non-dairy product really cheese? It is debatable. In any case, Made With Plants Dairy Free Original Cream Cheese has 366 calories and 8.7g protein per 100 grams. That is more than 20% higher calories than the richest dairy cream cheeses.
Perfect Italiano Parmesan 385 Calories
Another high protein parmie, Perfect Italiano Parmesan Block has 385 calories and 32.7g protein per 100g.
Frico Mild Goats Cheese 394 Calories
Frico Mild Goats Cheese is made with goat’s milk and has 394 calories and 24g protein per 100 grams.
Zanetti Pecorino Romano 394 Calories
Pecorino comes from the word “pecora” which means “sheep” in Italian. So yes, Zanetti Pecorino Romano cheese is made from sheep’s milk and has 394 calories and 35g protein per 100g.
Another Liddells Lactose Free cheese, Shredded Pizza Blend has 396 calories and 26g protein per 100g.
Norco Elbo Style Cheese 397 Calories
Elbo is a cheese from Denmark, presumably it has a similar taste to this Norco Elbo Style Cheese with 397 calories and 24.6g protein per 100 grams.
Devondale Colby Cheese 399 Calories
The last sub-400 cheese on this list is Devondale Colby Cheese with 399 calories and 23.7g protein per 100g.
Tasmanian Heritage Triple Cream Brie 402 Calories
Tasmanian Heritage Triple Cream Brie is a fat-rich soft cheese with 402 calories and 13.4g protein per 100 grams.
Castello Double Cream Brie 404 Calories
This Castello Double Cream Brie has 404 calories and 14.2g protein in each 100 gram portion.
South Cape Havarti Cheese 406 Calories
Havarti is a type of cheese traditionally made with nothing but milk. This South Cape Havarti Cheese has 406 calories and 18.2g protein.
Castello Mellow Black Cheese 411 Calories
Unlike other black cheeses, this Castello Mello Black gets its colour from black mould rather than charcoal. It has 411 calories and 24.2g protein per 100 grams.
Bega Tasty Cheese 411 Calories
Outside of Australia and NZ, Tasty cheese is known as “Cheddar”. We got the name in the 1950s when marketers began to call aged cheddar “tasty”. Bega Farmers’ Tasty Cheese has a big 411 calories and 24.2g protein per 100 grams.
Real Natural Tasty Cheese Slices 413 Calories
The cheese slices with the most calories are Real Natural Tasty Cheese Slices, with 413 calories and 24g protein per 100 grams.
Mersey Valley Original Cheddar Cheese 416 Calories
For some reason, they decided to call this sharp and crumbly cheese cheddar rather than Tasty. It is Mersey Valley Original Cheddar Cheese with 416 calories and 24.8g protein per 100 grams.
Castello Creamy Blue Cheese 425 Calories
Breaking the Tasty streak, Castello Creamy Blue Cheese comes in at a fatty 425 calories and 13.2g protein per 100g.
Mainland Extra Tasty Cheese 430 Calories
Apparently, extra Tasty means extra calories. Mainland Extra Tasty Cheese has the most calories, with a chest-tightening 430 calories and 23.3g protein per 100 grams. That’s 130 calories more than typical mozzarella!
Calories and Protein in Cheese TLDR
To cut a long story short, cottage cheese and ricotta has the least calories, whilst Tasty (aged cheddar) and creamy soft cheeses have the most calories. Parmesan cheese has by far more protein than other cheeses, whilst cream cheeses and brie have the least protein. Non-dairy “cheese” is high calorie, and “light” or “reduced-fat” cheeses have far fewer calories than their regular correlates.
