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Parmesan vs. Ricotta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are parmesan and ricotta different?

  • Parmesan is higher than ricotta in phosphorus, calcium, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, vitamin B2, and vitamin A.
  • Parmesan covers your daily need for sodium, 75% more than ricotta.
  • Parmesan contains 4 times more calcium than ricotta. Parmesan contains 853mg of calcium, while ricotta contains 207mg.
  • Ricotta is lower in sodium.

Cheese, parmesan, grated and Cheese, ricotta, whole milk types were used in this article.

Infographic

Parmesan vs Ricotta infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 24% 256% 16% 18% 13% 115% 269% 235% 9.3% 188%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 7.9% 62% 9.3% 14% 7% 32% 68% 11% 0.78% 79%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +209.1%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +312.1%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +71.4%
Contains more IronIron +28.9%
Contains more CopperCopper +90.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +262.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +296.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +1083.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +137.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -95.3%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 87% 11% 7.5% 6.5% 83% 1.5% 27% 19% 175% 4.3% 4.5% 7.7%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 40% 2.2% 3% 3.3% 45% 2% 13% 9.9% 43% 2.8% 9% 9.5%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +118.3%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +381.8%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +150%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +100%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +83.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +111.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +88.4%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +311.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +54.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +30%
Contains more FolateFolate +100%
Contains more CholineCholine +24.1%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
28% 28% 14% 23% 7%
Protein: 28.42 g
Fats: 27.84 g
Carbs: 13.91 g
Water: 22.65 g
Other: 7.18 g
11% 13% 3% 72%
Protein: 11.26 g
Fats: 12.98 g
Carbs: 3.04 g
Water: 71.7 g
Other: 1.02 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +152.4%
Contains more FatsFats +114.5%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +357.6%
Contains more OtherOther +603.9%
Contains more WaterWater +216.6%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
64% 30% 6%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 15.371 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 7.13 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.386 g
67% 29% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 8.295 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.627 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.385 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +96.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +260%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -46%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Parmesan Ricotta
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Parmesan Ricotta DV% diff.
Sodium 1804mg 84mg 75%
Phosphorus 627mg 158mg 67%
Calcium 853mg 207mg 65%
Vitamin B12 1.4µg 0.34µg 44%
Selenium 34.4µg 14.5µg 36%
Protein 28.42g 11.26g 34%
Saturated fat 15.371g 8.295g 32%
Zinc 4.2mg 1.16mg 28%
Fats 27.84g 12.98g 23%
Vitamin A 262µg 120µg 16%
Vitamin B2 0.358mg 0.195mg 13%
Calories 420kcal 174kcal 12%
Cholesterol 86mg 51mg 12%
Monounsaturated fat 7.13g 3.627g 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.386g 0.385g 7%
Magnesium 34mg 11mg 5%
Vitamin B5 0.45mg 0.213mg 5%
Carbs 13.91g 3.04g 4%
Vitamin B6 0.081mg 0.043mg 3%
Manganese 0.071mg 0.006mg 3%
Vitamin E 0.53mg 0.11mg 3%
Vitamin D 0.5µg 0.2µg 2%
Copper 0.04mg 0.021mg 2%
Folate 6µg 12µg 2%
Potassium 180mg 105mg 2%
Vitamin B1 0.026mg 0.013mg 1%
Iron 0.49mg 0.38mg 1%
Vitamin K 1.7µg 1.1µg 1%
Choline 14.1mg 17.5mg 1%
Vitamin D 21IU 10IU 1%
Net carbs 13.91g 3.04g N/A
Sugar 0.07g 0.27g N/A
Vitamin B3 0.08mg 0.104mg 0%
Trans fat 0.876g N/A
Tryptophan 0.383mg 0.125mg 0%
Threonine 1.075mg 0.517mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.455mg 0.589mg 0%
Leucine 2.747mg 1.221mg 0%
Lysine 2.201mg 1.338mg 0%
Methionine 0.751mg 0.281mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.538mg 0.556mg 0%
Valine 1.865mg 0.692mg 0%
Histidine 0.806mg 0.459mg 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.102g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.015g 0g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.002g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.002g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.026g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.006g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.87g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Parmesan Ricotta
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
33%
Parmesan
14%
Ricotta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
114%
Parmesan
29%
Ricotta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Ricotta
Ricotta is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 35mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Ricotta
Ricotta contains less Sodium (difference - 1720mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Ricotta
Ricotta is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 7.076g)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Parmesan
Parmesan is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.2g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Parmesan
Parmesan is lower in glycemic index (difference - 27)
Which food is cheaper?
Parmesan
Parmesan is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Parmesan
Parmesan is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Parmesan
Parmesan is relatively richer in vitamins

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Parmesan - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171247/nutrients
  2. Ricotta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170851/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.