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Is cottage cheese high in iron?

0.2mg iron in a 150 g portion

0.1 mg per 100 g

  • Low in iron
  • Non-heme iron
  • Calcium

The short answer

No. One portion of cottage cheese (150 g) gives about 0.2 mg of iron, 1% of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need. Its calcium holds back iron from the rest of the meal, so keep it apart from your iron meals.

  • mg0.2In one portion: a 150 g portion
  • %1Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
  • mg0.1Per 100 g, as eaten

How it compares

Iron per portion, next to other foods on the dairy shelf.

  1. Feta0.4 mg
  2. Natural yogurt0.2 mg
  3. Cottage cheese0.2 mg
  4. Hard cheese0.1 mg
  5. Sour cream0 mg

What holds it back

Get more from it

  • The program's ruleKeep it 3–4 hours from an iron meal.

Questions

How much iron is in cottage cheese?

About 0.1 mg per 100 g, so a 150 g portion (150 g) gives about 0.2 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd.

Does cottage cheese block iron absorption?

Its calcium holds iron back, from plants and from meat. The program keeps calcium foods 3 to 4 hours from an iron meal.

Sources

  1. USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd
  2. Hallberg L, et al.. Calcium: effect of different amounts on nonheme- and heme-iron absorption in humans. Am J Clin Nutr, 1991
  3. Gleerup A, et al.. Iron absorption from the whole diet: comparison of the effect of two different distributions of daily calcium intake. Am J Clin Nutr, 1995
  4. Gleerup A, Rossander-Hultén L, Hallberg L. Duration of the inhibitory effect of calcium on non-haem iron absorption in man. Eur J Clin Nutr, 1993
  5. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: fact sheet for health professionals
  6. US Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.54: nutrient content claims for "good source" and "high"

Iron is from food tables, for the food as eaten, and real foods vary with the cut, the brand and the recipe. Your body takes in a share of it, and a larger share when your stores are low.

Educational, not medical advice. ferritin.ai does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to your doctor about your own results.