20 Cheeses High in Protein

Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION

Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton

Last Updated: November 10, 2024

For vegetarians or anyone simply looking to get more protein into their diet, cheese can be a good choice, but which are the healthiest choices?

Here is a list of 20 different kinds of cheese that provide the most protein per ounce (oz) or half cup. An ounce of cheese is approximately equal to a thin slice large enough to cover a piece of toast.

The current daily value (DV) for protein is 50 grams per day. (1) Cheeses high in protein include ricotta, low-fat cottage cheese, Parmesan, Romano, non-fat cheddar, gruyere, low-fat Swiss, fontina, and more.

Many of the cheeses on this list are low-fat or non-fat cheeses. In general, cheeses which are lower in fat will tend to contain more protein per serving. However, this is not always the case, and some of the cheeses on the list have a higher fat content.

For more high protein foods, see the articles on vegetarian protein foods, beans high in protein, grains high in protein, and nuts high in protein.

Table of Contents

Introduction
List of High Protein Cheese
Lists By Food Group
References

List of High Protein Cheese

Food	Serving	Protein
#1 Low Fat Cottage Cheese + (Source)	per 1/2 cup	24% DV 11.8g
#2 Grated Parmesan + (Source)	per oz	20% DV 10.2g
#3 Ricotta + (Source)	per 1/2 cup	19% DV 9.3g
#4 Romano + (Source)	per oz	18% DV 9g
#5 Non-Fat Cheddar + (Source)	per oz	18% DV 9g
#6 Hard Goat Cheese + (Source)	per oz	17% DV 8.7g
#7 Gruyere + (Source)	per oz	17% DV 8.5g
#8 Low-Fat Monterey + (Source)	per oz	16% DV 7.9g
#9 Swiss Cheese + (Source)	per oz	15% DV 7.7g
#10 Fontina + (Source)	per oz	15% DV 7.3g
#11 Provolone + (Source)	per oz	15% DV 7.3g
#12 Edam + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 7.1g
#13 Gouda + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 7.1g
#14 Tilsit + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 6.9g
#15 Low-Fat Muenster + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 6.9g
#16 Low-Fat Mozzarella + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 6.9g
#17 Port De Salut Cheese + (Source)	per oz	14% DV 6.8g
#18 Colby + (Source)	per oz	13% DV 6.7g
#19 Blue Cheese + (Source)	per oz	12% DV 6.1g
#20 Brie + (Source)	per oz	12% DV 5.9g