Feta contains a moderate amount of protein, but it’s not one of the higher-protein cheeses. A one-ounce serving (28 grams) delivers about 4 grams of protein alongside 6 grams of fat and roughly 75 calories. That puts it below cheddar, mozzarella, and most hard cheeses on a per-serving basis. It’s a decent protein contributor as part of a meal, but not something you’d rely on as a primary protein source.
Protein Per Serving Compared to Other Cheeses
Feta sits at the lower end of the protein spectrum among popular cheeses. Per one-ounce serving, here’s how it stacks up:
- Feta: 4g protein, 75 calories
- Cheddar: 6g protein
- Whole milk mozzarella: 6g protein
- Part-skim mozzarella: 7g protein
The gap matters more than it looks. Ounce for ounce, part-skim mozzarella delivers nearly twice the protein of feta. If you’re adding cheese to a salad or wrap specifically for protein, swapping feta for mozzarella or cheddar gets you meaningfully more. That said, feta is also lower in calories than most hard cheeses, so the tradeoff depends on your priorities.
Why Feta Has Less Protein
Feta is a soft, brined cheese with high moisture content. More water in the cheese means less concentrated protein per bite. Hard and semi-hard cheeses like parmesan or cheddar lose more moisture during aging, which packs protein (and calories) more densely into each ounce. Feta’s production process is also designed around a specific casein-to-fat ratio of roughly 1:1, which means the cheese is balanced toward fat rather than being protein-dominant.
The protein in feta is primarily casein, the slow-digesting protein found in all dairy. During the ripening process, some of that casein breaks down. Studies on feta aged for 120 days found that only about 30% of one type of casein and 65% of another remained intact. This breakdown creates the characteristic tangy flavor and crumbly texture, but it also means the protein structure is partially pre-digested, which can make feta easier on the stomach for some people.
Protein Quality in Feta
While the quantity is moderate, the quality of feta’s protein is high. It contains all nine essential amino acids, the ones your body can’t make on its own. A single ounce provides 14 to 22 percent of the recommended daily intake for each essential amino acid. Tryptophan and phenylalanine are particularly well-represented at 20% and 22% of daily needs per ounce, respectively.
This makes feta a complete protein, which matters if you’re vegetarian or relying on non-meat sources. You don’t need to combine it with other foods to get the full range of amino acids.
The Protein-to-Calorie Tradeoff
About 21% of feta’s calories come from protein, while the majority come from fat. For every gram of protein, you’re getting roughly 1.5 grams of fat. That’s not unusual for cheese, but it does mean feta is a relatively inefficient protein source compared to options like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or lean meats, where protein makes up a much larger share of total calories.
A practical way to think about it: to get 20 grams of protein from feta alone, you’d need five ounces, which would also deliver 30 grams of fat, nearly 1,900 milligrams of sodium, and about 375 calories. For comparison, a cup of Greek yogurt hits 15 to 20 grams of protein for around 100 to 150 calories.
Sodium Worth Knowing About
Feta’s brining process loads it with salt. One ounce contains roughly 375 milligrams of sodium, about 25% of the recommended daily limit. If you’re eating feta regularly for its protein, the sodium adds up fast. Rinsing feta under water before eating it can reduce the surface salt somewhat, and choosing blocks over pre-crumbled varieties typically means slightly less sodium exposure.
How to Get More Protein From Feta
Feta works best as a flavor booster that happens to add some protein, not as the protein centerpiece of a meal. Crumbling it over a grain bowl with chicken or chickpeas, mixing it into an egg scramble, or pairing it with lentils in a salad lets you benefit from its taste and amino acid profile while getting the bulk of your protein from denser sources. Two tablespoons of crumbled feta adds roughly 2 to 3 grams of protein and a lot of flavor for relatively few calories, making it a smart addition rather than a standalone protein play.