Ricotta
What it is
Ricotta is a fresh dairy cheese used in savory dishes and desserts. The reference describes whole-milk ricotta.
What it does
For the named reference food, USDA lists 150 kcal, 7.54 g protein, 10.2 g total fat and 206 mg calcium per 100 g edible portion. The table gives additional nutrients for that same food form. These figures describe composition, not an effect on a disease or a recommended serving.
Research context and ingredient forms
Reference food: Cheese, ricotta, whole milk. These are historical SR Legacy data from the April 2018 release, published in FoodData Central in 2019. A different variety, preparation, water content, or commercial recipe can change the result. For a matching food, a portion estimate scales each value by edible portion grams divided by 100.
Using this information
Whole-milk and partly skimmed ricotta have different formulations. A filled pasta dish or sweetened ricotta dessert includes ingredients beyond the plain cheese.
Considerations
This is a milk-derived food. Milk is a major food allergen; use the ingredient and allergen labeling rather than the nutrition table to assess a packaged product.
Food sources and composition
| Nutrient | Amount and serving basis | Food and source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 150 kcal per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Protein | 7.54 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Total lipid (fat) | 10.2 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 6.42 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 7.27 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Calcium, Ca | 206 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Sodium, Na | 110 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Potassium, K | 219 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.85 µg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.2 µg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk; Cheese, ricotta, whole milk SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
Scientific Research & References
- Cheese, ricotta, whole milk
2019 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical food/preparation-specific composition. Values can be analytical, calculated or imputed; not a current brand label or clinical-outcome estimate.
Source assessment recorded.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: Documentation
2018 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical dataset; values may be analytical, calculated, imputed, or assumed zero. Not clinical-outcome evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
- Food Allergies
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Limitations: Used for major-allergen identification and label awareness; not an individual allergy diagnosis.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.