How much protein is in feta?
Feta has 4 g of protein per 1 oz (28 g) — that's 14.2 g per 100 g, or about 4 g per ounce. One 1 oz is roughly 8% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · · FDC 173420
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28 g) | 4 g | 74 | 6 g | 1.1 g |
| 100 g | 14.2 g | 265 | 21.5 g | 3.9 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 4 g | 75 | 6.1 g | 1.1 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 173420, SR Legacy). .
The way feta usually lands on a plate is a scatter of crumbles over a salad or a grain bowl — call it 1 oz (28 g), about a quarter cup, for roughly 4 g of protein and 74 calories. Per 100 g the protein is 14.2 g, which is real but modest: feta is one of the lower-protein cheeses, sitting well below firmer styles like cheddar (24.3 g) or parmesan (35.8 g). It’s a complete protein — all nine essential amino acids, because it’s dairy — but the honest read on this page is that you crumble feta for its sharp, briny flavor, not to move a protein number.
A flavor cheese first, a protein second
What feta has going for it on the macro sheet is that it’s lighter than most cheeses: at 265 calories per 100 g it undercuts cheddar (410) and parmesan (392), and a little of its tang goes a long way, so a modest crumble seasons a whole dish. You do get a genuine complete dairy protein and a solid calcium contribution (about 493 mg per 100 g) in the same bite. But the protein arrives in small amounts — that 1 oz serving is only ~4 g — so feta works as a finishing touch, not the protein anchor of a meal. If you’re building a salad around protein, the feta is the seasoning and something like grilled chicken, eggs, or chickpeas is the base.
The honest caveat: it’s cured in brine, so it’s salty
Here’s the number that matters most with feta: sodium. Feta is preserved in a salt brine, and it shows — about 1,139 mg of sodium per 100 g, which is roughly 319 mg in a single ounce. That’s high for a food you might think of as a light, healthy salad topping; a generous crumble can quietly contribute a meaningful share of a day’s sodium. There’s also real saturated fat here (about 13.3 g per 100 g of the 21.5 g total), so feta is rich as well as salty. None of this makes it a food to avoid — it makes it one to use deliberately: a measured crumble for flavor, rather than handfuls.
If you’re comparing dairy proteins, it’s worth looking at the firmer, more protein-dense cheeses alongside feta — mozzarella and cheddar both carry far more protein per ounce — and at cottage cheese, which delivers a much higher-protein, lower-sodium way to get the same complete-dairy-protein profile when protein, not flavor, is the goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in feta cheese?
About 4 g of protein in a 1 oz serving (28 g), which is 14.2 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 173420). That ounce is roughly a quarter-cup of crumbles and carries about 74 calories. Feta sits lower on protein than firmer cheeses like cheddar or parmesan, so a typical scatter over a salad is a small protein contribution, not a protein course.
Is feta a good protein source?
Honestly, no — it's a flavor food first. At 14.2 g per 100 g feta is one of the lower-protein cheeses, and a real-world 1 oz crumble is only about 4 g. It's a complete dairy protein and it does add some, but you reach for feta because of its sharp, salty tang, not to hit a protein target. Lean on a firmer cheese or a real protein food for the bulk of the number.
How much feta is a serving?
A standard serving is 1 oz (28 g) — about a quarter cup of crumbles or a thumb-size slab — for roughly 4 g of protein and 74 calories. That's the amount most people crumble over a Greek salad or a grain bowl. The thing to watch isn't the calories, which are modest; it's the sodium, since feta is cured in salty brine.
Is feta a complete protein?
Yes. Like all dairy, feta supplies every essential amino acid in usable amounts, so it counts as a complete, high-quality protein on its own with no pairing required. The catch is simply quantity: a normal serving is small, so the complete protein it brings is a top-up rather than a main source.
What is feta good for nutritionally?
Flavor for the calories, plus a complete protein and a solid hit of calcium (about 493 mg per 100 g). Because it's brine-cured, a little feta goes a long way, so you can season a dish without piling on calories the way you might with a richer cheese. The honest caveat is sodium: feta runs about 1,139 mg per 100 g — roughly 319 mg in a single ounce — which is high, so it's a seasoning to use deliberately rather than by the handful.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 173420 (Cheese, feta; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.