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The high protein yogurt entries at the top of USDA FoodData Central are the plain Greek ones: USDA lists about 17.3 grams of protein in a 6-ounce (170-gram) serving of plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt and 16.9 grams in the plain lowfat version, against 9.7 grams for plain skim-milk yogurt and 5.9 grams for plain yogurt made from full-fat milk. If you want the yogurt with the most protein per cup, that is USDA’s answer. The table below ranks 19 generic USDA entries by protein per 6-ounce serving, with FDC IDs and the FDA percent Daily Value, and a second table adds cottage curd and milk for scale. Whatever carton you pick up, check the Nutrition Facts label.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Plain Greek-style entries lead USDA data at about 15.3 to 17.3 grams of protein per 6-ounce serving, roughly 31 to 35 percent of the FDA Daily Value of 50 grams.
- Plain skim-milk and low-fat regular entries list about 8.9 to 9.7 grams per 6 ounces in USDA data; flavored and full-fat entries go down to 5.0 grams.
- FDA defines a "high" claim as 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount and "good source" as 10 to 19 percent (21 CFR 101.54).
- USDA SR Legacy has no skyr entry and only brand-named kefir entries, so neither is ranked.
- Milk is one of the nine major food allergens FDA requires on labels.
High protein yogurt ranked by USDA protein per 6-ounce serving
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries whose descriptions carry no brand name. Every row is shown for one 6-ounce (170-gram) serving, the “container (6 oz)” portion USDA lists for most of these entries; entries with a different container or no portion are scaled to the same 170 grams. The percent Daily Value (%DV) divides USDA grams by the FDA Daily Value of 50 grams of protein for adults and children 4 and older.
| Yogurt entry (USDA FDC ID) | Protein per 6 oz (170 g) | % DV | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek, plain, nonfat (170894) | 17.3 g | 35% | 0.7 g | 100 |
| Greek, plain, lowfat (170903) | 16.9 g | 34% | 3.3 g | 124 |
| Greek, plain, whole milk (171304) | 15.3 g | 31% | 8.5 g | 165 |
| Greek, vanilla, nonfat (170902) | 14.7 g | 29% | 0.3 g | 133 |
| Greek, vanilla, lowfat (170907) | 14.7 g | 29% | 4.2 g | 162 |
| Greek, strawberry, lowfat (171300) | 13.9 g | 28% | 4.4 g | 178 |
| Greek, strawberry, nonfat (170901) | 13.7 g | 27% | 0.3 g | 139 |
| Greek, fruit, whole milk (170905) | 12.5 g | 25% | 5.1 g | 180 |
| Plain, skim milk (170887) | 9.7 g | 19% | 0.3 g | 95 |
| Plain, low fat (170886) | 8.9 g | 18% | 2.6 g | 107 |
| Vanilla, low fat (170888) | 8.4 g | 17% | 2.1 g | 144 |
| Fruit, low fat, 11 g protein per 8 oz (171286) | 8.3 g | 17% | 2.4 g | 178 |
| Fruit variety, nonfat (169898) | 7.5 g | 15% | 0.3 g | 162 |
| Fruit, low fat, 10 g protein per 8 oz (171285) | 7.4 g | 15% | 1.8 g | 173 |
| Fruit, low fat, 9 g protein per 8 oz (170889) | 6.8 g | 14% | 2.0 g | 168 |
| Chocolate, nonfat milk (172208) | 6.0 g | 12% | 0.0 g | 190 |
| Tofu yogurt (soy, non-dairy) (167722) | 6.0 g | 12% | 3.1 g | 160 |
| Plain, whole milk (171284) | 5.9 g | 12% | 5.5 g | 104 |
| Vanilla, non-fat (170906) | 5.0 g | 10% | 0.0 g | 133 |
Three patterns stand out in the USDA data. Every Greek-style entry, plain or flavored, outranks every regular entry: the eight Greek rows run from 12.5 to 17.3 grams per 6 ounces, while the regular rows top out at 9.7 grams. Within each style, plain beats flavored, and nonfat or lowfat beats full-fat. And the three USDA fruit entries whose descriptions quote a protein figure per 8 ounces land at only 6.8 to 8.3 grams per 6 ounces. Our guides to Greek yogurt and regular yogurt cover each style.
Why the Greek entries lead the protein in yogurt rankings
Per 100 grams, USDA lists about 8.1 to 10.2 grams of protein for the Greek-style entries and about 2.9 to 5.7 grams for the regular ones, so the gap holds by weight, not just by cup. FDA’s standard of identity for yogurt (21 CFR 131.200) does not use the word “Greek” at all; under 21 CFR 131.200 the food must be cultured with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, must contain not less than 8.25 percent milk solids not fat, and may contain other milk-derived ingredients that raise the milk solids, provided the ratio of protein to total nonfat solids is not decreased. Our Greek yogurt guide explains how the strained style is made.
Two styles are missing for a reason. USDA SR Legacy has no entry whose description includes “skyr,” so the Icelandic style cannot be ranked; our skyr guide covers it. The only kefir entries in SR Legacy are brand-named, so our kefir guide is the place for that drinkable style. The one non-dairy generic entry, tofu yogurt, lists 6.0 grams per 6 ounces in USDA data, near the bottom of the dairy rows; our tofu guide covers the soy side.
What FDA means by "high" protein and "good source"
Front-of-carton protein claims are defined by FDA in 21 CFR 101.54. The terms “high” or “excellent source of” may be used only if the food contains 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount customarily consumed, and the terms “good source,” “contains” or “provides” only if the food contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value per reference amount (21 CFR 101.54(b) and (c)). With the FDA Daily Value of 50 grams, 20 percent works out to 10 grams per reference amount. A “more protein” claim requires at least 10 percent more of the Daily Value for protein per reference amount than a reference food the label must name (21 CFR 101.54(e)).
None of this is applied to the USDA rows above, because FDA sets the reference amount for each food category separately and a claim depends on the product’s own label, not on a database entry. Our high protein foods guide, high protein breakfast guide and high protein snacks guide use the same FDA definitions.
How the protein Daily Value works on the label
FDA’s labeling rule (21 CFR 101.9) sets a Daily Value of 50 grams of protein for adults and children 4 and older and requires protein to be declared to the nearest gram. The percent Daily Value for protein is optional on a Nutrition Facts label, but FDA requires it whenever a protein claim is made, and then it must be based on the corrected amount of protein: the actual grams multiplied by a quality score, the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), capped at 1.00 (21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)). The %DV column in our table does not apply that correction; it simply divides USDA grams by the FDA reference of 50 grams. FDA Daily Values are reference values for labels, not personal targets; a dietitian can tell you what fits your situation.
Two dairy comparisons for scale
USDA’s portions for the cottage entries and for milk differ from a 6-ounce cup, so they get their own table. Our cottage cheese guide and milk guide cover the rest of their profiles, and our sibling list of low fat cheese ranks cheeses by fat instead.
| Comparison entry (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Protein | % DV | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage, lowfat, 1% milkfat (173417) | 4 oz (113 g) | 14.0 g | 28% | 1.2 g | 81 |
| Cottage, creamed, large or small curd (172179) | 4 oz (113 g) | 12.6 g | 25% | 4.9 g | 111 |
| Cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat (172182) | 4 oz (113 g) | 11.8 g | 24% | 2.6 g | 92 |
| Cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry curd (172181) | 4 oz (113 g) | 11.7 g | 23% | 0.3 g | 81 |
| Milk, nonfat (fat free or skim), fluid (171269) | 1 cup (245 g) | 8.3 g | 17% | 0.2 g | 83 |
| Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat (171265) | 1 cup (244 g) | 7.7 g | 15% | 7.9 g | 149 |
Per 100 grams, the cottage entries list about 10.3 to 12.4 grams of protein in USDA data, a little above the plain Greek-style rows, while a cup of nonfat milk lists 8.3 grams, close to plain skim-milk yogurt.
Milkfat, sweeteners and cultures: what the carton must say
- Milkfat: under 21 CFR 131.200, yogurt contains not less than 3.25 percent milkfat unless it is labeled “__ percent milkfat” (allowed down to 2.44 percent); below that, FDA classes the product as a modified food under 21 CFR 130.10, which is where “nonfat” and “lowfat” cartons fall.
- Sweeteners: the same FDA standard requires the word “sweetened” with the name if a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is added without a characterizing flavor (21 CFR 131.200(f)); in USDA data the vanilla nonfat entry has the lowest protein and more calories than plain skim.
- Cultures: FDA allows “contains live and active cultures” on the label only at a minimum of 10 million colony forming units in each gram at manufacture, and requires “does not contain live and active cultures” if the product was processed after culturing to inactivate those microorganisms (21 CFR 131.200(f)); see our guide to foods with live cultures.
- Milk allergen: FDA lists milk among the nine major food allergens, and FDA considers “milk” to mean milk from cows, goats, sheep or other ruminants, so every dairy row here must declare it. FDA notes that residual milk protein is often present even in lactose; see our lactase guide.
For frozen desserts, which USDA lists separately, see our frozen yogurt guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which high protein yogurt tops the USDA list?
Plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt, at about 17.3 grams of protein per 6-ounce serving in USDA data, with the plain lowfat Greek entry close behind at 16.9 grams.
Is the highest protein yogurt always a Greek entry?
In USDA SR Legacy, yes: all eight generic Greek entries, including flavored ones, list more protein per 6 ounces than any regular entry.
Does flavoring change the protein in yogurt?
In USDA data it lowers it: strawberry and vanilla Greek entries list 13.7 to 14.7 grams per 6 ounces against 17.3 grams for plain nonfat, and the regular vanilla nonfat entry lists 5.0 grams.
What counts as “high” protein on a label?
FDA allows “high” or “excellent source of” only when the food contains 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount; “good source” covers 10 to 19 percent (21 CFR 101.54).
Why does a label show a different protein %DV than the table?
FDA bases the label percentage on protein corrected for quality (PDCAAS), and it is optional unless a protein claim is made. Our table divides USDA grams by 50 grams.
Does USDA SR Legacy include Icelandic-style or kefir entries?
No generic ones. There is no skyr entry, and the only kefir entries carry brand names, so both were left out of the USDA ranking; our separate guides cover them.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Low Fat Cheese: USDA Fat per Ounce, Ranked, Greek Yogurt: USDA Nutrition, Protein and Greek vs Regular Yogurt, Cottage Cheese: USDA Nutrition, Protein, Sodium and Lactose, High Protein Foods: USDA Values for Meat, Dairy and Plant Sources.