Protein in Greek Yogurt: 17 Grams a Container, Less if It Is Whole Milk
A 170 g container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt has 17.3 g of protein for 100 calories. Whole-milk Greek yogurt has less protein per gram, not more: about 15 g in the same 170 g, at 160 calories, because the fat dilutes it. The low-fat 7-ounce container is the largest single serving USDA lists, at 19.9 g.
- Nonfat, 170 g
- 17.3 g protein · 100 kcal
- Whole milk, 170 g
- ~15 g protein · 160 kcal
- Per 100 g
- 8.8–10.3 g protein
Every plain Greek yogurt record USDA holds
| Record | Type | kcal /100 g | Protein /100 g | Fat /100 g | Container in record | Protein per container |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonfat — FDC 170894 | SR Legacy | 59 | 10.2 g | 0.4 g | 170 g | 17.3 g (100 kcal) |
| Nonfat — FDC 330137 | Foundation | 59 | 10.3 g | 0.4 g | 156 g | 16.1 g (92 kcal) |
| Low-fat — FDC 170903 | SR Legacy | 73 | 9.95 g | 1.9 g | 200 g (7 oz) | 19.9 g (146 kcal) |
| Whole milk — FDC 2259794 | Foundation | 94 | 8.78 g | 4.4 g | 170 g (label reference) | 14.9 g (160 kcal) |
| Whole milk — FDC 171304 | SR Legacy | 97 | 9.0 g | 5.0 g | none | 15.3 g at 170 g (165 kcal) |
| Chobani nonfat — FDC 171312 | SR Legacy | 54 | 9.53 g | 0.2 g | none | 16.2 g at 170 g (92 kcal) |
| Chobani whole — FDC 171309 | SR Legacy | 82 | 8.24 g | 4.0 g | none | 14.0 g at 170 g (139 kcal) |
Rows without a container in the record are calculated at 170 g and marked as such. Calcium is 100–115 mg per 100 g across every record, whatever the fat level.
“A container” is 156 g or 170 g
USDA’s two nonfat records share the same legacy food code and weigh their container differently: 170 g in the SR Legacy record, 156 g in the newer Foundation analysis. The protein per gram agrees; the protein per container does not, 17.3 g against 16.1 g. If you eat from a tub, neither figure is your portion.
Protein per 100 calories, which is the useful ratio
Nonfat Greek yogurt delivers 17.3 g of protein per 100 calories. Low-fat delivers 13.6 g and whole milk 9.3 g. The fat in whole-milk yogurt is not replacing protein outright, but it dilutes it, so the same protein costs almost twice the calories.
Per 100 kcal: nonfat 10.2 ÷ 59 × 100 = 17.3 g · low-fat 9.95 ÷ 73 × 100 = 13.6 g · whole 9.0 ÷ 97 × 100 = 9.3 g.
Half a cup, and why USDA will not tell you
None of the seven records carries a cup measure, so every “half a cup of Greek yogurt” figure in circulation is an estimate from density. Strained yogurt is thick enough that a level and a heaped half cup differ by tens of grams. Weigh it once: 100 g of nonfat is 10.3 g of protein.
Tracking the protein you actually ate
Protein targets are set in grams a day, and yogurt is eaten by the spoonful rather than by the container. PlateLens logs a bowl from a photo or a sentence such as “about a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with honey” and counts the protein against your target; the Dietary Assessment Initiative measured its calorie estimates at ±1.1% error over 180 weighed meals, and the open-source Foodvision Bench reproduced that on 231 more.
The short version
- Nonfat, 170 g: 17.3 g protein, 100 calories.
- Whole milk, 170 g: about 15 g protein, 160 calories.
- Best ratio: nonfat, at 17.3 g protein per 100 calories.
- Per cup: not published by USDA; weigh it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Greek yogurt?
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt has 10.2 to 10.3 g of protein per 100 g, which is 17.3 g in a 170 g container (USDA FDC 170894). Whole-milk Greek yogurt has 8.8 to 9.0 g per 100 g, about 15 g in 170 g.
Is Greek yogurt high in protein?
Nonfat Greek yogurt delivers 17.3 g of protein per 100 calories, one of the higher ratios among everyday foods. Whole-milk Greek yogurt delivers 9.3 g per 100 calories.
Does nonfat or whole-milk Greek yogurt have more protein?
Nonfat has more protein per gram: 10.2 g per 100 g against 9.0 g for whole milk. Per 170 g that is 17.3 g against about 15 g, at 100 against about 160 calories.
How much protein is in half a cup of Greek yogurt?
USDA publishes no cup measure for Greek yogurt, so any per-cup figure is an estimate. By weight, 100 g of nonfat Greek yogurt has 10.3 g of protein; weighing a serving once is more reliable than a cup.
How many calories are in a container of Greek yogurt?
A 170 g container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt is 100 calories, a 7-ounce (200 g) low-fat container is 146, and 170 g of whole-milk Greek yogurt is about 160.
What is a quick way to track the protein I get from Greek yogurt?
With PlateLens you log the bowl, not the container: it works from a photo or a sentence such as "a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with honey" and counts the protein against your daily target, which suits a food eaten by the spoonful rather than in USDA's 156 g or 170 g container. The Dietary Assessment Initiative measured its calorie estimates at ±1.1% error over 180 weighed meals, and the open-source Foodvision Bench reproduced that on 231 more.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA FoodData Central records retrieved on 23 September 2026. Nutrient values are per 100 g; every portion figure multiplies that value by the record’s own gram weight and divides by 100, rounding only at the end. Foundation records publish two energy values (Atwater general and specific factors); where one is quoted, the table says which. Retrieval confirms the published record, not a new laboratory analysis.
- FDC 170894 and FDC 330137: Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat. FDC 170903: low-fat. FDC 171304 and FDC 2259794: whole milk. FDC 171312 and FDC 171309: CHOBANI nonfat and whole.
- Protein per container for records without a container measure is calculated at 170 g and labelled as calculated.