Healthiest Dairy Products, Ranked by Nutrition
From Greek yogurt to parmesan, dairy products vary wildly in nutritional value. Here's the definitive ranking.
Whole-category ranking instead of cherry-picked favorites
Nutrient density scoring that accounts for calories
Clear standout nutrients for each recommended food
Created By
EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
Reviewed By
Jordan Vale
Founder, editor, and product builder
Jordan reviews pages for clarity, methodology, and product accuracy before they go live. He also maintains the code, data pipeline, and editorial standards for the site.
How This Page Is Made
Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
We analyzed all 299 dairy and egg products in the USDA database and ranked them by overall nutritional density — factoring in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals relative to calories. All values are per 100g from USDA FoodData Central.
What is being ranked
These are category-specific foods scored for overall nutrient density, not just one headline vitamin or mineral.
Why calories matter
Foods score better when they deliver more useful nutrition for the calories they cost.
How to read it
Use the top of the list for reliable staples, then scan the tradeoffs before making a food a daily default.
What makes this category strong
Category spotlights are broader than nutrient posts. They reward foods that do several jobs well at once instead of winning one narrow metric.
Best for
Finding reliable staples inside one aisle of the grocery store.
Read the list this way
Higher-ranked foods usually combine better micronutrients, better fiber or protein, and a more reasonable calorie tradeoff.
Cheese, American, nonfat or fat free
Cheese, American, nonfat or fat free finishes first by doing a lot of jobs well at once: good nutrient coverage without an unreasonable calorie cost. Where it really pulls ahead is protein (42% DV), calcium (61% DV), magnesium (27% DV). The protein content also makes it more filling and more useful in complete meals.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 1320mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free
Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free earns this spot by delivering a strong mix of nutrients without wasting too many calories. Its main nutritional strengths are protein (57% DV), calcium (74% DV). The protein content also makes it more filling and more useful in complete meals.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 1000mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (fat free or skim) ranks #3 and lands roughly in the top 1% of foods we screened in this category. 34 kcal per 100g is low enough that you can lean on it pretty heavily without blowing up the calorie side of the equation.
Nutritional supplement for people with diabetes, liquid ranks #4 and lands roughly in the top 1% of foods we screened in this category. Its clearest standout is vitamin C (29% DV).
Cheese, mozzarella, nonfat
Cheese, mozzarella, nonfat earns this spot by delivering a strong mix of nutrients without wasting too many calories. Where it really pulls ahead is protein (63% DV), calcium (74% DV). The protein content also makes it more filling and more useful in complete meals.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 743mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY
Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY ranks #6 and lands roughly in the top 2% of foods we screened in this category. The calorie cost is still low at 43 kcal per 100g, which keeps it practical for large portions.
Yogurt, plain, skim milk
Yogurt, plain, skim milk ranks #7 and lands roughly in the top 2% of foods we screened in this category.
Cheese, cream, fat free
Cheese, cream, fat free ranks #8 and lands roughly in the top 3% of foods we screened in this category. Where it really pulls ahead is protein (31% DV), calcium (27% DV).
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 702mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Yogurt, vanilla or lemon flavor, nonfat milk, sweetened with low-calorie sweetener earns this spot by delivering a strong mix of nutrients without wasting too many calories. 43 kcal per 100g is low enough that you can lean on it pretty heavily without blowing up the calorie side of the equation.
Egg, duck, whole, fresh, raw
Egg, duck, whole, fresh, raw makes the list because its overall nutrient density holds up well against the rest of this category. The biggest contributors to its score are protein (26% DV), iron (21% DV), vitamin A (22% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 884mg per 100g.
Egg, goose, whole, fresh, raw
Egg, goose, whole, fresh, raw makes the list because its overall nutrient density holds up well against the rest of this category. The biggest contributors to its score are protein (28% DV), iron (20% DV), vitamin A (21% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 852mg per 100g.
Cheese, cheddar, nonfat or fat free
Cheese, cheddar, nonfat or fat free ranks #12 and lands roughly in the top 4% of foods we screened in this category. The biggest contributors to its score are protein (64% DV), calcium (69% DV). It is also easier to use as a real meal anchor because the protein is doing meaningful work.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 1000mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Kefir, lowfat, strawberry, LIFEWAY
Kefir, lowfat, strawberry, LIFEWAY makes the list because its overall nutrient density holds up well against the rest of this category. Its clearest standout is vitamin A (20% DV).
Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat
Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat earns this spot by delivering a strong mix of nutrients without wasting too many calories. The easiest thing to notice here is the protein (21% DV).
Yogurt, plain, low fat
Yogurt, plain, low fat makes the list because its overall nutrient density holds up well against the rest of this category.
How We Ranked
Each food was scored by adding up its contribution to 12 key daily values (protein, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, C, D, magnesium, zinc, folate, and B12), capped at 100% each, then normalized by calories. This rewards foods that pack the most nutrition per calorie — true nutrient density.