THE COTTAGE CHEESE CRAZE – IS IT WORTH THE HYPE?

It seems like every recipe showing up on social media these days contains cottage cheese. It is touted as a superfood ingredient that can turn normally high fat, high carb recipes into health promoting wonder foods. So, is it really that great?

Long story short; it is! Let us tell you why.

Cottage cheese is a soft, white cheese made from the curds of cow’s milk. It is available in full fat (4%), low fat (1 or 2%) and non-fat (0%). You can also buy varieties based on curd size. If you are squeamish about the texture, tried whipped cottage cheese as a starting point.

Cottage cheese is a great addition to a healthy eating pattern because it is low in calories, fat and carbs while being high in protein. Even the full fat version (which we love) only has 4% milk fat, compared to 36% milk fat found in cheddar cheese. One note of caution; cottage is quite high in sodium. Reduced or no added salt version are available if you are following a reduced sodium diet.

Here’s how cottage cheese compares to other dairy options:

If you are looking to reap the benefits of the protein content in cottage cheese stick to full or low-fat options; fat free has the lowest protein content and does not save you many calories. Studies have shown that high protein foods promote a healthy weight as they keep you feeling full longer. Moreover, the high protein, low carbohydrate combo of cottage cheese also makes it great for controlling blood sugar levels. Additionally, cottage cheese contains calcium, a nutrient important for bone health.

Ready to start adding cottage cheese to your kitchen? Here are some suggestions for adding cottage cheese to everyday recipes.

1. Add it to your breakfast by mixing into pancake or waffle batter.

2. Scramble it with eggs or use it to replace hard cheese in your omelets.

3. Make protein bagels!

4. Substitute for ricotta in pasta dishes like lasagna or baked ziti.

5. Swap for cream cheese in hot dips like spinach artichoke.

Keep in mind, cottage cheese may need to be strained prior to adding to recipes. You may also need to reduce added salt in your recipe due to the higher sodium content in cottage cheese.

When added to a balanced eating plan cottage cheese is a great ingredient for increasing protein and essential nutrients in your diet, so we are all in on this craze!

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