Whether you love it or not, cottage cheese is just one of those superfoods that is loaded with protein and calcium. It is a great food to have for breakfast, to eat along with lunch as well as a great snack before going to the gym in the late afternoon.
It is available fat-free, 1%, 2% and 4% fat. Please note that the % fat on the container only relates to the weight of the fat in the product. For example 2% cottage cheese has 90 Calories per ½ cup and 20 Calories from fat or 20% fat. I find that many clients do not understand how to read the food labeling here. Notice that it has 14 grams of protein for ½ cup. That is equivalent to 2 oz. protein. Remember this important equation, 1 oz. of protein = 7 grams.
Let’s look at a typical 2% cottage cheese food label with a serving size of a ½ cup.
|
Calories |
90 |
|
Fat Calories |
20 |
|
Dietary Fiber |
0 |
|
Protein |
14 grams |
|
Total Fat |
2.5 grams |
|
Sat Fat |
1.5 grams |
|
Sodium |
410 mg |
|
Sugar |
2 grams |
|
Calcium |
30% of RDA which is 30% of 800 mg or 240 mg |
To make cottage cheese complete, all you need to do is add fiber.
For breakfast, many of my clients love to scoop a few tablespoons onto a 100% whole wheat English Muffin along with sliced strawberries. Also, for lunch or dinner I hear how they like to add cottage cheese as a topping to a baked potato along with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and or some fresh salsa. Then of course, there is the great snack of having cottage cheese with fruit or even with veggies.
The only downside is that most brands are high in sodium. Clients often ask questions about cottage cheese being high sodium, and I always say it probably would be replacing cheese and crackers or even chips which contain three times the sodium. Also, just drink a glass of water to diffuse the salt.
Everyone seems to love Trader Joe’s Fat Free Cottage Cheese. The talk is that it has a great texture, not too sour, and a nice flavor. If you can enjoy it fat free, that would be great, especially if you enjoy it often.