Benefits of cottage cheese and three recipes to try

Cottage cheese is making a comeback! It’s not that it ever left the supermarket shelves, but in recent years where cauliflower has been transformed into pizza crust and nuts are churned into milk, cottage cheese hasn’t really been in the spotlight. Lately, though, we’ve seen cottage cheese claw its way back as a fan favorite and rightfully so. 

Cottage cheese is high in protein

Packed with high-quality protein, it's a great choice for those looking to support muscle maintenance and enhance satiety. In a world where protein is king, cottage cheese is a versatile and delicious way to meet your protein needs. Half of a cup typically packs about 12-15 grams of protein! Even those with a dairy sensitivity can typically tolerate cottage cheese as it’s low in lactose. 

Cottage cheese has beneficial probiotics

Some brands of cottage cheese contain probiotics which can contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. My favorite brand is Good Culture.

Cottage cheese is versatile

Some like it sweet, some like it savory. Cottage cheese swings both ways deliciously! I love cottage cheese with a small scoop of jam and berries mixed in just as much as I like cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, and ground pepper.

Here are three unique ways to try cottage cheese:

Cottage cheese eggs: 

Whisk ½ cup of cottage cheese with two eggs and cook on the stovetop as you’d make scrambled eggs for a fluffy, cheesy, high protein breakfast. Add some spinach and diced veggies for added protein, and serve with some avocado for healthy fats and you have a breakfast that will keep you satisfied all morning.

Cottage cheese smoothie:

Cottage cheese adds a nice creamy texture to a smoothie just like greek yogurt would. I love blending a banana and peanut butter with cottage cheese, or frozen mixed berries with cottage cheese when I want to enjoy my smoothie as a meal and need to increase the protein. This is a great way to try cottage cheese if you’re turned off by the texture, as it’ll be blended smooth in the smoothie.

Cottage cheese baked ziti:

My kids love a baked pasta dish, and I love adding in extra protein. I recently made a recipe that called for two cups of cottage cheese (adding a whopping 60g of protein to the entire dish!) that my kids loved, despite refusing to try cottage cheese on its own. Search “cottage cheese baked ziti” or try a recipe like this one. 

I know cottage cheese can be a polarizing food (is it the weird texture that throws people off??) but I am a big fan, for its protein and probiotic benefits and versatility. Hopefully this inspires you to get creative with cottage cheese too.