Cottage Cheese: Don’t Call it a Comeback…
— By Kate Yerxa, MS, RD, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
It’s been here for years.
Cottage cheese is all over social media. Your social media pages are probably filled with cottage cheese recipes, influencers singing its praises, and a sudden 180-degree turn about love for this dairy product. Many of us remember cottage cheese as a diet staple or something our parents and grandparents frequently ate. The comeback of cottage cheese seems to be fueled by the new revelations that it is nutrient rich and has culinary versatility that has moved it from bland to bougie.
Nutritional Powerhouse
One of the biggest reasons for the popularity of cottage cheese is its high protein content. Protein is a key component of building muscle, making you feel full (satiety), which can help support weight management. Cottage cheese packs a significant amount of protein per serving. According to the American Dairy Association Northeast, a half-cup serving of low-fat, plain cottage cheese contains around 90 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of total fat. It also supplies essential vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and vitamin B12.
The Science of Cottage Cheese
The process of making cottage cheese starts with cow’s milk. Next, an acid is added to milk, which separates the milk into curds (the solids) and whey (the liquid). Then, the curds are cut, pressed, and rinsed, and salt and cream are added for flavor and texture. (American Dairy Association Northeast)
Ways to Enjoy Cottage Cheese
Gone are the days of simply eating cottage cheese as is or with peaches. Cottage cheese has been making an appearance in many recipes. You can find it blended into smoothies, topped with fruit and granola, used as a base for cheesecake, and mixed with honey or maple syrup. On the savory side, you can use cottage cheese to replace ricotta in lasagna and stuffed shells, spread on toast with avocado, blend into creamy sauces, blend into eggs to increase protein content, and use as an alternate dip ingredient.
Go ahead and give cottage cheese another look; your taste preferences may change over time. This happened in our household. When my kids were little, I offered them cottage cheese at a meal, and my daughter misheard what it was, and let me know that she didn’t really like the “college” cheese I gave her. Thirteen years later, she is now a huge fan, and cottage cheese will forever be “college” cheese to us.