Cottage Cheese: Powering Beyond Breakfast
Americans are craving nutritious sources of high-quality protein more than ever. First, we saw the rise in popularity of Greek yogurt and now cottage cheese is leading the pack.
Cottage cheese tends to have slightly more protein than Greek yogurt (averaging 14 grams per half cup serving, compared to Greek yogurt’s 11 grams for the same amount) and has a variety of uses—from savory to sweet and everything in between.
Related: Five Ways to Use Cottage Cheese in your Favorite Recipes
Cottage cheese is an affordable and delicious source of protein with so much versatility. In fact, Maria Breen, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, sports dietitian for the UGA Bulldogs, shared that “Cottage cheese is one of my go-to food recommendations for athletes who need to add more protein into their day to day fueling. At 14 grams of protein per half cup serving, cottage cheese is a rich source of high-quality protein, and it is so easy to incorporate into any meal. A few crowd favorites with my athletes are cottage cheesy stuffed shells, avocado/tomato/cottage cheese topped toast, and the classic cottage cheese mixed with pineapple.”
In addition to Maria’s ideas, try some of our favorite ways to enjoy cottage cheese:
Use instead of yogurt in a breakfast parfait with fruit and granola
Top crackers with it and cucumber slices for an afternoon snack
Replace ricotta with cottage cheese in your favorite pasta dish
Use as a sandwich spread
Swap out for mayo in dips, like this Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip recipe
Top a warm baked potato with cottage cheese for a gooey, cheesy take on the classic
Cottage cheese, once relegated to the breakfast table for people who were on diets, is now enjoying the spotlight because of its impressive nutrition profile. Share your favorite way to enjoy it at @TheDairyRD.
-Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD
