What Happens to Your Bones, Gut Health, and More When You Eat Cottage Cheese Every Day
Key Takeaways
- Eating cottage cheese every day can improve your gut health thanks to probiotics.
- Cottage cheese can help with weight loss by making you feel full longer.
- The calcium and phosphorus in cottage cheese can strengthen bones.
Cottage cheese packs 25 grams of protein per cup, more than Greek yogurt or eggs, making it a true protein powerhouse. It’s also loaded with nutrients that support bone health, red blood cell production, digestion, and weight loss.
1. Improves Gut Health
Some cottage cheese is fortified with probiotics, live microorganisms that improve the balance of bacteria in the body. Eating foods that contain probiotics may help prevent or treat some gastrointestinal conditions.
2. Supports Weight Loss
Cottage cheese is high in protein, a macronutrient that increases satiety (feelings of fullness). Evidence suggests that consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance reduces body weight and decreases fat mass.
3. Improves Body Composition
The high protein content in cottage cheese helps increase muscle mass in people who do resistance training exercises. This combination promotes muscle growth and may aid in weight loss.
4. Builds Stronger Bones
Research shows that dairy products containing calcium and phosphorus (like cottage cheese) can positively affect bone growth and maintenance, increasing bone strength.
What Is the Cottage Cheese Diet?
The cottage cheese diet promotes quick weight loss by primarily eating cottage cheese (and a few other non-processed foods). Fad diets are not healthy or sustainable. Concentrating on one type of food increases the likelihood of eliminating essential food groups and nutrients, and may pose health risks if you have existing medical conditions.
Nutritional Benefits
Cottage cheese is a rich source of protein. It also contains riboflavin (vitamin B2), which supports energy production and metabolism. Compared to hard cheeses, cottage cheese has less saturated fat and 5 times more potassium.
A 100-g (about 3.5-ounce) serving of low-fat (2% milk fat) cottage cheese contains:
- Calories: 84
- Fat: 2.3 grams (g)
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugars: 4.1 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Total fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated fat: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 321 milligrams (mg)
- Calcium: 111 mg
- Potassium: 120 mg
Tips for Choosing the Healthiest Cottage Cheese
The basic ingredients of cottage cheese are milk, cream, salt, and sometimes live and active cultures. However, the concentration of these ingredients varies, and other substances may be added based on the type you choose.
Factors to consider when selecting a cottage cheese include:
- Fat percentage: Fat-free cottage cheese (1% and 2%) has less saturated fat, fewer calories, and slightly more protein than full-fat (at least 4% fat) cottage cheese.
- Large curd vs. small curd: Larger curd cottage cheese is higher in moisture and may taste creamier and sweeter than small curd varieties, which tend to be tangier.
- Sodium: Cottage cheese often has 300 to 400 mg of sodium per half-cup serving; some have even more. (The U.S. daily recommended value of sodium is less than 2,300 mg.) Choose a cottage cheese labeled “low sodium” or “no salt added.”
- Probiotics: Cottage cheese with “live and active cultures” on its ingredient label contains probiotics, which benefit gut health.
- Added sugars: Fruit-flavored cottage cheeses often contain added sugars. The amount may range from 5 g (about 1 teaspoon) up to 14 g per serving.
- Thickeners: Lower-fat cottage cheese is more likely to contain thickeners like carrageenan and guar gum, but these additives are also in some full-fat cottage cheeses.
Ways to Add Cottage Cheese to Your Diet
As a versatile food, cottage cheese can be incorporated into your diet in various ways, such as:
- Spice it up: Savory spices like black pepper or cumin enhance the mild flavor of plain cottage cheese.
- Swap it for yogurt: Blend cottage cheese with fruit to make a smoothie, or top it with berries for a sweet snack.
- Power up your breakfast: Whisk cottage cheese with eggs during scrambling, spread it on whole-grain toast and top it with avocado, or put a dollop on pancakes.
- Lighten your lunch: Use cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise in tuna, chicken, and egg salads.
- Make a dip: Blend cottage cheese with fruit and honey for a sweet dip, or mix it with herbs and green onions for a savory blend.
Nondairy Alternatives
While cottage cheese has many health benefits, it’s not a good choice for people with a milk allergy or those who are lactose intolerant. Anyone who excludes dairy from their diet will also want to avoid this food.
To get the texture and protein of cottage cheese without dairy, try one of these alternatives:
- Mashed tofu
- Scrambled or hard-boiled egg whites
- Chickpea or white bean puree
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