Love it, Like it, Hate it: Cottage Cheese

Let’s be honest, cottage cheese certainly isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about. But you may be surprised at some of its health benefits, and just might consider adding it to your diet. But not all cottage cheese is created equally, so we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on brands she recommends, and which ones to avoid, in today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it!

Top benefits of cottage cheese:

• Top source of casein: a slow-digested protein that helps maximize lean muscle
• High in protein: one cup has 25 grams high-quality protein – equal to ~3 ½ ounces of lean meat
• Electrolyte-rich: Just half a cup has more than 3x electrolyte content of sports drink
• Versatile: Pair it with sweet or savory; use it for dips, smoothies, even chicken salad
• Low lactose: Only 3.4 grams per one-cup serving, compared to 12+ grams lactose in a cup of milk
  

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 LOVE IT!

Clean, simple ingredients: cultured skim milk, cream, salt

 Daisy Cottage Cheese, 2%

Per half-cup: 90 calories – 350 mg sodium – 4 grams carbs – 4 grams sugar – 13 grams protein

Nancy’s Cultured Cottage Cheese, lowfat

Per half-cup: 80 calories – 304 mg sodium m- 3 grams carb – 3 grams sugar – 14 grams protein

LIKE IT!

Most brands of cottage cheese — even many at natural foods stores – fall into the “Like It” category, with ingredients like modified food starch, potato starch, gums and other stabilizers, even artificial colors.

Organic Valley Lowfat Cottage Cheese

• Per half-cup: 100 calories, 450 mg sodium, 4 grams carb, 3 gram sugar, 15 grams protein
• Ingredients include organic cultured skim milk, organic cream, salt, guar gum, locust bean gum…

 Breakstone’s 2% Cottage Cheese Cups

• Per carton: 80 calories – 370 mg sodium – 8 grams carbs – 3 grams sugar – 10 grams protein
• Ingredients include skim milk, cream, whey, inulin, modified food starch, salt, xanthan gum, guar gum…
• More carb & less protein than other brands

 Lactaid 1% Cottage Cheese

• Per half-cup: 80 calories, 380 mg sodium, 7 grams carb, 3 grams sugar, 12 grams protein
• Ingredients include skim milk, maltodextrin, corn starch, salt, lactase enzyme, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum…
• 2x carbs as the “love it” options

HATE IT!

Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles

• Per serving: 100 calories – 290 mg sodium – 12 grams carbs – 10 grams sugar – 7 grams protein
• Ingredients include skim milk, cream, whey, modified food starch, salt, xanthan gum, guar gum + blueberry topping (blueberries, sugar, modified food starch)
• ~50% more sugar than protein.