Increase Your Dairy Intake and Give Cottage Cheese a Try

Did you know that about 90% of Americans do not eat enough dairy? That’s a large chunk of people and just might include you!  

So how do you work on becoming the 10% that are eating enough dairy?  First let’s make sure we have all the dairy sources covered.  When we think of dairy, we include milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose free milk, fortified soy milk and yogurt.  

Now, how much dairy do you need?  Starting at 9 years old through the rest of your life you are looking at a recommendation of 3 cups per day.  

Lastly, what is the equivalent to a cup?  Here is a nice chart from MyPlate to help you out.  

Now I could go on about all these different dairy sources but let’s just narrow in on one for now – cottage cheese!  Recently cottage cheese has been a hot topic on various social media platforms and overall growing in popularity!  Who knew!  

So why try cottage cheese besides that it checks the box of being a dairy source and now popular?  Well, here are a few reasons to give it a whirl:  

• Nutrient Powerhouse

• • • We already know that it is a dairy source, but a lower calorie, higher protein option to be more specific.  Pairing cottage cheese with other food groups can help satisfy our hunger and keep us feeling full longer.  
    • Cottage cheese holds some key minerals that help with bone health: They are phosphorus, potassium, calcium and Vitamin B12. 
    • Your cottage cheese might have probiotics, which help balance your gut microbiome and protect it from harmful bacteria. If you’re a fan, look for “live and active cultures on your label”.  
    • Low in carbohydrates and no added sugar is also a win.  For those monitoring your carbohydrates, cottage cheese might be for you!  

• Versatile in Recipes 

• • • If you are picturing your grandmom eating a bowl of cottage cheese and fruit and were turned off, I get it, BUT did you know you can use it in other ways?  I had buffalo chicken dip made with cottage cheese and it was a winner in my book!  Wouldn’t have known it, if someone hadn’t told me.  Here are a few other ways to add cottage cheese to your diet: 
      • Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese: simply add a few tablespoons of cottage cheese to your beaten eggs before cooking.  You’ll enjoy the creamy taste without dealing with the altered textures. 
      • Smoothie: add a scoop or two to your smoothie.  Again – no need to deal with the texture but you add some extra cream. 
      • Add cottage cheese to various sauces or spreads like this one 
      • Bake with it in stuffed shells or lasagna. It’s a good substitution for ricotta cheese. 
      • These are just a few, but feel free to explore these two websites for TONS of different recipes to try using cottage cheese (Breakstone’s and Good Culture).  

• Different variations 

• • Cottage cheese varies from small to large curd, depending on the amount of whey drained during the process of making it.  If you’ve tried small curd and don’t like it, give large curd a try.  
  • Also, there are different fat contents to cottage cheese too.  I’d suggest trying to be mindful of the fat content, but there are options out there: non-fat (0%), low fat (1%, 2%) and full fat (4%).  
  • Never forget that you can always try different brands too.  Good Culture, Breakstone’s and Daisy are just to name a few. 

Now did I convince you to try cottage cheese?  If not, no hard feelings BUT did I at least get you to think more about how much dairy you are eating?  I hope so.  Think about it.  Are you a part of the 90% not getting in enough dairy per day or the 10% that are hitting the mark?  Is one of your daily source of dairy cottage cheese?  Let us know! We love to hear from you.   

Cheers, 

This blog was written by Amanda J. Stahl, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.  

References: 

https://goodculture.com/recipes/

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/5-cottage-cheese-benefits-and-how-add-more-your-diet

https://www.eatright.org/food/food-groups/dairy-and-alternatives/what-to-look-for-in-cottage-cheese

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/dairy