Current:Home > StocksCottage cheese is more than its curds: Get to know the health benefits -TruePath Finance
Cottage cheese is more than its curds: Get to know the health benefits
View
Date:2025-04-18 16:24:56
Cottage cheese can be hit or miss. Some might avoid the dairy product because of its flavor or texture, while others might consider it a breakfast staple.
Despite its curds and controversial rep, cottage cheese is incredibly nutritious. So before you write it off completely, consider some of its health benefits.
Nutrition experts Kimberly Snodgrass, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Caryn Huneke, a registered dietitian with the Center for Weight Management at Northwell Health, break them down.
Is cottage cheese good for you?
Cottage cheese is low in calories and high in protein and B vitamins, says Snodgrass. "The nutrients in cottage cheese may help support weight loss, muscle growth and bone health," she adds.
"Cottage cheese is a fantastic, affordable and versatile way to boost your protein intake," Huneke says. "It can be eaten alone or with fruit, used to increase protein in recipes like pancakes and it can be doctored up to satisfy a sweet or savory craving."
Cottage cheese may be best suited for your midnight cravings thanks to its curds, according to Huneke. "These curds are packed with casein − a slow-digesting milk protein – that makes cottage cheese an ideal nighttime snack, giving your body a steady flow of protein over several hours overnight to aid in muscle repair and recovery," she says.
What are superfoods?How to incorporate more into your diet.
What is the health benefit of cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese may help with gut health. Since it is often fermented – a process that helps remove the cheese curds from the liquid – cottage cheese may contain probiotics, or "good" bacteria.
Snodgrass says probiotics are "crucial" to good digestion. Huneke adds that you can tell whether or not the cottage cheese is fermented by looking at the label. Keep an eye out for the words "contains live and active cultures," she advises. The ingredient list should include the specific strains of bacteria.
How long does it take to digest food?Plus, which foods are easy on the stomach.
Is cottage cheese or yogurt better for you?
Both cottage cheese and yogurt are excellent options for a healthy snack.
Snodgrass finds it hard to choose. She explains that cottage cheese has less sugar than yogurt, but "yogurt has more protein per cup than cottage cheese."
The difference between the two is minimal though. "Nutritionally speaking, plain Greek yogurt is the closest comparison (to cottage cheese) – they’re both lower in calories (the 0-2% fat versions), high in protein, a good source of calcium, contain no added sugars, and have lower levels of lactose (so they’re among the more easily-tolerated forms of dairy)," Huneke said.
veryGood! (8923)
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Water beads pose huge safety risk for kids, CPSC says, after 7,000 ER injuries reported
- 'Ozempic babies' are surprising women taking weight loss drugs. Doctors think they know why.
- This Garment Steamer Is Like a Magic Wand for Your Wardrobe and It’s Only $23 During the Amazon Big Sale
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Princess Kate announces she has cancer in video message. What's next for the royal family?
- New York State Legislature Votes to Ban CO2 Fracking, Closing a Decade-Old Loophole in State Law
- Elizabeth Berkley Pays Homage to Showgirls With Bejeweled Glam
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- George Santos says he’ll ditch GOP, run as independent, in bid to return to Congress after expulsion
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Vermont House passes a bill to restrict a pesticide that is toxic to bees
- 3 teen boys charged after 21-year-old murdered, body dumped in remote Utah desert: Police
- The Smart Reusable Notebook That Shoppers Call Magic is Just $19 During Amazon's Big Spring Sale
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Behold, Kermitops: Fossil named after Kermit the Frog holds clues to amphibian evolution
- Kate Middleton Diagnosed With Cancer: Revisiting Her Health Journey
- Iceland's latest volcanic eruption will have an impact as far as Russia
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Princess Kate diagnosed with cancer; King Charles III, Harry and Meghan react: Live updates
California doubles water allocation for most contractors following February storms
Fired high school coach says she was told to watch how much she played 'brown kids'
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Regina King Offers Sweet Gesture to Jimmy Kimmel During Conversation After Her Son's Death
March Madness games today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament schedule on Friday
What is '3 Body Problem'? Explaining Netflix's trippy new sci-fi and the three-body problem