Cottage cheese is a delicious, light and healthy option for the diet

Creamy, tasty and best of all: healthy. This is cottage cheese – which is already a part of many people’s diets, but may also be new to others.

Ariane Longo, clinical nutritionist and herbalist at the Gastro Obeso Center, explains that cottage cheese is of German origin. “It’s a type of fresh cheese, white in color, lumpy (creamy granular) and light in flavor, simple to produce, without additives,” she says.

The nutritionist comments that the cottage can be consumed pure or with wholegrain breads and toast. “It is also very good combined with dried fruits, such as apricots, and in recipes such as a light cheesecake, for example”, she highlights.

Check out all the advantages of including this cheese in your diet and get inspired by delicious recipes.

5 health benefits of cottage cheese

Ariane explains that cottage cheese is concentrated in protein and has less sodium and fat compared to other cheeses. “Its main composition, in approximately 100g, is: 100 kcal / 3g carbohydrates / 11g protein / 4g total fat / 100 mg calcium”, she lists.

Discover the main health benefits of this cheese:

1. Promotes satiety: Ariane points out that, as it is rich in proteins, cottage cheese promotes satiety, helping those who follow a weight loss diet.

2. Helps fight body fat: the nutritionist explains that cottage cheese helps control body fat because it has a low amount of fat and contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which controls the accumulation of abdominal fat.

3. It is rich in calcium: being rich in calcium, cottage cheese helps in maintaining bone formation in children, it is important for pregnant women, in fetal bone formation, and for women in the menopause phase, due to the risk of osteopenia/osteoporosis.

4. Helps in gaining muscle mass: the nutritionist explains that the main protein in cottage is casein, responsible for satiety and, as it has prolonged absorption, it also helps in muscle anabolism (gain).

5. It’s versatile: in addition to being consumed pure, cottage cheese can be part of delicious light recipes. It goes well with both savory and sweet dishes. It is tasty and has a creamy texture.

Thus, cottage cheese can be considered a great ally in a diet for weight loss or weight maintenance.

How to make cottage cheese at home

Although cottage cheese is available in most supermarkets and health food stores, some people prefer to make it at home. Check out two recipes:

traditional cottage cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of type A milk
• 90 ml of lemon juice
• 1 sieve lined with gauze, diaper or clean fine cloth

Preparation mode:

1. Heat the milk until lukewarm (between 80 to 90 degrees);
2. Without turning off the heat, add 90 ml of fresh lemon juice;
3. Keep the mixture heated on low heat for 5 minutes;
4. Remove from the heat and stir lightly until the milk begins to curdle;
5. Once cold, pour the milk into a sieve lined with gauze (diaper or other very thin clean cloth);
6. Let it rest for an hour;
7. After that, the cheese will be ready!

creamy cottage cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 homemade cottage cheese recipe
• 1/4 cup of boiling milk
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter
• salt to taste

Preparation mode:

1. Put the cottage cheese, the boiling milk and the melted butter in the blender;
2. Whisk until all the cottage cheese bits are dissolved and the cream is smooth;
3. Adjust the salt (do not add too much, if necessary, add more when consuming);
4. Place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour.

The ideal is to consume homemade cottage cheese in a maximum of a week, because, as it has no preservatives, its durability is much shorter.

Cottage cheese or ricotta: which is healthier?

A lot of people still confuse the two types of cheese, but it’s good to know that they are different, especially in terms of flavor. Cottage cheese is creamier in texture than ricotta and, in most people’s opinion, is tastier.

However, in terms of health, they are really similar. “Both are healthy, high in protein and low in fat. We recommend varying it to avoid the monotony of the diet”, explains Ariane.

Amazing and tasty cottage cheese recipes

You can successfully include cottage cheese in savory and sweet recipes in your everyday life! Get inspired by some suggestions:

1. Grilled eggplant rolls with cottage: for a simple, healthy and delicious dinner. The recipe makes for two people and you will only use eggplant, olive oil, cottage cheese, salt, red sauce and parmesan cheese for fixings.

2. Crepioca with cottage cheese: practical recipe for everyday life. The crepioca looks like an omelet with a taste of cheese bread! And you will only need egg, tapioca starch, cottage cheese and a pinch of salt.

3. Tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese and basil: good tip for a light and delicious dinner! Preparation has no secrets. In addition to the tomatoes and cottage cheese, you will only use basil leaves, a little salt and Brazil nuts.

4. Cottage cheese cheesecake: a slightly cheaper and lighter version of cheesecake, but no less tasty! The ingredients used are sweet biscuits, butter, nuts, cream cheese, condensed milk, cottage cheese, eggs, flour and vanilla extract. The decoration is with jam and fruit.

5. Pea and Mint Pesto Crostini with Cottage Cheese: An elegant starter full of flavor. The green color of the peas combines very well with the aroma of mint and lemon. In addition, the recipe is extremely easy, just mix everything with a food processor or with a pestle.

6. Conchiglione stuffed with cottage cheese and tuna sauce: ideal for when you feel like eating something different for lunch or dinner, but you don’t want to overdo it. Despite being a pasta, this recipe has a light flavor and the cottage gives the right creaminess to the red sauce with tuna.

7. Zucchini stuffed with cottage and shitake: zucchini is very versatile and, in this recipe, it guarantees a delicious and light dish, with few calories, ideal for those who want to stay firm on their diet!

8. Spinach and cottage chicken pie: easy recipe to make, but a little time consuming, because you need to fill the ramekins with the dough before putting the stuffing. But it’s a pie that’s worth it because, in addition to being delicious, it’s light, as the filling is made with chicken, cottage cheese and spinach. To get healthier, you can still use wholemeal flour if you want.

9. Beetroot and cottage cheese lasagna: this is a “fake lasagna”, ideal for when you feel like eating something different without losing the focus of the diet! The recipe serves two people and is very simple to make, it’s worth it!

10. Chickpeas au gratin with cottage: good tip for a winter dinner, as the dish is warm, aromatic and at the same time delicate. You can serve as a side dish, as a starter or even as a single dish.

Contraindications and warnings about consumption

Nutritionist Ariane explains that cottage cheese is contraindicated for patients who need to control their intake of animal protein (such as kidney patients, liver disease, etc.) and/or patients allergic to milk protein.

Regarding the daily amount for consumption of cottage cheese, Ariane highlights: “in general, we recommend the intake of 3 servings of dairy products a day. Therefore, if this consumption is concentrated in this single derivative, we recommend up to 400g a day, divided into meals such as breakfast and snacks. In tablespoons, the measure would be up to 12 tablespoons a day”, he guides.

For those who haven’t tried it yet, here’s a tip: it’s worth adding cottage cheese to your diet, because it has a great texture, pleasant flavor, is light and is still good for your health!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.