Cottage cheese is healthy and low-calorie food – 07/14/2023 – Equilibrium

Some devour it straight out of the pot. Others spread it on toast, like a burrata. Mixing with sweet ingredients is an option to make healthier versions of ice cream or cookies. It is also used as a sauce (combined with mustard) for raw vegetables, fruits, sausages and more.

In July, Google searches for “cottage cheese” reached the highest levels recorded since 2004 in the United States.

[No Brasil, a plataforma também registra alta nas pesquisas levando em consideração os últimos cinco anos.]

“It’s definitely on trend,” says Leah Goebel, a nutritionist at Northwestern Medicine, adding that the food is packed with nutrients.

“I think it makes sense to be in a moment of fame.”

Compared to other dairy products, cottage cheese is relatively low in calories. A half-cup serving of the full-fat version contains about 100 kcal, while an equal serving of ricotta contains about 190 kcal, and a three-quarter-cup serving of full-fat Greek yogurt has about 160 kcal.

And it has many nutritional benefits, says Julia Zumpano, a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic. One serving provides about 30% of the recommended daily allowance of selenium, an essential mineral that is critical for DNA synthesis and prevents cell damage. Cottage cheese also contains riboflavin, punctuate, a vitamin that helps our cells grow and produce energy, and phosphorus, which maintains our teeth and bones. It’s also rich in calcium, says Goebel.

And, as its advocates on TikTok noted, it’s high in protein. A half-cup serving is about 12g, about the same amount found in three eggs, 42g of chicken breast or half a cup of full-fat Greek yogurt. That means cottage cheese can help people stay full longer between meals, says Goebel.

But cottage cheese can also be high in sodium, says Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

“It’s like bread — it’s one of those hidden things, like, ‘Wow, I never realized this had so much sodium.’ People with high blood pressure, in particular, should limit the amount they consume, he recommends.

And, if you’re sensitive to lactose, too much cottage cheese (or other types of dairy) can cause an upset stomach and bloating, says Zumpano.

Most supermarkets carry several types of cottage cheese, including those with different fat and flavor profiles, says Rimm. He suggests opting for those with zero added sugar and a low percentage of fat. Diets high in saturated fats can increase blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Some cottage cheeses also contain added ingredients, such as artificial sweeteners or emulsifying agents, that can give the cheese curds “a bulkier effect,” says Rimm. Nutrition experts recommend prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible.

Rimm recommends looking through the ingredient list and choosing a version that has no more than three or four ingredients total. They should also be ingredient names that you can recognize. “That’s really all you need,” he says.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves