Why You Should Eat Cottage Cheese on Keto

Maybe you remember that some years back, cottage cheese was a staple in everyone’s low-fat diet. If you could get past the texture, you probably purchased a 6 pack and forced yourself to swallow it down mid-day because you thought it was the secret to making those love handles disappear. I’m not saying you were wrong—but you weren’t completely right.

Fast forward to the debunk of low-fat diets and here we are embracing high (healthy) fat foods. With all the science backing the ketogenic diet, we’re finding that whole fat foods are not only necessary but also your best bud when it comes to burning fat and staying healthy.

I’m excited to say that whole fat cottage cheese is a YES for keto. I’m also happy to let you know that eating 4 plain tablespoons of it to reap the benefits is so yesterday. We’re going to get keto creative—for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts AND snacks.

COTTAGE CHEESE BENEFITS

About to be more attractive than that cute little cottage you saw in Magnolia Table

With only 3.54 grams of carbs per 100 grams, you’re getting a solid low-carb, high protein/high fat option, perfect for your keto lifestyle. Cottage cheese is stocked with vitamins and nutrients too—calcium, phosphorous, selenium, riboflavin, potassium, zinc, B12 and B6! Because cottage cheese is overflowing with all this good stuff, the health benefits are plentiful. There’s a reason it’s in our Ultimate Keto Diet Guide Guide.

Good for your gut, you can feel it in your bones

Cottage cheese is a great source for probiotics meaning if you include it in your diet, your microbiome will flourish!  In addition to a healthy gut you’ll get a good amount of calcium and phosphorous that will keep your bones strong.

One cup of cottage cheese provides you with 30% of your recommended daily value of phosphorous. Phosphorus helps detoxify, balances pH, and cultivates strong bones (1). Since phosphorus also helps repair tissue, cottage cheese is an awesome post workout choice.

Keeps ‘em full, keeps ‘em focused

Nope. This is not a Frosted Mini Wheats commercial. Though, fabulous marketing on their part. I’m not sponsored by cottage cheese so know that this is not a marketing scheme, this is truth. Including cottage cheese in your meals will keep you full AND focused so you can skip the hangry brain fog. Here’s why:

Keeping you full. Cottage cheese has a killer amount of protein (28 grams per cup to be exact) that works to reduce ghrelin (the hunger hormone) helping you feel and stay full. When we feel full, we eat less, and when we eat less, we lose weight. Bonus! While we’re satiated after our cottage cheese, the protein will also help build muscle.

Keeping you focused on the other hand, has a little more to do with cottage cheeses’ fats. Eating good fats in the morning is crucial for lasting brain power. Before we go into the benefits of healthy fats let’s demystify the low-fat diet. Remember when fat and dairy consumption was obesity’s best friend and the cause of your loved one’s heart attacks?

Well, if you’ve been on the keto train for a while or just recently got your ticket punched then you know that this is a bunch of mumbo jumbo. In 2013, the European Journal of Nutrition study results showed the risk of obesity was not associated with high-fat dairy consumption (2). And a study done in 2018 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that cardiovascular disease and stroke mortality was not caused by increased circulation of dairy fatty acids in the body (2). Now we know that cottage cheese is not the cause of your body looking like cottage cheese or your heart turning into it.

In fact, healthy fats found in cottage cheese help kick your morning into high gear. Healthy fats turbocharge your focus and energy keeping you on your game all day. And since this isn’t for Frosted Mini Wheats let’s add another benefit- Keeps ‘em trim.

Keeping you trim. The fats found in cottage cheese will set your body to fat burning mode. A high fat diet will help put your body into ketosis meaning that your body will use fat for energy instead of glycogen and carbs (1). A ketogenic diet has been indicated to make a positive difference in weight loss and cardiovascular health among other diseases including epilepsy (3).

Since cottage cheese is so obviously a keto staple, here are 10 amazing recipes you can make with your new found love.

10 AMAZING KETO COTTAGE CHEESE RECIPES

When you wake up tomorrow and immediately think, “What’s for breakfast? Will a busy day with my kids break my healthy eating? And don’t even get me started about making dinner.” Don’t worry! Cottage cheese will have you covered.

You can always get your daily dose of cottage cheese by simply adding a couple berries and nuts or even just by sprinkling pink salt and pepper on the top. But that’s not as fun or as creative as these recipes. Let’s not be like our old lame low-fat diet selves. Get some whole fat cottage cheese and let’s get creative keto style.

Here are some of my favorite keto recipes that use cottage cheese:

Breakfast: Keto Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins

What’s more breakfast-y than eggs? Don’t say cereal. These cottage cheese egg muffins are easy. It’s that fancy breakfast that you didn’t even have to try hard to make fancy. Make a quick bulk batch and take them on the go through the week. The best part is that you can mix it up and make minor adjustments to cater to every family members taste buds.

Breakfast: Creamy Mint Matcha Shake with Cottage Cheese

If you’re one of those people who can’t seem to put anything too hearty down early in the morning but is still interested in getting fat burning energy, then look no further. This creamy mint matcha shake is the drinkable breakfast you’ve been searching for. Matcha is insane- for tons of reasons – you can read about the many benefits here. And if you like mint and you like creamy—get out your blender.  

Lunch: Keto Tuna Salad Dip

This tuna salad dip is keto approved and more. With this tuna dip you’ll get healthy fish fats and cottage cheese fats.  If you’re not a tuna salad person how about egg salad? Pair your lunch with a nice herbal tea and it’s like keto tea time. Your classic little mini sandwiches turned keto all thanks to cottage cheese. Pinky’s up.

Lunch: Cucumber Tomato Cottage Cheese Salad

Who doesn’t love pesto? Add some pesto to your jack of all trades cottage cheese and you have a flavorful – drool worthy dish. Crack an egg on top and voila! A keto friendly lunch. So light but flavorful, you might get obsessed.

Dinner: Keto Mac and Cheese

Cauliflower is kind of taking over the world, don’t you think? For good reasons too. Like cottage cheese, cauliflower can take over any taste. Try this keto approved cauliflower mac & cheese to please everyone in your family. It will become your new guilty pleasure.

Dinner: Keto Cottage Cheese Beef and Sour Cream Bake

If you’re looking for comfort food this recipe has it all.. Beefy, cheesy, casserole-y it’s everything for satisfying those comfort food cravings without out knocking you out of ketosis. Inspired by the Pioneer Woman, this keto approved recipe hits all the right notes, takes minimal time to prep and calls for simple ingredients – including…you guessed it: cottage cheese. This is one that even picky kids will devour.

Dessert: Keto Cottage Cheesecake

Holy cottage cheesecake. These little cheesecakes are guaranteed to satisfy your post dinner sweet tooth- without taking you out of ketosis. These little keto cakes are packed with good fats from nuts and cottage cheese. But don’t just make these for dessert, they’re perfect for breakfast and snacks too!

Dessert: Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love the creamy combination of chocolate and peanut butter? In the Jones house we go nutzo for anything chocolate and anything peanut butter. Now you can enjoy this delicious combination and stay in ketosis. That’s a huge win! Again, cottage cheese is the star of the show here and protein powder and splenda add a chocolaty flavor and sweeten. Pro tip: Choose a keto protein powder for enhanced benefits.

Snacks: Keto Cottage Cheese Chips

If you love the crunch and saltiness of chips just as much as the next person than these cottage cheese chips are a must try. Easy, cheesy, beautiful- keto.

Snacks: Keto Broccoli Cottage Cheese Balls

Keto Broccoli Cottage Cheese Balls. Yum. Imagine healthy snacking on these. Gooey and savory, this low-carb, gluten free and vegetarian option is sure to melt in your mouth and fire up your digestion.

If it’s not obvious already, cottage cheese will be your new keto sidekick. Forget about your friend who said she was going to do it with you– cottage cheese will be there to help out. With tons of recipe varieties you’ll be hooked. Go shopping with our Ultimate Keto Shopping List and  try some of the recipes above and let me know in the comment which your favorites were!

 

Sources:

1. Axe, Josh. “Cottage Cheese Nutrition Benefits + Cottage Cheese Recipes.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 24 Sept. 2018, draxe.com/cottage-cheese-nutrition/.
2. “Cottage Cheese Nutrition Facts.” Mercola.com, Mercola.com, foodfacts.mercola.com/cottage-cheese.html.
3.  https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/ketogenic-diet