Ask Shannon: Fitness and Nutrition Q & A

Posted July 4, 2008 at 02:00 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Recipes

With years of training under her belt, resident fitness and nutrition expert Shannon Clark is ready to help you on your way to a healthy, informed lifestyle. Got a question? her your inquiries, and be sure to check back every week for the latest Q&A.

Q: I’ve recently been hearing how good cottage cheese is for you but cannot seem to make myself like it no matter how hard I try.  I’m not sure if it’s the texture, the taste, or just how I’m preparing it but as soon as it goes down, I feel like it’s going to come right back up!

Do you have any suggestions on how to make this food tolerable?

A:  Thanks for the question! You are definitely right, cottage cheese is a terrific food to be adding to your diet, not only because it’s a rich source of protein, but also because it contains calcium, a nutrient many women are short in.  Furthermore, the actual type of protein found in cottage cheese is of the casein variety, which is a very slow digesting protein that will supply your body with a steady stream of amino acids for longer duration to come. 

This then will help you keep your hunger levels under control; something that is obviously going to be very important when it comes to maintaining or losing weight.

You also right again though, for most people, cottage cheese is anything but palatable. 

When it comes to how you prepare it, this can make a huge difference.

Here are some ideas:

-mix your cottage cheese with some canned fruit – which has been canned in water or light syrup rather than heavy syrup.  You’ve probably seen those ‘fruit on the bottom’ cottage cheese snack cups before, which is the same idea, only yours will have less simple sugar.

-melt 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter and add this into the cottage cheese.  This is the perfect snack before bed as the fat will slow the release of the protein even further.

-mix in ¼ scoop of your favorite flavor of protein powder along with some Splenda.  Note with this, you may wish to add a small amount of milk as well, as this will help with the consistency of it.

-Blend together one part low-fat mayo with another part cottage cheese.  Then, mix in any type of dip mix you happen to enjoy – dill, ranch, or otherwise.

-mix ½ cup of cottage cheese into a bowl of oatmeal and top with fresh berries, or mix in a scoop of protein powder for extra flavoring as well

-blend your cottage cheese into protein shakes to disguise the texture entirely

-place ½ cup cottage cheese over a baked potato, sprinkle with herbs, chopped chives, and salt

-mix ½ cup of cottage cheese with 1 can of tuna and stir in 2 tbsp low-sugar ketchup or mayo depending on your taste preference.  Spread over an open English muffin

-in a small saucepan, melt together ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup of milk (if needed).  Once a sauce has formed, pour it over pasta or vegetables.

So, next time you’re attempting to eat cottage cheese, give one of these some consideration.  It definitely is a food you need to get used to, but if you can overcome the initial texture of it, you may just find you really enjoy it!