It was the main ingredient of a diet in the 1970s and in 2023 cottage cheese or ‘hüttenkäse’ is making a comeback. Tiktokkers, ‘healthfluencers’ and fitness gurus swear by the ingredient to start their day and finish lunch with. But how healthy is this cheese really? And is it tasty? Dietitian Sanne Mouha explains the nutritional values, and food blogger Helen Kookt explains how to make delicious dishes with it.
Spooning from the jar, spread on toast or in pancakes: you can go in many directions with cottage cheese. “Mix herbs and pesto and you get a savory snack,” says food blogger Helen Verhelst, who fully embraces the rise of cottage cheese. “But you can also spread it on a cracker and eat it with jam and fruit as a sweet snack. Or make pancakes with it! There are so many options,” says the food blogger. Not surprising that cottage cheese is gaining popularity.
But what exactly is this popular ingredient? Cottage cheese is a very young, unripened cheese made from curd. That is what occurs when rennet or starter culture is added to milk, causing proteins in milk to clump together. Actually, this is the first stage of cheese making. To make hard cheese, this curd is then pressed together, pushing the moisture out. For cottage cheese or cottage cheese, the curd is not pressed, not ripened and not coloured.
Especially compared to other dairy products, cottage cheese is relatively low in calories
Is cottage cheese really a healthy cheese?
“Cottage cheese has been around for a long time. I’m surprised it took so long for it to become a hype with us too,” laughs dietician Sanne Mouha. “As a dietitian, I have been recommending cottage cheese for some time. It’s healthier than charcuterie anyway. And it is a good alternative to yogurt and cottage cheese, nice for a change. It contains little fat, contains fewer calories and above all: it contains a lot of protein. The latter ensures a good feeling of satiety.”
Especially compared to other dairy products, cottage cheese is relatively low in calories. “If we compare the nutritional values per 100 grams of cottage cheese with, say, those of full-fat quark and ricotta, quark has 118 kcal, cottage cheese 92 kcal and ricotta 141 kcal. Cottage cheese also scores surprisingly well in terms of protein content: quark contains 7.5 grams, cottage cheese contains 11.2 grams and ricotta 8 grams,” says Sanne.
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Why is cottage cheese suddenly so popular?
The amount of protein has already made cottage cheese popular with sports enthusiasts, since sufficient protein promotes muscle recovery after a workout. “Although you don’t suddenly have to eat kilos of cottage cheese. People with high blood pressure in particular limit the amount of cottage cheese, by the way, due to its high sodium content. Those who are sensitive to lactose should also pay attention, because too much cottage cheese – just like other types of dairy – can cause stomach complaints and a bloated feeling, “explains the dietician.
How much cottage cheese can you eat? “Exaggerating is never good,” says Sanne. “A jar of 125 grams per day seems to me to be the absolute maximum and preferably not every day. I don’t eat it often myself because I personally find it bland in taste, but you can of course do a lot with it to change that.”
Read more below the video.
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In every supermarket, in every recipe
Cookbook author Helen Verhelst shares her culinary creations online as Helen Kookt, but she is a fan of cottage cheese. “You can find it in every supermarket these days. Even I often eat it after exercise: it is an ideal snack for after a workout!”
The food blogger also often uses cottage cheese as a healthier alternative to mayonnaise, for example in an egg salad recipe. “Traditional egg salad often has some protein per serving because of the hard-boiled eggs, but can be high in fat because of the mayonnaise. In this recipe I replace the mayonnaise with cottage cheese, without compromising on taste. Even my love – who loves mayonnaise and is always very suspicious of my healthier alternatives – loves this egg salad! With the cottage cheese you make a somewhat healthier choice and you get some extra proteins.” Worth a try, then. So for once we can take the ‘healthy internet’ for granted. It’s not hype, it’s actually a healthier ingredient.
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2023-07-30 00:04:47
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