Nutrition and Labeling - Cottage Cheese, why should I eat this stuff?

Okay, so in the last couple months I have talked myself into eating fish, sweet potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, spinach and lots of other things I know are good are for me. I kept looking at the cottage cheese. I knew I never liked it in the past, but I also know it is good for me. I bought some yesterday, the Breakstones that comes with the fruit on the side (pineapple). I couldn't eat two bites. Any recommendations on how to trick my body into eating it? Things to pair it with to make it palatable?

If you don't like the cottage cheese, why not substitute yogurt? I assume that the main benefit of cottage cheese is calcium, which you can get from yogurt. Plus you get the healthy bacteria/probiotics that are in yogurt. Just be sure to buy the kind sweetened with Splenda rather than sugar, fructose or corn syrup to avoid unnecessary calories.

Is it the consistency that turns you off or the taste? If it's the former, some people find that giving it a quick whisk to smooth it out works. What flavors do you like? If it's the taste you're not digging and you like spicy foods, you might put together a batch of a salt-free spicy blend (cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, and a little thyme) to just have on hand (it's a staple for me!) and then give that cc a healthy sprinkle of the blend to mask the flavor. A lot of people find that the more they eat cottage cheese, the more palatable it becomes. It can be an acquired taste to some. It's totally worth it though, as it offers so many benefits. Worst case scenario, you get those little single serving Light 'n Lively (it has less sodium and more calcium) 4-packs -- they're so small you could just shovel like 3 big mouthfuls in and get 'em down! ;)

Keep trying -- cottage cheese is your friend. :yes:

I agree. If you don't like it, why are you eating it? Yogurt has more calcium. Granted CC has protein, but so do lots of other things. One thing I like to do is to stir in a spoonful of vanilla yogurt. Also I absolutely love it with blueberries and strawberries or raspberries and some splenda. Heaven!

I love cottage cheese, it's one of my favorite foods. Some brands are better than others -- I think Breakstone's is the best of any I've tried. I don't eat it for the calcium, I eat it as a protein food. A standard snack for me late afternoon is 1/2 cup of 2% Breakstone's, sometimes with some fresh or lite canned fruit. It's that salty-creamy-sweet combination that I like. I also blop it on green salads, dip vegetables in it, etc. It's great on a baked potato instead of butter and sour cream. A favorite snack of mine is to toast a piece of bread (whole wheat preferably), then spread with a thin layer of all-fruit spread (strawberry is a natural here), then a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese, You can sprinkle with a little cinnamon if you like. Then, run that under the broiler until the cheese is melty. YUM!

There's no reason you HAVE to eat it, obviously, but I think it's good that you are making yourself try foods and learn to like them. I think too many overweight people (OK, too many Americans in general) are prisoners to long lists of food dislikes, and they can't open their minds enough to develop a positive attitude about learning to like new things. So GOOD FOR YOU.

If you want to continue the CC experiment, you might check out this page on the Stumptuous site: http://www.stumptuous.com/cottage.html . CC is a basic food group for many body builders, and Krista explains why, and has lots of recipes.

Thanks for the link. I'll take a good look at it later. The reason I am trying to eat cottage cheese is because I know it is good for me. I am also looking at it as a protein food and not a dairy. I am looking for new things to eat for my late afternoon snack and wanted to have more protein. I do eat yogurt, but it doesn't have as much protein.

I have always been a picky eater. I had a very long list of foods I didn't eat - most of them good for me! :o So I have been making an effort to try them all. The problem with cottage cheese for me seems to be the texture and the saltiness. I have high blood pressure and try to stay away from salt. I actually just wasn't expecting that taste at all. I will buy low sodium to try next I think.

I like cottage cheese mixed with unsweetened applesauce and then served on whole grain toast (sprinkle of cinnamon) for breakfast. I like the Friendship low fat whipped the best--excellent texture and very easy to spread.

Hope that helps.

I put it in smoothies, then I don't have the texture or the taste so much....hardly know it is in there! The other thing I do with it, is mix it with light Jello gelatin mix ( I like Raspberryflavor), and a little light coolwhip, and some fruit, all together, and it's so yummy! I make it alot and have it for breakfast, as I'm not really a breakfast kind of girl.... but this seems to work well.

Melissa congrats on trying new foods that's a big step for a picky eater....

Here are some recipes I have for CC...

Protein pancackes:

1/3 c. cottage cheese,
1/3 c. eggwhites
1/3 c. oatmeal
add splenda, vanilla to taste
Use a handheld blender to mix it smooth, pour in a non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick, cook like a pancake. Makes one large or 2 small...

CC and SF jello
Take 1/2 cup of water and nuke it to boil add a packet of SF Jello to dilute, my fav is raspberry, then add 1 1/2cup CC blend with a hand blender till very smooth. Refrigerate to set.

I like CC with Strawberries and Splenda too ....

Take a container of CC add Vanilla and mix smooth with a handblender tastes like vanilla pudding...

Add salsa to CC for a vegetable dip....you can smooth out the CC with the hand blender too if you don't like the consistency.

I add CC to my protein shakes and smooth it out and you can't even taste it...

Let's see I know I have more, if I think of them I'll add them...

I like cottage cheese all by itself, BUT when I made the swithch to fat free, things changed.I finally found a fat free one that I like, but I'm Canadian and you probably won't be able to find it. Anyway, the thing I like about it is that it stil has the nice large pieces but is kida floating in lots of watery stuff. So, what I do is throw it in a colander and rinse it off reall well and drain it...then it's fine and I like it a lot! :)

Best of luck, looks like some good ideas here!
Linda

Thanks Ilene! Awesome recipes! I have to get one of those handheld blender thingys. I know people are asking if I don't like it, why eat it? One thing I read recently in a weight loss book really made me change my train of thought about food. The subject was getting suggestions from a nutritionist and kept shooting them down because they didn't taste good. The nutrionist told her, what makes you think everything that is good for you should taste good. This really hit home with me because of being such a picky eater my whole life. There are plenty of places that people just eat what is available because they can't afford anything else or it is just what is done in their country. Food is fuel, it's nice if it tastes good - but if it is good for my body I am going to try to learn to like it. Last night I made a chicken and spinach casserole I never would have eaten 2 months ago. It was fabulous.

it took me a long time to get into cottage cheese, but i really like it now. my parents would always eat it with pineapple or cantelope but i like it more with savory things. like funniegirl mentioned, it's great on a baked potato. i like lf cottage cheese sprinkled with a scant handfull of sunflower seeds and a little black pepper. mmm. it's also good run through the blender mixed with a packet of dry ranch dressing (and so much better for you than if mixed with mayo and sour cream--)- or if you're feeling a little naughty/snacky, one of my favorite indulgences is lf cottage cheese and doritos or potato chips. sounds gross, but don't knock it! also lf cottage cheese is good on a salad in place of dressing. when i was in college i used to pretty standardly make a meal out of cooked pasta with a 1/2 c of cottage cheese, parm cheese, and a good grind of black pepper.

Thanks everyone. I really, really appreciate all the help. I am working on my shopping list now. Is there any reason I can't *always* use the little handheld blender and make it smooth?

Nope, if you like it better blended, you can blend it every time. No worries. Or, you could just blend the whole carton (with a handheld or regular blender or food processor) and stick it back in the fridge, pre-blended for your convenience.

I bet if you drain in cheesecloth, you could even get something similar to cream cheese, like you do with yogurt. Hmmm ... may have to try that myself.

I pre-cream CC all the time too, it's just more convenient...

This is a little weird, but I discovered it accidentally going to the salad bar once, and loved it. Hot corn w/ cold cottage cheese. I don't know why, but it is just really good. Not too sure if that helped turn you on to it, though :sorry: But if anyone out there is adventurous.......

Another way to eat cottage cheese, is to mix onion, celery, peppers, diced carrot and any other veggie you would like. Put lots of pepper on it and stuff it into a half a pita. Really good.

I happen to love cottage cheese with sliced peaches or pears
and a handful of low fat granola,all stirred together. Its
makes for a nutrious breakfast ,lunch, or dinner. The granola
keeps me from getting hungry betwen meals.
sexyacura :s: :s: :bravo: :hungry:

Well, I don't like cottage cheese either. I have tried to acquire a taste for it, but no go. And I've decided I won't eat foods I don't enjoy. I'm willing to try new things, and sometimes I'm surprised to find that I like them. But there are already lots and lots of healthy foods I DO enjoy, so why punish myself?

It's admirable that you're giving so many new foods a try. And it sounds like you are really liking some of them. Do try the various CC recipes, but I really don't think you should eat foods you genuinely dislike. Diet or no diet, food and eating it should be pleasurable experiences. If you don't like what you're eating, you'll still be hungry for "the good stuff".

That's just my opinion, but...

Well, thanks to this post, I remembered how much I love cottage cheese and went out and bought three packs of 1%. Personally I love it with the sweet stuff - I take the CC and a bunch of grapes cut in half (or unsweetened peaches) and mix them together - I LOVE it, but it was an acquired taste. I think that you can learn to love new foods over time and I applaud your effort to change your eating habits. :cp:

I make what I call "Ilene's pancake" .... 3 egg whites, !/2 cup of oatmeal in a no stick pan. And then I dip my pancake in a half cup of cottage cheese. So much wonderful protein and no fat!
You could sweeten that with fruit or eat it savory with the onions and stuff. Salsa?

i don't really care too much for cottage cheese either. maybe it sounds dorky, but if you combine the old cliche "we are what we eat," with "cottage cheese thighs," then... well, sometimes i think about this when i think about eating cottage chesse. i guess i am a yogurt person. :lol:

You can Always make my special creamed spinach with the cottage cheese :P...

Although I have no measurements, I always EYEball it... this is what I do:

about half a cup of Cottage Cheese (I use the lite kind) (maybe more than that)
Scoop of "Better than Cream Cheese" (I think its soy creamcheese? )
Scoop if "Not butter" MArgrine (lite kind)--this is also optional--only for flavor.
Some Chopper onions, and a little bit of sweet bell pepper (Both fresh).
Of course: Fresh chopped spinach!!

Toss the wet togather in a pot and heat till the "not" creamcheese softens alot. (practically liquid)
Throw in the onions and peppers.... stir......stir......stir......
Then put in the chopped spinach (its easier to eat witht he smaller the choppings).
If it looks too liquidy, add more spinach! Keep stirring--- the spinach will become soft.....and creamy...

Let it cool for a bit... then enjoy!! OMG its to die for (if your into that, but im a spinach freak!!!)

What about ricotta cheese - you can get the low fat versions, and it is creamier in texture, and has a nice sweeter taste to it I find. Or Quark, a soft cheese too, and I know it used to be available in Canada in fruit flavours, as a snack item.

Well, i lift weights and its a good source of protein. Someone once called it the food of the Gods well I might add Goddess also. No really its low in fat
( get the small curd kind) and it grows on you after awhile. ;)

http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tracker/img/bar097/slider-scale/lb/179/120/144/.png (http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tracker/index.php)

I too never like cottage cheese in my life until recently. Now I love it. I do have to admit that it has to be small curd though which I have not seen in fat free. The waY I eat mine is take container of cottage cheese, pour in box of dry sugar free strawberry jello mix, some crushed pineapple, and alittle cool whip. I call this pink fluff......it is delicious!!! Not only are you getting some protein in but alittle fruit too. Make sure you don't eat it all at once!!

Small curd is much more typical than large curd, and I have ONLY seen fat-free in the small curd version. I love cottage cheese but I think fat-free tastes pretty bad, so if you're eating low-fat you're probably better off. The calorie difference isn't that great, anyway.

Breakstones makes a good nonfat cottage cheese, though I prefer the low fat varieties. I love to sprinkle cottage cheese with a zesty seasoning, and serve a pickle on the side.

I like mine in the morning, mixed with sliced berries, splenda, cinnamon and almond slivers.....yummy

Also tastes good mixed with tomatos, cucumbers, red onion, salt pepper and a splash of O&V

I like it because it is high protein and keeps me going for a while...

Also tastes good mixed with tomatos, cucumbers, red onion, salt pepper and a splash of O&V:hun: that sounds YUMMY!! I'm going to try that!

Thanks for all the awesome suggestions! I was surprised to see my thread revived. I hope it inspired someone else to try cottage cheese too. You will all be happy to know I am now eating cottage cheese at least 4/5 times per week. I have settled on the no salt, lowfat variety. I add splenda and vanilla and usually strawberries. Last week, I added a box of sugar free chocolate jello and that was great too! I would have never guessed I could make myself like cottage cheese. Who is this new person?! :dizzy:

I put half a packet of splenda and cinnamon on mine like a dessert. Good luck!