Cottage cheese: why you should eat it & how to eat it

Anyone who is concerned with a fitness-oriented diet, sooner or later will come across Cottage cheese stumble. This is considered a particularly high-quality food for muscle building and accordingly enjoys great popularity. But what exactly are the benefits of cottage cheese? And how can cottage cheese be creatively and tastily incorporated into the diet?

Cottage cheese provides you continuously with protein for muscle building

The biggest plus point that cottage cheese has to its credit is the fact that a single cup contains a whole 27 grams of the best protein. So it's no wonder that cottage cheese has already become popular with the great bodybuilders of the 1980s. The dairy product doesn't just give you any protein, it gives you casein. Casein is a slowly digestible protein, which means that the amino acids it contains are only slowly absorbed into the blood via the digestive tract. Thus, your body benefits from a continuous protein supply.

This aspect makes cottage cheese an ideal evening snack, as the casein it contains supplies your muscles throughout the night. On the one hand, this allows you to improve your recovery, but on the other hand, it also prevents the breakdown of muscle protein during the night. A study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise attests to the positive properties of taking casein around 30 minutes before bedtime. In detail, the researchers were able to determine a significantly increased protein biosynthesis at night compared to a comparison group that took in placebo.

Riboflavin keeps your metabolism on the go

Besides slowly digestible protein, cottage cheese also contains a lot of riboflavin. This substance, also known as vitamin B2, helps your body to metabolize proteins and convert them into energy, just like carbohydrates and fats. The special feature of riboflavin is its water solubility, so your body cannot store it for very long. You must therefore cover your needs daily with appropriate foods such as cottage cheese. While men need about 1.3 milligrams per day, women need a good 1.1 milligrams per day. A small cup of cottage cheese supplies you with 0.4 milligrams, which corresponds to a good third of your total daily requirement.

Cottage cheese gives you the triple protection for strong bones

Cottage cheese, like other dairy products, is especially good for your bones. This is primarily because it contains calcium and phosphorus, two essential substances for bone structure. Many people know that calcium is important for a strong skeleton. However, the fact that phosphorus is no less important is less widely known. Phosphorus enables the formation of the vital structural component hydroxyapatite, which is incorporated into the structure of bone tissue. In addition to these two substances, high-quality protein also plays a significant role in bone health, as it supports the mineral density of the bone.

So you can eat cottage cheese too

Most athletes who include cottage cheese in their diet don't go to great lengths to prepare it. They take the cup, tear it open, plop the cottage cheese on a plate and call it good. Some, on the other hand, go a little further and use the dairy product a little more creatively in smoothies and shakes. The bottom line, though, is that cottage cheese's potential is far from exhausted, as it can be made into an unimaginable range of sweet and savory dishes.

When you buy cottage cheese, however, there are a few points you should keep in mind:

- Some manufacturers add an extra portion of salt to their cottage cheese. What is certainly helpful for spicy snacks, of course, does less good in a combination with cocoa powder or fresh wild berries.

- Cottage cheese is generally available in several fat levels. Especially if you are on a diet, it makes sense to choose the variant with 0 percent fat. Otherwise, the variants with 2 or 4 percent fat will also do. However, you should always remember that fat is a flavor carrier and cottage cheese with a little fat combines much better with other flavors.

Breakfast tacos with fruit salad and cottage cheese

If you want to start the day with a little more variety, then you should definitely try these sweet tacos. Prepare a fruit salad with fruits of your choice and let it sit overnight in the fridge with some cinnamon. Finally, in the morning, pick up some whole wheat tacos and spread a thick layer of cottage cheese on them. Then, place a few spoonfuls of fruit salad on the cottage cheese bed and roll up the taco patties.

Salmon salad with cottage cheese dressing

If you like it a bit heartier, the salmon salad might be just the thing. All you need is cooked wild salmon, a cup of cottage cheese and fresh vegetables of your choice. For example, red bell peppers, green onions, leeks and cocktail tomatoes work very well. While the vegetables provide you with a whole lot of valuable micronutrients, the combination of wild salmon and cottage cheese provides you with high-quality fats and plenty of protein for muscle building.

Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

Our last tip for using cottage cheese is a very special treat for those with a sweet tooth. Our peanut butter protein muffins not only do not require any additional oil, but the cottage cheese also gives them an extremely soft consistency. In addition, you can add raisins, nuts, almonds, coconut flakes, berries or dried fruit to the basic dough of peanut butter and cottage cheese according to your preferences.