Why is cottage cheese the new diet trend?

What is cottage cheese? 

Cottage cheese is mild and creamy, almost resembling natural yoghurt in thickness, but lumpy and bumpy. It has just a hint of salt and can range from very creamy to slightly tart in taste. This depends on how much fat the cottage cheese contains - less fat means more tartness. 

Like goat cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta, it's a fresh cheese. This means it isn't ripened or aged like cheddar and parmesan.  

How is cottage cheese made? 

Wie alle Milchprodukte beginnt Hüttenkäse als Milch, bevor sie fermentiert wird.

Cottage cheese is fast becoming a favourite among people who want to lose excess weight, tone their bodies, and build muscle. Why? It is low in calories and high in protein. 

Laut Reema Pillai, Spezialistin für Darmgesundheit bei Dietitian Fit, enden die Vorteile von Hüttenkäse hier nicht.

Sie sagt: „Hüttenkäse ist eine gute Nährstoffquelle – einschließlich Kalzium, Selen und den Vitaminen A und B12.

Just how nutritious your cottage cheese is will vary slightly, depending on how much milk fat and salt is used.

There are a range of vitamins and micro nutrients in cottage cheese, and all serve your body in different ways. For example, by providing 29% of your daily Vitamin B12 intake, cottage cheese is good for keeping your blood, brain, and nerves healthy. Vitamin A contributes to healthy skin, vision, and immunity from illness.  

Here are some of the main ways cottage cheese can keep you healthy and well. 

Builds muscle and strength 

Containing 30% of your recommended daily protein intake, cottage cheese makes an excellent post-workout snack that will Reparieren, Pflegen und Aufbauen Ihrer Muskeln through muscle protein synthesis (MPS). 

Supports your bones 

Pillai erklärt, dass Hüttenkäse als Calciumquelle dazu beitragen kann, die Knochen- und Zahnsubstanz zu erhalten.

She says: "This can reduce your chance of developing Osteoporose, eine Erkrankung, bei der Ihre Knochen schwach werden und leichter brechen oder Frakturen erleiden."

Aids healthy digestion 

As cottage cheese is a fermented food, it can be a good source of probiotics - the healthy bacteria that helps look after your gut. As a result, it may ease a range of magen-Darm-Problemen, such as digestive discomfort, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.  

Be sure to check the label, as not all cottage cheeses are made with probiotic cultures. 

Helps protect against cancer 

Pillai says: "The high selenium content of cottage cheese will contribute to the protection of your DNA and reduce cell damage." 

Because of this, it's thought that selenium can help protect you against disease. Its effects on cancer have been observed, but more research is needed. Most of the studies had weaknesses and limitations and results were difficult to reproduce.  

Some research shows that eating dairy products such as cottage cheese as part of a healthy diet may also help prevent some types of cancer. However, the research is ongoing and generally inconclusive. 

Supports heart health 

Dairy products may also protect against Metabolisches Syndrom - a name for a group of conditions linked to your heart and blood vessels.  

As it is kalorienarm and low-fat, cottage cheese is a better dairy option for people looking after their hearts and waistlines than higher fat cheeses such as cheddar and cream cheese. 

Cottage cheese also has a high selenium content. This mineral has been studied for possible protective effects against high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. However, research is conflicting, and there's no strong evidence to support this. 

The cottage cheese diet has become one of the latest TikTok diet trends. Using the #cottagecheesediet hashtag, influencers are promoting meals such as cottage cheese and mustard dip for vegetables and meat protein.

Was wir uns merken müssen, ist, dass diese Influencer keine qualifizierten Ernährungsberater sind – und dass die Beliebtheit eines TikTok-Diättrends kein Beweis dafür ist, dass er wirksam und gesund ist.

So, what do the experts think? 

Laut Pillai kann dieser Trend zwar hilfreich sein, aber es gibt Einschränkungen, da er den Konsum von mehr Gemüse zusammen mit einer fettarmen Proteinquelle fördern kann.

Speaking of the approach taken in the video by myhealthydish, the dietitian comments: "The balance is mainly focused on lots of vegetables, some fruit, one sausage, and one egg. This can be balanced as it provides plenty of fibre and protein.

"So, if you enjoy these foods and can tolerate dairy, then cottage cheese can be a great dip choice to have with a range of foods.

How much cottage cheese should I eat a day?  

If you're interested in adding cottage cheese to your diet, Pillai recommends having between 100-200 grams of cottage cheese per day. Be aware that adults shouldn't be eating more than 6 grams (6000 milligrams) of salt a day - which is around 1 level teaspoon. In 200 grams of cottage cheese, there's around 0.7-0.8 grams (700-800 milligrams) of salt. 

There are so many ways to enjoy cottage cheese. Even if you don't relish it that much, this dairy product can be hidden in flavourful sauces and smoothies.  

Although it's enjoying a resurgence, cottage cheese isn't new. Once popular in the 1970s, its lumpy quality was one of the reasons it fell out of fashion. With modern food processors, it's easy to blend this mild-tasting cheese until smooth. 

Pillai sagt: „Sie können es als Dip, in einer Pastasauce oder mit Obst mögen – alles hängt davon ab, womit Sie es sonst noch gerne essen.

People with Laktoseintoleranz should avoid cottage cheese, which as a fresh, unripened cheese contains more lactose than aged cheeses such as Cheddar and Parmesan. People with Milchallergie also won't be able to enjoy cottage cheese, which contains two types of protein in cow's milk - whey and casein.