The long silent rivalry between cottage cheese and other dairy products continues to grow. Greek yogurt, kefir, and other cheeses often get their time in the spotlight, while cottage cheese sits backstage. But one advantage cottage cheese has over its dairy counterparts: pumped up protein. This means cottage cheese makes the ideal midday or post-ride snack for many cyclists.

As cottage cheese grows in popularity, though, it also grows in versatility. Many companies consistently introduce new flavours, textures, and even add probiotics into the mix to take this dairy product to the next level.

Today, cottage cheese is more than just a minor ingredient or boring “diet food.” It can be a convenient snack to help boost your health, performance, and recovery. Read on to learn about the cottage cheese nutrition and how you can tweak this snack to your liking.

How does cottage cheese differ from other cheeses?

Cottage cheese is considered a fresh cheese since it’s not aged or ripened the way hard cheeses like Parmesan, gouda, and cheddar are ripened.

To make it, an acid compound or acid-producing culture gets added to milk, which begins the process of separating the liquid whey protein from the milk solids or curds. It is these curds that lend cottage cheese its quintessential lumpy appearance. (Curd sizes varies among brands with some smaller lump options now available.)

What nutrients will you find in cottage cheese?

Cottage cheese contains a range of important nutrients. One serving—1 cup—of 2-percent fat cottage cheese contains about:

• 180 calories
• 24g of protein
• 5g fat
• 3g saturated fat
• 9.5g of carbs
• 0g of dietary fibre
• 706mg sodium
• 227mg calcium
• 264mg potassium

With roughly 12 grams of protein in a half-cup serving, cottage cheese is clearly a protein powerhouse. For comparison, the same serving of plain Greek yogurt contains about 10 grams of protein. That makes it a great option for helping to maintain and build lean body mass—a key part in improving power output on the bike and staving off injuries. In fact, cottage cheese makes an excellent post-workout food, as research shows that 9 grams of milk-based protein can be enough to stimulate muscle-building following exercise.

What are the health benefits ?

The protein in cottage cheese is mainly casein protein, which is slower to digest than whey protein, and, in turn, may do a better job at promoting satiety. A study in the journal Appetite found that when matched for calories and protein, cottage cheese is just as satiating as eggs, making it a great breakfast option to keep you fuller for longer, especially if you are like most people and your breakfast is notoriously carb-focused.

And since the consumption of casein protein results in a slower trickle of amino acids into your system, science suggests that eating casein-containing items like cottage cheese as a nighttime snack could help preserve and build muscle during several hours of sleep.

When it comes to maintaining bone health, don’t just focus on cottage cheese’s calcium content—it also packs about a third of your daily need for phosphorous in a one-cup serving. Phosphorus may be one of the lesser-known minerals, but that doesn’t make it any less essential. It is vital for helping the body maintain stronger bones and teeth and is a part of ATP, the key energy source your body turns to when riding.

Not to be overlooked is the solid amount of selenium you get in each spoonful. Greater intakes of this nutrient may reduce the risk of suffering from depression and type 2 diabetes.

Another nutrient in cottage cheese worth noting is riboflavin, a B vitamin that helps your body metabolise the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you eat into the energy you use for all your daily activities, including those Zwift sessions. As a bonus, the lumpy cheese is a stellar source of vitamin B12, a nutrient that helps keep the body’s red blood cells and nervous system healthy and also aids in the production of DNA, the genetic material in all our cells.

It’s worth noting that cottage cheese can be much higher in sodium than yogurt—a half-cup serving may have up to 400 milligrams, though some brands may have more or less. (The daily sodium recommendation is 2,300 mg or less.) Salt is added to help preserve cottage cheese because it’s high in moisture. This makes it a food of concern for those whose blood pressure is sensitive to sodium. On the flip side, this extra hit of sodium can be part of your nutrition recovery following a sweaty ride.

Keep in mind that not all cottage cheese is made with vitamin D-fortified milk, so it may not help you take in enough of this essential vitamin that most people don’t get enough of to begin with. Make sure to read your food labels, and aim to get your vitamin D elsewhere if necessary.

Cottage cheese is also low in carbohydrates, which is why it’s often considered a staple for low-carb diets. A majority of the carbs in plain cottage cheese come from a naturally occurring milk sugar called lactose.

But, like yogurt, flavoured cottage cheese typically contains added sugars and is higher in calories than plain varieties. Look for options with 5 grams of added sugar or less in a serving, and ones flavoured with real fruit. Some brands use low-calorie sweeteners like Stevia for sweetness instead. Or, you can opt for no-sugar-added plain cottage cheese and top with fresh berries or chopped fruit for natural sweetness.

Options for lactose-free cottage cheese on the market are limited, but you will find some.

Are there different cottage cheese varieties?

As with yogurt, you can find a lot of options out there for cottage cheese: fat-free, 1-percent, 2-percent, and 4-percent. Although it’s important to not go overboard on saturated fat, some research suggests that full-fat dairy products might not raise the risk for certain conditions like type 2 diabetes or heart disease after all.

Plus, full-fat dairy will keep you feeling fuller for longer, and athletes who are in the midst of high-volume training could benefit from these extra calories to help meet overall energy needs. Ultimately, the choice on how high or low to go with the amount of fat in your cottage cheese is a personal one based on nutrition goals that should be discussed with a sports dietitian or doctor.

There are cottage cheese brands that pack an extra probiotic boost via active cultures similar to what you’d get in yogurt, which could feed the good bacteria in your gut and play a role in improving digestive and immune health. With that said, little is still known about how the cultures added to dairy like cottage cheese function in this aspect. Other elements of a diet, such as fibre intake, may play a bigger role in fostering a healthy gut microbiome.

Keep an eye out as well for versions made using organic milk or sourced from grass-fed cows, which may offer a nutritional advantage in terms of higher amounts of heart-healthy omega-3 fats and less saturated fat.

How can you add cottage cheese to your diet?

The most popular way to eat cottage cheese is as if it were yogurt, dumped in a bowl and topped with fruit and maybe a handful of nuts or granola. But these mild, protein-packed curds can be used in so many different ways. Blend into smoothies, dips, and pancake batter, stir into oatmeal for a shot of creamy protein, make it the base of a savoury bowl of roasted veggies, spread on rye crackers and top with sliced avocado or a sprinkle of paprika and chives, or use in frittatas and scrambled eggs.

Cottage cheese also makes a good substitute for ricotta cheese, sour cream, and even mayonnaise in recipes like lasagne, creamy dressings, and tuna or egg salad. Get creative with your substitutes: You can blend it with foods like bananas and maple syrup for a quick pudding that packs a nutritional punch.

The Bottom Line

Cottage cheese ticks the boxes for nutrition, affordability, and versatility, so you can feel good about revisiting this protein-packed dairy product. Try a few different brands to see what appeases your taste buds the most. But if you don’t like it, if you just prefer yogurt, or if dairy is not your jam, leaving the curds off your shopping list isn’t a deal-breaker as long as you get the protein and nutrients elsewhere in your diet.