Cottage Cheese Keto: 3 Essential Health Benefits

Millions of people found that following the keto diet helped them lose weight and get healthy. This diet first popped up as a treatment for epileptic kids when doctors learned that it could help them control their symptoms. It essentially limits the number of carbs you can eat and cuts down on your sugar intake. Most people on the keto diet eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs every day. There are some who limit their daily carbs to less than 20 grams.

Keto dieters often enjoy cheese as a snack because it has a lot of healthy fat that helps them feel full. But When it comes to cottage cheese, the results are mixed on whether it’s a good choice for the keto diet.

Table of Contents

• What is Cottage Cheese?
• Is Cottage Cheese Keto Friendly?
• Are There Different Types of Cottage Cheese?
• What are the Benefits of Eating Cottage Cheese on Keto?
• Can You Eat Cottage Cheese on Keto? Recipes to Try
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream
  • Cottage Cheese Pancakes
  • Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
• FAQs
• Cottage cheese and keto

What is Cottage Cheese?

Cottage cheese became popular in the 1980s as a diet food and is nearly as popular today. You can look at “is cottage cheese keto” to find out if you can safely eat this food on your diet plan

Before you buy a large tub at the grocery store, you may want to know what cottage cheese is and what it tastes like. 

Cottage cheese is a dairy product that some call curds and whey. It comes from cow’s milk. When a farmer takes that milk and presses it, they make cheese curds, which are different from cottage cheese curds in that they do not have any whey. Whey is the liquid that surrounds the curds, which often makes a slight squeaky sound when you bite down on them. Cottage cheese is drained instead of pressed, retaining the whey in the curds.

Many people like that cottage cheese has a lot of natural protein. A 3.5-ounce or 100-gram serving of cottage cheese has less than four grams of carbs and less than three grams of sugar. Cottage cheese also has some of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, including some that you miss out on when you cut back on your intake of fruits and vegetables. 

Is Cottage Cheese Keto Friendly?

If you love cottage cheese and consider it a staple of your diet, you will want to know if it’s keto friendly if you decide to go on a keto diet. Though some say that you should skip this ingredient or eat it in moderation, it’s usually safe for keto dieters. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the best types of cottage cheese are those that do not contain any added ingredients, such as jam or jelly, which are popular mix-ins  that have a lot of sugar. 

A single serving of cottage cheese has a healthy amount of calcium and potassium, along with zinc and B6 and B12 vitamins. The vitamins and minerals found in cottage cheese make it a good choice for those just starting the on the keto diet. 

You may suffer from an issue called the keto flu in the beginning. While this is not a traditional version of the flu, it mimics some of the flu’s symptoms. Many people experience these symptoms within two to seven days of starting the diet. You may have stomach cramps or pain and a headache as well as nausea and fatigue. 

Eating a serving of cottage cheese or multiple servings every day can help you reduce some of those symptoms.

Are There Different Types of Cottage Cheese?

When eating cottage cheese, keto followers can choose different types. 

• Non-fat cottage cheese is a type that has less than 0.5% fat per serving. It usually has around 80 calories in 0.5 cups but may not help you feel as full as other types do. 
• One percent cottage cheese has up to 90 calories and 1% fat per serving. 
• With 2% cottage cheese, you get more fat and around 90 calories per serving. 
• Traditional cottage cheese has much more fat. Each serving can have up to five grams of fat along with 110 calories.
• Depending on where you shop, you may also find creamed cottage cheese. Creamed cottage cheese mixes the curds and whey with cream to give the finished product a sweet taste and reduce the size of the curds.

You’ll also find both large curd and small curd cottage cheeses. 

• Small curd cottage cheese uses more acid during the curdling process, which gives the final product a slightly acidic or bitter flavor. 
• Large curd cottage cheese uses less acid and has a milder and slightly sweeter flavor. 

Both types are available in most grocery stores.

Not everyone loves cottage cheese as much as others do. The curds can feel strange on your tongue and even induce your gag reflex.

What are the Benefits of Eating Cottage Cheese on Keto?

You’ll notice some big benefits from just one serving of cottage cheese per day. Some of these benefits include:

Muscle Building

One benefit of adding cottage cheese to your diet plan is that it helps you build healthy muscles. With some dairy products, you get a large amount of protein upfront. While that protein can help you feel full, it will not help you get the muscles you want. Cottage cheese contains protein that your body slowly breaks down and absorbs. This helps you get in shape and can give you a boost when it comes to building muscles quickly.

Satiety

Another benefit is that cottage cheese keeps you feeling full for longer. Have you ever had fast food for lunch and found that you were hungry again long before dinner? While salt and fat can curb your cravings and fill your stomach, the effects of those ingredients will quickly wear off. Cottage cheese has a good combination of fat and protein. This combination helps you feel full as soon as you eat and keeps you feeling full for hours. You may find that eating a serving of cottage cheese at lunch reduces the cravings that you have for other foods and helps you skip the snacks you usually have in the afternoon.

Improved Gut Health

Those looking for cottage cheese keto friendly recipes will also find that this ingredient improves their gut health. Cottage cheese has natural probiotics that regulate your digestive system. Do you have a habit of straining when you use the bathroom? You might suffer from cramps because you are not regular and experience other bowel issues. The probiotics found in cottage cheese both regulate and improve your overall gut health. 

Other Benefits

Cottage cheese can also improve your brain health and the health of your eyes and skin. 

Can You Eat Cottage Cheese on Keto? Recipes to Try

Though you can eat cottage cheese on keto, you may find that you grow tired of eating it on its own. You usually cannot add jelly or jam because they have so much sugar, but there are plenty of low sugar or no sugar added jelly or jam alternatives. Adding a spoonful to a serving of cottage cheese makes a quick snack that also serves as a fun dessert. 

We found some other cottage cheese keto recipes that you can try.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

Peanut butter chocolate ice cream has the sweet flavor that you love and is easy to make. This recipe gets its rich dairy flavor from the addition of cottage cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup of cottage cheese

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of sugar substitute

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

1. To make this recipe, place the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and blend. You want the cottage cheese to have a thin consistency. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and run the food processor for up to five minutes. 
3. Once the mixture reaches the consistency that you want, place it in a bowl with a piece of plastic over the top and put it in your freezer. 
4. It takes around 45 minutes for your ice cream to set before you can serve it.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

One of the hardest things about following the keto diet is that you need to give up your favorite carbs. Do you miss sitting down to a stack of pancakes on a Saturday morning with your family? You may even find that you need to eat keto dishes at breakfast while your family chows down on pancakes dripping with maple syrup. This keto-friendly pancake recipe is the solution!

Though this recipe for cottage cheese pancakes takes a little work, you’ll love the way they taste.

Ingredients

¾ cup of almond flour

½ cup of cottage cheese

2 eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted and melted butter

1 tablespoon of sugar substitute

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking powder

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pancakes

1. Place the almond flour and cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and pulse until you break down the cottage cheese. If you don’t mind the texture of the cheese curds, you can skip this step. It’s also easy to break down the curds with an immersion blender. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.Set a frying pan on your stove and turn the heat to low. 
3. Spray the bottom of the pan with a butter substitute or use a small pat of butter. 
4. Once the butter melts, add ¼ cup of the pancake batter to the pan, making a round shape. Look for bubbles to appear on the surface, which should take around four minutes.
5. Flip the pancake and cook for two to three minutes. Repeat the process until you use the rest of the batter. 
6. You can serve the cottage cheese pancakes with no sugar added maple syrup or any other toppings that you like. 

This recipe gives you another way to make yummy cottage cheese pancakes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Whether you invite friends over for dinner or want a snack to enjoy while watching TV, consider this keto-friendly spinach artichoke dip. Spinach artichoke dips often have a lot of carbs and added sugars, especially when you buy one from the grocery store or a restaurant. This recipe uses cottage cheese to give the dip a richer taste. It is safe for keto dieters and is gluten-free.

Ingredients

4 ounce package of frozen and chopped spinach

4 ounces of cottage cheese

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of sour cream

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1-14.5 ounce can of drained artichoke hearts, chopped or diced

6 cloves of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2/3 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip

1. To make this dip, remove your spinach from the freezer. Place it in a bowl and microwave for two minutes. You want to defrost the spinach without cooking it. 
2. Remove the bowl from the microwave and place it on a cloth. Twist the sides of the cloth and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. It’s helpful to do this over a bowl or your sink.
3. Turn your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you make the dip.
4. Blend your cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until you eliminate the curds. You can also use cream cheese in place of cottage cheese or a combination of both. 
5. Add the cheese to a pan and cook over low heat until it starts bubbling. 
6. Add the mayo and sour cream along with the parmesan cheese and remaining ingredients, keeping back half of the mozzarella cheese.
7. Once the mixture is warm, remove it from the heat and pour it into a baking dish. 
8. Scatter the rest of the cheese over the top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is brown. 
9. Try serving this dip with keto crackers or fresh veggies.

Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Did you try keto in the past and failed because you could not give up your favorite desserts? Cheesecake is a popular dessert that you might think you can’t have because of the carbs and sugar it has. With a cottage cheese and keto cheesecake recipe, you get the amazing flavor that you want without worrying about your intake of carbs. This recipe also uses fresh berries to add a touch of sweetness.

Ingredients

2 cups of cottage cheese

½ cup of heavy cream

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1 teaspoon of sugar substitute

4 egg whites

½ cup of mixed fresh berries

How to Make Cottage Cheese Keto Cheesecake

1. Making this cheesecake starts when you place the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor and pulse it until it’s smooth. Keep in mind that you want the cottage cheese to resemble the cream cheese usually used in cheesecake. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of the heavy cream before you blend it. 
2. You will then add the rest of the ingredients except for the egg whites and berries and blend the mixture until it is thick and smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. The egg whites are ready when you can hold the bowl upside down without the peaks falling. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Gently fold the egg whites in the cheesecake mixture, making sure that there aren’t any streaks in the mixture. 
6. You can then pour the mixture into silicone or metal baking molds and evenly sprinkle the fresh berries over the top. 
7. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes or until it no longer wiggles in the pan.

One of the fun things about this recipe is that you can customize it in different ways. There are fewer carbs in low-fat cottage cheese, which means that you can use it in this recipe to cut back on your calories. Using mixed berries like strawberries and raspberries is how we like cheesecake, but you can stick with only one type of berry. Other fruits that work well include peaches and bananas. If you don’t have fresh fruit on hand, go with no sugar added jam. You’ll want to place a small dollop of jam on the top of each cheesecake tin and swirl it through the mixture. 

We also like making this recipe in a larger baking tin and cutting it into smaller pieces.

Take this cheesecake to the next level with a keto crust. All you need is a small amount of almond flour with a few teaspoons of sugar substitute. You can then add some melted butter and press the mixture in the bottom of the tin before you add and bake the cheesecake mixture. 

Keto cookies are a good alternative to almond flour. When you use keto cookies, you can skip the sugar substitute.

FAQs

Cottage cheese and keto

“Can you have cottage cheese on keto,” is a common question that people ask when they decide to try this diet. Cottage cheese has a lot of fat and protein but does not have many carbs. You’ll want to stick with low-fat cottage cheese as it has fewer carbs than other types do, but you can choose between small and large curds. 

Check out some of the top cottage cheese keto recipes that you can find in this post that can help you make the most out of this underrated dairy product.