Many people don’t realize just how good cottage cheese is for you. It is full of protein, calcium, and other nutrients that can help you stay healthy and full of energy, especially during keto. Although many cottage cheese brands are keto approved, not all options are made alike, and some can actually negatively impact your state of ketosis.
In this article, we are offering up our knowledge on the subject of cottage cheese and eating it while taking part in the ketogenic diet. We will also give you a few examples of our favorite cottage cheese brands you will go crazy for. (And some you shouldn’t even think about.)
So, Is Cottage Cheese Keto-friendly?
Yes, with only 4.3 grams of carbs in 3.5 ounces of cottage cheese and no added sugars, it is an ideal item for keto.
It can be hard to find a tasty snack while keeping your daily carb intake low. Luckily, cottage cheese can add a nice touch to an otherwise bland meal.
Now, let’s look past the carb count for a moment. What are the other two essential things to consider when following the ketogenic diet? It is fat and protein, right? Well, cottage cheese provides a nice dose of both ingredients, too.
The average amount of fat content in cottage cheese is around 2.3 grams per serving. The average amount of protein is around 11 grams.
This nutritious makeup gives you a perfect balance of carbs, fat, and protein, all packed in one serving of cottage cheese. Because it is a good balance, it makes it easier to maintain your state of ketosis and stay full and focused, building muscle and losing fat.
What is Cottage Cheese?
Cottage cheese is a dairy product that comes from curdled, skimmed milk. This product is drained but still retains some whey to keep the curds separate and loose.
Cottage cheese has a creamy and soupy texture. It offers a mild flavor and is a popular topping for fruits or crackers (amongst other things.)
What is in it?
Cottage cheese contains nutrients and vitamins, making it a good product for any diet. It is high in protein and calcium, which is a big bonus. It is low in carbs and fat, which is another bonus.
In 3 ½ ounces of cottage cheese, there are:
- Calories: 84
- Carbohydrates: 4.3g
- Protein: 11g
- Fat: 2.3g
- Sodium: 321mg
- Sugars: 4.1g
- Calcium: 111mg
You will also find,
- Sodium · 308 mg
- Vitamin B-6 · 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A · 236 amu
- Cholesterol · 12 mg
- Potassium · 120 mg
- Magnesium · 8.9 mg
What you won’t find are added sugars, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals you might find in other dairy products.
Health Benefits
Yep, there are health benefits to eating cottage cheese. Not only is it low in carbs, but it is also full of anti-inflammatory properties. This benefits everyone, especially those with type two diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
Other ways cottage cheese can improve your overall health:
- It helps to keep you feeling fuller longer, assisting in weight management
- It provides amino acids that are necessary for successfully building muscle mass
- It improves the metabolism aiding in weight loss
- It improves bone health and reduces the risk of bone disease
- It contains live cultures to improve gut health
Yes, cottage cheese is great for keto, but it is also a great food item for just about everyone.
The Best Types of Cottage Cheese for Keto
There are tons of cottage cheese options available today. Even though most options are keto friendly, reading the label is crucial to staying in ketosis.
Plain, low fat cottage cheese is safe, but many companies will add other ingredients to make the flavor a bit more pleasurable.
You want to watch out for any added ingredients that could increase the sugar content, which will increase your carbs. You also want to avoid ingredients like modified food starch or maltodextrin, which companies often use to improve the flavor of their products. These things won’t add carbs to your diet but can trigger inflammation throughout your body.
When looking for ketogenic quality cottage cheese, stick with natural and organic options.
The Top 6 Keto Approved Cottage Cheese Brands
If you love cottage cheese and are searching for the best brands for the ketogenic diet, you have come to the right place. We decided to do you a favor and create a list of our favorite five cottage cheese options just for you.
Each product listed below has natural, wholesome, and delicious ingredients. They are also a great addition to any low carb diet.
So, the next time you get ready to go out shopping, add these cottage cheese products to your list. You won’t be disappointed.
1. Good Culture
Good Culture cottage cheese is a fantastic brand for keto. The company only uses milk from pasture grazing cows, which are never grain fed. The product also contains Celtic sea salt. We love this because studies show this type of salt is much better for you, your kidneys, and your blood pressure than table salt.
Good Culture’s cottage cheese has a great flavor and a perfect creamy texture. You will enjoy eating this product on all of your favorite foods or simply on its own.
Good Culture Ingredients
- Organic skim milk
- Organic whole milk
- Organic cream
- Sea salt
- Live and active cultures
2. Nancy’s Organic Cottage Cheese
Nancy’s makes their cottage cheese the old fashion, traditional way. This company doesn’t believe in preservatives and uses nothing but natural ingredients. They are dedicated to giving the customer a quality product with healthy, organic ingredients.
This product is full of live probiotics, gluten free, and kosher. You can rest assured you’re getting top quality cottage cheese when you reach for a container of Nancy’s.
Nancy’s Organic Ingredients
- Pasteurized non-fat milk
- Salt
- Pasteurized Cream
- 4-strains of lactic cultures
- Live probiotics
3. Traders Point Creamery
Here is another company dedicated to keeping their products simple and done the traditional way. This brand of cottage cheese has 3 grams of carbs per serving, thus keeping your insulin levels and blood sugar nice and low.
The live cultures are great for your gut, providing a healthy microbiome that is linked to longer life spans and healthier immune systems.
Traders Point Creamery Ingredients
- Lactic cultures
- Kosher salt
- Grass fed cow milk
4. Wegmans Organic
Wegamans is a popular grocery store with affordable products and great selections. When it comes to cottage cheese, this brand is one of the best.
Wegmans cottage cheese is made from gluten free, organic, heart healthy ingredients. It has a desirable, rich flavor and a soft, creamy texture.
The small curd product is a fantastic addition to any dish and is perfect for keto recipes
Wegmans Organic Cottage Cheese Ingredients
- Organic Grade A Skim Milk
- Organic Grade A Milk
- Organic Grade A Cream
- Salt
- Live Active Cultures
5. Westby Organic
Westby has some of the best cottage cheese out there. They offer small curds and large curds from their award winning, family owned, Wisconsin company.
This cottage cheese manufacturer boasts about the rich taste and smooth texture each container offers. Made from delicious and natural Grade-A and rBST-free certified-organic-milk.
The low carb count and fantastic flavor offer keto’ers cottage cheese made from the heart that is great for the heart. (You see what we did there?)
Wesby Organic Cottage Cheese Ingredients
- Organic grade A skim milk
- Organic grade A milk
- Organic grade A cream
- Salt
- Live active cultures
6. Daisy Cottage Cheese 4% Milkfat
Daisy brand cottage cheese offers natural, high-quality, and pure dairy products. This company believes that making cottage cheese is an art. It is an art they have mastered, but it took them more than 20 years to do so.
This cottage cheese went through years of testing and hard work to obtain a taste and texture unique in its class.
Using a dollop of this product on your next meal can help improve the flavor of foods. This will increase your options and make such a strict diet much easier to take on.
Daisy Cottage Cheese Ingredients
- Milk
- Cream
- Salt
The 3 Worst Cottage Cheese Brands to Avoid
Not all brands of cottage cheese are made the same. Some of the options out there can hurt your keto goals rather than assist in them. To avoid this common mistake, we found a few cottage cheeses we wouldn’t even touch while partaking in a low carb diet.
Hood
Nutritional facts: 120 calories| 5 g fat| 5 g carbs|13 g protein
This cottage cheese has tons of sodium, 5 grams of carbs, added sugar, and ingredients we don’t feel comfortable eating.
With many other options available, it seems silly to even consider purchasing this product.
Market Pantry
110 calories| 5 g fat| 5 g carbs|12 g protein
Market Pantry’s cottage cheese also lists quite a long list of ingredients. Many of them have us scratching our heads about why we even add them. One ingredient, Carrageenan, is even believed to cause inflammation in the gut and digestive issues.
We suggest avoiding this option at all costs, as these issues can cause problems for your state of ketosis.
Breakstone
110 calories| 5 g fat| 6 g carbs|11 g protein
This cottage cheese contains sugar and additives, making it an absolute “nope” for keto’ers. Although all the ingredients on the label seem harmless enough, it is better to put natural, pure ingredients on top of your favorite foods.
When choosing cottage cheese for keto, avoid anything that has other items included, like fruits. Adding better brands to the fresh, whole fruits you choose is a much better option and easier to ensure you stay within your carb limit.
What Can You Eat on Keto Using Cottage Cheese?
We already discussed putting cottage cheese on top of fruits, veggies, and crackers. But this product can offer you so much more in the way of delicious dishes.
Here are a few of our favorite keto friendly recipes that require high quality, natural, and tasty cottage cheese.
- Keto Cottage Cheese Pancakes- If you are searching for a hearty breakfast food perfect for keto, these pancakes are it. There are only 1.3 grams of net carbs in each serving, along with 5 grams of protein and 7 grams of fat. (Click here for the full recipe.)
- Keto Broccoli Cottage Cheese Balls- Improve the taste of broccoli by covering it up with creamy cottage cheese. Each ball has 1.2 grams of net carbs, 6.7 grams of fat, and 4.4 grams of protein. (Click here for the full recipe)
- Cottage Cheese Lasagna- Make a mouth watering lasagna for dinner that is keto friendly and easy to create. This dish has 10 grams of carbs, 28 grams of fat, and 28 grams of protein. (Click here for the full recipe.)
- Keto Cottage Cheese Pizza- This recipe is one of the most amazing keto friendly recipes we have found so far. The ingredients work well together, and the cottage cheese offers an excellent flavor boost. This pizza has 4g of carbs, 17 grams of protein, and 38 grams of fat. (Click here for the full recipe.)
There are tons of other things you can make using cottage cheese. From sweet baked goods to savory dinners and everything in between. All you have to do is get a little creative and be open to exploring new options.
