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How to Make Cottage Cheese Work for You

Discover whether cottage cheese offers as many benefits as social media trends suggest, and how you might incorporate it into a healthy eating plan.

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Updated:

May 9, 2025

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Credit: Jennifer Youndt, Penn State

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Americans are embracing cottage cheese and transforming it in many new and innovative ways—from adding it to casseroles to using it to make "cloud" bread. It seems that most of these cottage cheese converts are drawn to—among other things—its mild flavor and high-protein content. Even social media influencers have begun to tout the product’s nutritional benefits (Speicher, 2024).

According to the American Dairy Association North East (ADANE, n.d.), cottage cheese is packed with protein, which maintains, builds, and repairs muscles. It also contains calcium, which helps build and maintain strong bones. ADANE adds that "a half-cup serving of low-fat (2%) plain cottage cheese contains around 90 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrate, 12 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of total fat. It also supplies essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and vitamin B₁₂."

One potential concern regarding most store-bought cottage cheese, though, is its high sodium content. The average low-fat cottage cheese contains upwards of 400mg per half-cup serving, which is on the high end of what MyPlate (n.d.) recommends. (For reference, they recommend no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.) In addition, the American Heart Association (2024) points out that overconsumption of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney failure, and many other health issues. The recommended daily sodium limit for Americans with these chronic health conditions is 1,500 mg.

If incorporated thoughtfully, though, cottage cheese can still be a positive addition to almost any meal plan. The goal of this article is to help you include healthy portions of cottage cheese in your diet, while also understanding why and how you can limit the sodium in those same portions.

A Cottage Cheese "Plan"

MyPlate (n.d.) states that the average adult's daily meal plan should include at least 3 cups of dairy, ideally in its low-fat or fat-free forms. And while many people select milk and yogurt as the two primary sources for their dairy intake, cottage cheese can offer a nice change of pace (and taste).

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Ball, 2023) points out that, because of its relatively lower calcium content, 2 cups of cottage cheese counts as only a 1-cup serving in MyPlate's dairy food group. And, while the Academy still sees several benefits to eating cottage cheese, it cautions readers to consider portion size. After all, 2 cups of a traditional store-bought cottage cheese might include a fair amount of calories and fat, in addition to significantly more sodium than is recommended.

So, what are your options? First, you can choose your serving size with an eye toward your total sodium intake, or you can look for versions of cottage cheese that include less sodium.

Low-Sodium Options

Today's consumers have many more cottage cheese options than they did just a few years ago. While there are now brands of cottage cheese that market their low-sodium or no-sodium-added versions (some of which contain only 45mg of sodium per serving), these products are by no means as prevalent as their traditional full-sodium counterparts. In fact, you may have to make a special request at your local grocery store to encourage them to expand their selections. Your other option is, of course, to search the internet. A quick search for the type of cottage cheese you are interested in will often lead you to a product page where you can locate a retailer near you that sells the type you want.

If you can't find a retailer near you that carries the cottage cheese you want or if you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, you can make your cottage cheese yourself and control the sodium content. There are only three basic ingredients—milk, vinegar, and salt—and there are plenty of cottage cheese recipes on the web. Just remember to use the keywords "low-sodium cottage cheese" when conducting your search.

Serving Suggestions

While cottage cheese is loaded with great nutrients and has a mild taste, you may want to enhance the aesthetics of and add flavor to your cottage cheese or incorporate it into your food in a completely unexpected way. (As always, when using cottage cheese in a snack or for a meal, select the low-fat and lower-sodium varieties whenever possible.)

Here are a few preparations to consider:

Mix in your own fresh fruit. This adds fiber, vitamins, and minerals while avoiding the added sugars some manufacturers combine with their cottage cheese fruit blends.
Stir in fresh or dried herbs and spices. This adds a savory taste without adding calories or salt.
Blend your cottage cheese in a food processor to create a spread to use on whole-grain toast or crackers.
Incorporate it into scrambled eggs to add even more protein and a velvety texture.
Use cottage cheese as a nice alternative to ricotta. Low-fat cottage cheese reduces the calories and the total and saturated fat content that would be present in ricotta made with whole milk.
Create a cottage cheese bowl instead of a yogurt bowl.
Use it as a main ingredient when making high-protein bagels (such as the Cottage Cheese Bagels recipe provided below).

And if you have an issue with either the taste or texture of cottage cheese, you can still enjoy its benefits by searching the thousands of recipes online that use cottage cheese as an ingredient.

To get started on your cottage cheese journey, try the following recipe:

Cottage Cheese Bagels

4 servings | serving size: 1 bagel

When preparing this recipe, start with clean countertops and utensils. Wash hands with soap and water.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup low-fat (2%) low-sodium cottage cheese
1 egg (for egg wash, optional)
Optional toppings: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, or garlic

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Rewash hands with soap and water after touching flour.
Use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to blend the cottage cheese until smooth.
Mix the blended cottage cheese into the dry ingredients until a dough is formed.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a log and join the ends together, forming a bagel.
If desired, break an egg in a small bowl. Rewash hands with soap and water after touching the egg. Beat the egg and use it to brush the tops of the bagels. Then sprinkle with the seasoning topping of choice.
Place on the lined baking sheet and bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown.