Yes, there are carbs in cottage cheese! According to USDA data creamed cottage cheese has 3.4 grams of total carbohydrates per 100g. That’s equivalent to about 7 grams per cup.
It’s not a surprising value for a protein rich food, which can give you 28 grams protein per cup. If you want carbs, it’s better to get carbohydrates from other foods such as oatmeal, corn and other whole grains.
However, if your goal is to lose weight, cottage cheese is one of your best bets. Same is true for athletes and bodybuilders.
Let’s delve deeper and explore the nitty gritty of cottage cheese. This cheese is a coagulated milk possessing smooth and mild flavor. It also has phosphorus, selenium, calcium, and B Vitamins.
Eating cottage cheese is recommended, but cheese alone all day is discouraged. You need a variety to get what your body needs. Carbohydrates for example, if you don’t get enough, will leave you weakened before the end of the day.
What are Carbohydrates? What do They Do?
While proteins are the body’s building blocks, the carbohydrates are the energy source. It’s like a potent fuel that is able to run the engine, fast and efficient.
The first in the group is the most abused starch, sugar. It’s found in almost everything you eat. Its popularity led to the rise of the infamous disease, diabetes.
Carbohydrates come in the form of starches, fibers, and sugar being the easiest to absorb. If you’re starving and feeling very weak, a bottle of cola will quickly give you a boost.
If you want to fill in healthy carbs, choose whole grains like corn, wheat, and barley. Sugar containing foods and highly processed products such as soft drinks, white breads and instant juices should be taken in moderation or should not be taken at all.
Net Carbs in Cottage Cheese
Here are the net carbs of cottage cheese per 100 grams portion, USDA data.
- Creamed cottage cheese, 3.4
- 1% milkfat cottage cheese, 2.7
- 1% milkfat cottage cheese, no sodium, 2.7
- 2% milkfat cottage cheese, 3.7
- Nonfat cottage cheese, 7
Are Carbs in Cottage Cheese Good or Bad?
Whether good or bad is dependent on different situations. The main carbohydrate in milk is lactose, that is later converted to lactic acid during the cheese process. Because of this, most cheese contain less than 2 grams of carbs per 30ml, while 250 ml milk has about 12-13 grams.
So If you’re lactose intolerant, eating cottage cheese is less likely to cause you bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
If you add white sugar into cottage cheese, for whatever reasons, then the carbs in cheese could be bad. Cottage cheese mixed with natural fibers is good.
Can You Eat Cottage Cheese on a Low Carb Diet?
For you to understand it well, we need to review briefly the cottage cheese making process.
Cottage cheese is curdled milk made by action of good microbes and rennet enzymes.
The curdled milk is then filtered out and sometimes formed into blocks. Salt and other flavors are optionally added. Lactose is converted to lactic acid that is good for our blood when consumed.
During cheese making, the protein in milk is concentrated, not converted into other unusable forms. Most carbs the milk has, is transformed into more useful substance. Needless to say, cottage cheese made with basic process is excellent for a low carb diet.
Is Cottage Cheese Good for Keto?
Keto diet is characterized by consuming high protein and high fat foods. Cottage cheese made with the basic recipe is good for keto diet. If you want to follow the rule strictly, you should opt for the cheese made of whole milk. If not possible, no worries! Just get the fat from other food items.
Which Cottage Cheese is Best for Keto
As I’ve said, cottage cheese made with the basic recipe of whole milk is best for keto diet. Make the cheese yourself to avoid making mistakes. If you have no time or just love to laze around, get the cottage cheese with no preservatives and emulsifiers.
Not just cottage cheese, other cheese types can be good for keto diet, such as:
- Blue Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Mozzarella
- Gouda
- Parmesan
How Many Calories Cottage Cheese Has?
Cottage cheese have the following caloric values per cup, USDA data:
- Creamed cottage cheese, 222
- 1% milkfat cottage cheese, 164
- 1% milkfat cottage cheese, no sodium, 163
- 2% milkfat cottage cheese, 195
- Nonfat cottage cheese, 105
Technically, calorie is a measure of heat to raise one gram of water by one degree Centigrade.
Calorie serves as body’s fuel, storing them and using as necessary. If you’re a man needing 3,000 calories per day, you need to take in about 14 cups of creamed cottage cheese.
However, I’m not imposing on you such rhythm. A healthy diet needs variety, not monotony. Get cottage cheese and keep looking for other healthy options.
Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl
For breakfast, you can have a bowl of cottage cheese topped with fruit bits and vegetable slices. Or the other way around, salad topped with cottage cheese. You may also add almonds, cashew nuts, and peanuts.
This cottage cheese breakfast bowl is great. Be creative and you’ll never run out of options. In addition, cottage cheese is great as spread for whole grain bread and as a dipping sauce of your favorite snack.
Conclusion
Now you have the basic idea of cottage cheese benefits. It’s a protein rich food that has a low carb content. For example, a cup of 2% milkfat cottage cheese has 27 grams protein, 8 grams carbs, and 195 calories.
It’s good for keto dieters, people losing weight, body builders, and women maintaining attractive looks. The small amount of carb the cheese has is small. Protein on the other hand, prevents too much hunger. The combination of the two attributes prevent rapid weight gain. In addition, the protein helps build muscles and repairs existing tissues.
However, don’t rage around getting all the cottage cheese you can find. Not all cottage cheese is created equal. Some have minimal ingredients while others have a plethora of questionable items.
Check the label. If it has more than 5 ingredients, have doubt. If you see any unfamiliar item, think twice. Do research or call the customer service whenever possible.
Lastly, make your own cottage cheese. It’s so easy to make.
