Cottage Cheese Diet

France is probably the only place where 400 different types of cheese can be found alone. But one of the most names that belong to the family of cheese is cottage cheese. Most of us around the globe have heard about it and have eaten it as well. Cottage cheese gets its name from 'cottages' where the cheeses are made, literally. It is prepared atop stoves homes in the rural areas. People who initially manufactured the 'real thing' let nature take its course by leaving the milk to coagulate and turn sour. This is how it gets its name from. Cottage cheese can be made very easily at homes and does not require hard labour.

Cottage cheese is a product of cheese curd but different from most cheese, which is dehydrated and has color, this type of cheese retains its whey content because it is only drained, not pressed dry. The cottage cheese, unlike its relatives, does not experience aging (maturation procedure) and it is also washed to give it its different taste both sweet and slightly flavored. When cottage cheese is hard pressed, the end products are farmer cheese, hoop cheese, pot cheese or Queso blanco (blanco denoting 'white').

A naturally manufactured cottage cheese is made from fresh milk, rennet and mesophilic starter culture (this helps the bacteria grow which is needed to give flavour and helps in coagulation). It is very unusual to find natural cottage cheese nowadays. Commercialization of this product has made it easier to make it easily at a shorter period of time.

The commercially prepared cottage cheese, though, is made from curd that is geared up using skim milk or other milk products that is low in fat. This usually changes the original flavor of the cheese. So if one were used to the commercial cottage cheeses that is readily available in the supermarkets, then they would be surprised to find out that these cheeses have deviated from the original 'tanginess' of the natural cheese.

Cottage cheese has loads of nutritional benefits - it contains low fats, low carbohydrates, and high in protein content. It can provide our body with necessary nutrients because this cheese is a low carb food filled with high proteins. Nutrients found in one cup of cottage cheese contain an estimated 240 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrates, and 28 grams of protein. It will take us less than one cup to feel satisfied with cottage cheese. Our body can burn down the high protein found in cottage cheese for longer periods without making us feel hungry.

Dieters frequently use the cottage cheese diet for breakfast. Instead of eating large quantity of food during breakfast, they chose to eat the cheese with different flavours. Others used this diet as alternate for ingredients with higher fats/higher carb content. The taste is preserved with an added benefit of losing weight. It is also used as an alternative for desserts. People who are engaged in high protein diets also use cottage cheese. It provides them with the nutrients that cannot be found in their high protein foods. It fills that gap with both protein and calcium. Body builders and strength trainers eat this kind of cheese because it is excellent for digestion and contains lots of nutrients.

If dieters are aiming for a sculpted body that is full of muscles and well toned, then cottage cheese diet is the right diet. Most people overlook the low carbohydrate content of this cheese. But looking at it, this low-carb food, which is high in protein, feeds the body of its needed nutrients during a strict diet.

• Emma Bullock
• 03/04/2009, 12:59 PM
• 0 Comments