Key TakeawaysCottage cheese bowls can be a great source of protein, and they are usually easy to prepare.Switching up your cottage cheese bowl recipes can add variety—and, thus, more nutrients—to your diet.For people with certain health conditions or nutrition goals, it’s important to be mindful of toppings high in fat, sugar, or sodium, experts said.

Key Takeaways

Cottage cheese bowls can be a great source of protein, and they are usually easy to prepare.Switching up your cottage cheese bowl recipes can add variety—and, thus, more nutrients—to your diet.For people with certain health conditions or nutrition goals, it’s important to be mindful of toppings high in fat, sugar, or sodium, experts said.

Cottage cheese bowls have beengaining popularity on TikTok, with users extolling the many benefits of the high-protein snacks. Users have shared their favorite recipes, including sweet and savory options and themed variations, such as pizza-inspired cottage cheese bowls.

Additionally, these snacks allow people to play with different flavors and topping variations. “Cottage cheese is a blank canvas, so it makes it really easy to customize it to an individual’s nutrition goals and flavor preferences,” Barron said. “When someone is trying to improve their nutrition, making choices that align with their food preferences is critical to making changes that stick long-term.”

Whilecottage cheesebowls can provide an excellent protein boost, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your snack remains balanced.

“Instead of thinking about what to avoid, I like to tell people to think about what to add,” Barron said. “The cottage cheese is already providing protein as well as some fat, so in order to create a balanced meal, you should think about adding some carbohydrate, fiber, and micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals.”

If your go-to cottage cheese bowl includes a topping or ingredient high in fat or sugar and you’re looking to replace it, chances are there’s a substitute out there that provides the sweet or salty kick you’re looking for without the downsides, Barron added.

6 Signs You’re Eating More Protein Than You Need

How to Choose the Right Cottage Cheese for a Bowl

You can also tweak cottage cheese if you don’t enjoy the form it comes in: “You can even blend cottage cheese to a smooth consistency if the texture is not something you like,” Langer said.

Another perk of cottage cheese bowls is that they’re often quick and easy to make. The never-ending recipe combinations are also great for people looking to eat a well-rounded diet.

It’s important to check the label when grocery shopping for cottage cheese to use as your base. “Look for cottage cheese with minimal ingredients,” Barron said. “Cottage cheese should contain milk and/or cream and live cultures, [and] you may also see salt, thickeners, and natural preservatives on the ingredient list, but there is really nothing else that is necessary to add beyond that.”

You don’t necessarily need to buy fat-free options: “I would try to avoid a fat-free cottage cheese because fat helps keep us fuller for longer,” Langer said. However, depending on your goals and taste and texture preferences, you may want to explore 2% or 4% milkfat options.

“The protein content should be pretty consistent, [with] around 12 to 14 grams per half cup,” Barron added.

Unless you have certain health conditions, you’re unlikely to includetoo much proteinin a cottage cheese bowl; Langer said: “If you have kidney failure or kidney disease, you need to watch your protein [intake],” but otherwise healthy people don’t need to worry about getting too much protein with cottage cheese bowls.

Barron recommended trying the Good Culture, Daisy, or Trader Joe’s cottage cheese brands if they’re available to you.

What Does Protein Do? A Guide to This Essential Nutrient

Healthy Substitutions for Common Cottage Cheese Bowl Toppings

Common toppings for cottage cheese bowls include seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, cheese, and meat. Specific recipes call for toppings that some people may want to consume in moderation for health reasons.

“The key would be to limit the added sugar and instead focus on naturally occurring sugars,”Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, a New York-based dietitian, told Verywell. Other aspects to be mindful of are high-sodium and high-fat toppings, Gans said.

While you shouldn’t feel guilty about experimenting with any ingredients that sound good to you, experts said there are a few tweaks you can make if you eat cottage cheese bowls regularly and want to keep it balanced.

Opt for Calorie-Free Sweeteners

As a substitute for sugary toppings, like maple syrup, Barron recommended using a calorie-free sweetener—likestevia—if your goal is to reduce the calories of your cottage cheese bowl. That said, a small amount of maple syrup or a similar product, like honey, “would not be enough to throw off the whole meal,” she added.

Include Foods With Fiber

If you like putting crunchy processed toppings on your cottage cheese bowl—like sugary cereals, chocolate chips, or candies that add unhealthy fats—“look for low-sugar, whole grain cereals that providefiber,” Barron said.

“Freeze-dried fruit would be a great way to get the crunchy texture and some additional nutrients,” Barron added. You can replace chocolate chips and candy with lower-sugar options like cocoa nibs. “Or [you can] just keep the serving small so as not to increase the sugar content too much but still bring the flavor and texture you are looking for,” Barron said.

Add Minimally Processed Proteins

If you’d like to avoid—or eat less—processed meatslike bacon and sausage high in sodium and unhealthy fats, Barron suggested trying minimally processed options, like roasted chicken, ground beef, or canned fish. “Seasoning these less-processed meats will be important to ensuring the bowl still has good flavor,” she said. “You could also consider other minimally processed protein sources like eggs, tofu, and edamame.”

It’s also worth noting that cottage cheese bowls already provide a substantial amount of protein, so you don’t need to add any other sources to your dish unless you want to, Gans said.

Consider the Sugar and Fiber in Fruits

Consider which fruits to add to your bowl if you’re monitoring yoursugarintake. “Some fruits that are higher in sugar include apples, bananas, grapes, and figs,” Barron said. “Fruits lower in sugar include berries, kiwi, and citrus.” However, she added, “The sugar content of fruit is not something to be afraid of: Fruit contains fiber, which tends to slow the absorption of the naturally occurring sugars, and micronutrients, which provide a variety of benefits.”

Add Calorie-Dense Toppings to Support Your Health Goals

You may also want to consider how much full-fat granola, nuts,seeds, or nut butters you add to your cottage cheese bowls, as excessive amounts may come with downsides. “While these foods are often nutrient-dense, they also tend to be calorie-dense,” Barron said. “For someone hoping to gain weight, this could be a great thing, [and] for those looking to keep the calories of their meal lower, it will be important to be aware of how much of these kinds of toppings they add.”

It’s difficult to say how much fat one meal or snack should contain. “This is all dependent upon the individual, but in general, more than 20 to 30% of calories from fat may be considered high for one meal,” Barron said.

What This Means For YouCottage cheese bowls can be a great snack or meal, as they automatically provide protein and are usually quick and easy to prepare. They can be catered to sweet or savory tastes, but experts said it’s important to watch out for excess sugar, sodium, or unhealthy fats; for most foods with high amounts, low-fat or low-sugar substitutions or alternatives are available to help you keep your cottage cheese bowl healthy.

What This Means For You

Cottage cheese bowls can be a great snack or meal, as they automatically provide protein and are usually quick and easy to prepare. They can be catered to sweet or savory tastes, but experts said it’s important to watch out for excess sugar, sodium, or unhealthy fats; for most foods with high amounts, low-fat or low-sugar substitutions or alternatives are available to help you keep your cottage cheese bowl healthy.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?