What time of day is it better to eat cottage cheese than it can harm?

There is so much talk about the benefits of cottage cheese that it has become an indisputable fact. But how exactly is it useful? Is it really possible to eat cottage cheese at any time of the day and get maximum benefits? And how to diversify it? Let's figure it out together with nutritionist Anna Berseneva .

What will happen to the body if you eat dairy products every day?

Why is it worth eating cottage cheese at all?

Firstly, cottage cheese is considered an excellent source of healthy fatty acids. Dairy products contain unsaturated palmitoleic acid, which, as scientists at Harvard University have found, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Secondly, of course, this product is very rich in vitamins (B12, B2, A and others), as well as phosphorus, calcium and sodium.

Low fat or regular

There are 4 degrees of fat content of this product. They differ not only in fat content, but also in total calorie content.

• Low fat up to 1.8%. It contains from 90 to 105 kcal per 100 grams.
• Bold from 1.8% to 9%. Calorie content from 135 to 160 kcal per 100 grams.
• Fat from 9% to 22%. Calorie content reaches 230 kcal per 100 grams.
• Grainy. About 150 kcal per 100 grams.

If your goal is to lose extra pounds, then you need to give preference to low-fat varieties and half-fat up to 5%. Such varieties are more beneficial for our body, as calcium and other beneficial substances are absorbed faster and better.

Read more about eating low-fat cottage cheese for weight loss >>

This variety tastes no worse than fatty varieties, but with normal consumption it will not cause the appearance of excess deposits. When losing weight, fat content up to 9% is also allowed, but in this case it is recommended to significantly reduce the amount - up to 150 grams per day.

How is cottage cheese good for athletes?

The fact is that cottage cheese contains protein, which is absorbed quite slowly and therefore helps build muscle mass. Amino acids enter the blood, and the muscles receive nutrients in sufficient quantities. Therefore, this dairy product must be included in an athlete’s diet.

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Benefits of cottage cheese at night

Of course, eating at night has a bad effect not only on your figure, but also on your overall well-being. High-calorie foods affect the production of insulin, which, when snacking at night, can disrupt metabolism.

However, not every person has the opportunity to eat strictly according to a schedule. We are often forced to eat when we have the opportunity, including before bed. This leads to excess weight gain and gastrointestinal diseases.

To prevent a late dinner from turning into a stomach ache, the evening snack should be the right one. Cottage cheese is one of the healthy foods. It will delight not only with taste, but will also bring great benefits to the body.

This fermented milk product has a valuable composition. It often becomes one of the main components of dietary and therapeutic nutrition. It contains vitamins B2, B12, H, PP, various macro- and microelements, valuable amino acids. Proportion of BZHU (proteins, fats, carbohydrates): 53%/37%/10%.

Cottage cheese (including as a night snack):

• will restore metabolism;
• normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and makes bones and teeth strong, as it saturates the body with calcium;
• will give you a feeling of fullness and after waking up you will not experience a strong feeling of hunger (the product contains protein that is digested for a long time);
• will help cope with insomnia (the amino acid tryptophan is responsible for this);
• will accelerate weight gain (therefore, the product is of great value for people involved in various sports disciplines).

Despite all the benefits of cottage cheese, the evening portion should not be more than 100-200 g. Cottage cheese is a low-calorie and easily digestible product, so consuming it in such quantities will not create a strong burden on the digestive system.

All the beneficial properties of cottage cheese can be negated if you add sugar, jam, sour cream and other sweet ingredients to the dish. Such additives turn an easily digestible snack into an indigestible late dinner. This is no longer just cottage cheese, but a full-fledged dessert that will cause heaviness in your stomach and add a few extra centimeters to your slender waist. Therefore, it is better to add a small amount of honey to the cottage cheese or season it with cinnamon if you still want to complement its taste.

Why shouldn't you eat cottage cheese in the evening?

If you eat dairy products, including cottage cheese, in the afternoon, swelling may appear in the morning. This is because the protein it contains can be digested and metabolized as a carbohydrate. Then the glucose regulation mechanism will swing, and this can lead to an increase in body fat mass.

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Therefore, the nutritionist recommends eating cottage cheese before 16:00, and in the evening giving preference to other dishes.

Dishes for a late snack/dinner

• Oatmeal with milk containing 2.5% fat. Add a bit of cherries or a small piece of banana.
• An egg, always boiled, and with whole grain bread. If you are overweight, eat an egg without the yolk.
• A small portion of nuts and dried apricots. It is useful to drink half a glass of warm milk if your body copes with lactose.
• Oatmeal cookies are good for dinner.
• Yogurt or milkshake can be combined with cherries or bananas. Flavor the cocktail with a small portion of flax seeds.
• Toast made from bran or whole grain bread. Paired with tuna in its own juice or with crab meat, this is an excellent dinner for healthy sleep.

A proper diet does not mean sleep apnea, which requires CPAP therapy. You will get quality sleep if you follow these simple rules. For more detailed information, contact your doctors, at least visiting the clinic for preventive purposes.

How can you diversify cottage cheese and make it healthier?

To avoid eating the same dish every day, add berries or fruits to the cottage cheese. Strawberries, for example, contain vitamin C, blueberries contain magnesium and phosphorus, and cherries contain vitamins A and B.

What happens to your body if you give up dairy products for a month?

In addition, you can make curd paste by mixing cottage cheese and banana in a blender. Or add spices. Even cinnamon will help diversify the taste and make the dish healthier, as it contains calcium and vitamin D.

Harm of cottage cheese at night

Like any other product, cottage cheese has certain contraindications for use. It doesn’t matter at night or not, it should not be used by those who have individual intolerance or allergic reactions to it. Also, if the cottage cheese is of low quality, it will not bring any benefit.

Some people experience bloating and pain in the lower abdomen from cottage cheese. It is important to note any changes in the condition of this fermented milk product.

If there is no intolerance, but a feeling of discomfort in the stomach still appears, then the product is expired or of poor quality. Good cottage cheese will not be cheap. The price for 400 g of product is approximately equal to 1 liter of milk. The storage period cannot exceed 1 week. If the label says longer, the product contains preservatives.

Cottage cheese should also not be added to the diet if you have atherosclerosis or serious kidney pathologies.

Recipes for PP dinner

If you are going to eat cottage cheese for dinner while losing weight, not all recipes that exist will suit you. Your recipes should be free of sugar, starchy vegetables, fat and chocolate. But you can combine with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, pumpkin, berries, herbs and nuts, and every evening you can have a new dish even when using the same products.

Smoothie

This drink is perfect for both a snack during the day and a light dinner. Just blend your favorite fruits or berries with cottage cheese in a blender.

Add nuts and dried fruits to cottage cheese to taste, but in moderation

With greens

Chop your favorite herbs: dill, parsley, green onions, cilantro or something else and mix it with cottage cheese. You can spread the resulting mass on toasted or dried bread. Or you can use it as a filling for baked vegetables. For example, baked zucchini or peppers with this filling will be simply great. You can also add grated or pressed garlic here. This will give the dish a sharp taste and aroma when baked. In addition, garlic speeds up digestion processes in the body.

With dried fruits

Dried fruits and honey are alternatives to sugar. This dish is suitable for those with a sweet tooth who cannot live without something sweet. But even such a relatively low-calorie dessert should be consumed in minimal quantities.

Salad

There is no need to invent something special - hudeem-bez-problem.ru recommends simply cutting tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and red onions, adding cottage cheese and dressing this salad with natural yogurt or kefir. An easy, healthy and satisfying dinner is ready!

Light salad with cottage cheese - ideal for dinner

Cinnamon

This spice helps with weight loss as it speeds up metabolic processes. Just add it to cottage cheese and have dinner with this dish. If you don’t like the products in this combination, then you can bake apples with cinnamon and eat cottage cheese with them.

Syrniki

Many dishes are prepared from cottage cheese, but the first thing that comes to mind is cheesecakes. For half a kilo of cottage cheese, take 250 g of flour and 2 eggs. If desired, add honey, spices (vanilla, cinnamon), apples, raisins or something similar. Mix everything, make the cheesecakes themselves and bake them in the oven until ready.

Casserole

Another way to prepare a tasty and healthy dish. A pack of cottage cheese is ground, one egg and 100 g of unsweetened berries are added. You can add cinnamon, cardamom or turmeric. Everything is thoroughly mixed, but carefully so that the berries remain as intact as possible. Then everything is poured into a mold and sent to the oven until cooked.

Cottage cheese is useful for almost all people. And for those who want to lose weight, hudeem-bez-problem.ru advises to pay close attention to this product, since with a relatively low calorie content it contains a large amount of useful substances.

Author - Yulia Mosalova, checked by practicing family doctor Elizaveta Anatolyevna Krizhanovskaya. For more information about the experts, see the site authors
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What is better after a workout - protein or cottage cheese?

Professional athletes value cottage cheese precisely for its natural composition and high content of natural protein. After an intense workout, the body experiences a shortage of not only energy, but also protein substances necessary for muscle growth. In this case, cottage cheese seems to be an ideal product - it supplies slow protein, as well as the required amount of carbohydrates and fats.

If we compare protein and cottage cheese, the latter can be called a budget, but no less effective solution.

Benefit when used by athletes

The beneficial properties of this fermented milk product can be summarized as follows:

• This product is simply an excellent source of animal protein components that are of high quality and heterogeneity.
• The product contains casein. Buying a whey option will cost an athlete much more than buying cottage cheese. We can say that it is the cheapest source of this protein.
• Along with cottage cheese, vitamins and minerals enter the body in sufficient quantities. Without them, muscle growth will simply stop.
• This product can be recommended as a component of a healthy diet. It helps improve digestion and accelerate metabolic processes. As a result, your mood improves and your performance increases. Activation of the activity of all organ systems without exception is observed.

Unfortunately, there are also negative aspects associated with the consumption of cottage cheese:

• cottage cheese contains a large number of protein fractions and this is very good for a bodybuilder, but only if he is absolutely healthy. If there is a kidney pathology, then excess protein will only worsen the situation. The athlete consumes 2-3 g of protein per day. Healthy kidneys can withstand a load of 2 g, but with a larger amount problems may arise;
• People who have a history of pathology such as acne should not consume cottage cheese. This is due to a genetic predisposition to skin diseases;
• The risk of purchasing a counterfeit product cannot be excluded. Nowadays, unfortunately, this happens quite often. Poor quality manufacturers add starch, palm oil, and other undesirable components.

In order to answer the question of which cottage cheese is the best, you need to decide what goals and objectives a particular person sets for himself. If you need to gain muscle mass, then fatty and semi-fat varieties are suitable. Naturally, consumption should be moderate, since no athlete needs excess fat.

For those who decide to lose weight, low-fat varieties of curd products are just right. The intake of fat is limited, but the satiety is simply wonderful.

If you just want to maintain health, then different varieties are combined with each other. Of course, in terms of usefulness, low-fat products will not compete with the fatty version, but consuming half-fat varieties of cottage cheese is considered optimal.

A good combination is noted with a number of products. It will go well with chicken and quail eggs. A fairly good combination is observed when combined with lean varieties of fish and meat and with fatty fish. It can also be consumed together with nuts and legumes, which are a good source of plant-based protein. But it should be repeated once again that you need to beware of fakes. The effect will only occur if you use a quality product.

Cottage cheese after workout for weight loss

Cottage cheese is recognized as an ideal product for weight loss, as it contains a lot of protein and a small amount of carbohydrates. To achieve the best effect, it should be consumed approximately 30-40 minutes after training. 150 grams of a product with medium-low fat content (3-5%) is enough.

Cottage cheese is good because it relieves the feeling of hunger for a long time and does not allow you to “break out” if a person follows a diet and limits himself in nutrition. You can eat it at any time of the day - for second breakfast, as a snack, at night.

Important. Low-fat cottage cheese is in no way suitable for weight loss, since in the absence of fat the hormone calcitriol is not activated - it is this that starts the process.

Choose right and eat right

Only natural cottage cheese is suitable for proper nutrition. Sweet curd mass and cheese curds are not suitable for these purposes. They contain large amounts of sugar and artificial additives. There is no need to talk about the high protein content in such products.

What should not be combined with cottage cheese?

When consuming cottage cheese, you should refrain from simultaneous intake of protein-rich foods. These include legumes, eggs, meat, fish and nuts. Bread, potatoes, and cereals are not recommended. Without a doubt, we exclude sugar in any form.

Comparing the calorie content of dishes

Recipe for cottage cheese and carrot casserole

Cottage cheese is usually cold, but sometimes you want to eat something hot for dinner. Carrot-curd casserole is a great way out.

To prepare the casserole you will need:

• fresh carrots – 300 grams;
• low-fat cottage cheese – 250 grams;
• egg - thing;
• semolina – 25 grams;
• sour cream – 30 grams;
• salt – two pinches;
• butter – 5 grams;
• milk – 100 milliliters;
• sugar substitute – 10 tablets.

Preparation.

1. Wash the carrots, peel them and cut into thin rings.
2. Take a large saucepan, pour milk into it, add carrots, sugar substitute and salt. Place the pan on the fire. Simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Take a blender and make carrot puree from the contents of the pan.
4. Pour the semolina into the pan and return to low heat for 4 minutes.
5. Beat the yolk and add it to the mixture, removed from the heat. Mix the contents of the pan well and leave to cool.
6. Mix cottage cheese with sour cream and rub through a sieve.
7. Beat the egg white.
8. Place the cottage cheese in a saucepan with the now cooled carrot puree, then pour in the whipped egg whites.
9. Grease a baking dish with butter and place the carrot-curd dough on it.
10. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Place the baking dish in the oven. Remove the casserole after 30 minutes.

Myth 1. Fractional meals for weight loss

I put this myth first. Why? Yes, because dozens of times I almost cried along with my patients who had gained weight, who went to the gym to “lose weight” and listened to the muscular trainer with his recommendations to eat five, six, or even seven times a day. And be sure to have cottage cheese at 10 p.m.!

Coupled with insufficient physical activity (and “beginners” will not be able to handle enough) and self-deception: “I’m working out, everything will burn during training,” the girls stuffed food into themselves, often without thinking at all whether they were hungry now or not.

Making cottage cheese at home

You don’t have to buy cottage cheese; you can make it yourself from kefir or yogurt. How to do it:

1. Heat the milk and curdled milk over low heat, stirring the mixture constantly.
2. During the cooking process, the curds should separate from the whey.
3. Line a colander with clean gauze and pour the cottage cheese into it.
4. Wait until the whey has completely drained.

Typically, 250 milliliters of milk are required to prepare 100 grams of cottage cheese.