Protein Packed

 

I often find myself standing in front of the fridge wondering what to have for a snack.  Lately, my favorite snack has been cottage cheese.

Many people despise cottage cheese, which used to be me, but I have begun to play around with this lumpy stuff after trying a prepackaged Cottage Double and now absolutely love making it at home! 

 

 

Cottage cheese comes in many different milk fat percentages and curd size variations.  My favorite?  I usually get the 1% or 2% small curd cottage cheese. It is low in calories and fat and high in protein and calcium – sounds like a perfect combo to me although, it is relatively bland.

Have no fear, it is a perfect jumping off point for a sweet or savory snack by simple adding a few mix-ins to make it a bit more interesting.

 

My favorite combo:  roasted almonds, dark chocolate chips, homemade granola w/ dried cherries, strawberry jelly and chia seeds.  It keeps me full for hours!

 

I must admit, I am more of a sweet topper kind of person, but this combination (shown above) always fills me up and acts as more of a mini-meal than just a snack.  If you haven’t tried cottage cheese in a while and are in a bit of a snack rut, I urge you to take it for a spin!

 

Topping ideas:

Sweet*-

• almonds or walnuts
• dark chocolate chips
• granola
• fresh or dried fruit
• chia seeds
• jam/jelly (reduced sugar)
• cereal
• applesauce
• pumpkin puree

 

Savory-

• salsa
• pesto
• cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• Green Peppers
• Cucumber
• on toast as a spread
• mixed with tuna salad
• over scrambled eggs

 

Cottage cheese can also be added to smoothies for an extra protein punch!

 

*For a single serving (1/2 cup) be mindful when adding the sweet toppings and just add a small amount of each mix-in.  A low fat snack can quickly transform into an unhealthy, sugary mess without portion control!  A spoonful or less of each topping is usually plenty!