Cottage cheese: benefits and harms to the body, composition, calorie content, how to choose and store

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Our ancestors learned how to make cottage cheese a long time ago. In many countries, this product was revered for its nutritional value, and in some it was even endowed with magical powers. So, according to legend, cottage cheese was a favorite dish of Krishna. He praised him for his ability to prolong a person's youth, protect against diseases and give strength. The inhabitants of ancient India gave cottage cheese the ability to bring good luck. For this, a special ceremony was even invented for knocking down pots with this product from special poles. Those who succeeded secured happiness and prosperity for the whole year.

In the modern world, cottage cheese is also considered a very popular food product. It is easily digestible and compatible with so many products. The beneficial properties of cottage cheese will perfectly reflect on the he alth of a growing organism and older people. It is also indispensable in the diet of those who control their weight.

How to benefit and not harm the bodyusing cottage cheese

Despite the fact that meat is considered the main source of protein, cottage cheese practically does not lag behind it in terms of protein content. And if you use low-calorie cottage cheese, then you don’t have to worry about raising cholesterol in the blood, which adherents of meat products cannot boast of.

The value of cottage cheese is already hidden in the very process of its preparation. After all, it is at the time of fermentation that its most useful components stand out: protein and milk fat. With the help of 300 g of cottage cheese, you can satisfy the body's need for a daily dose of protein. The amino acids that make up this product can prevent liver disease. Minerals strengthen bones. And vitamins protect against the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Consumption of cottage cheese restores metabolism and the nervous system, and also increases hemoglobin. But cottage cheese is useful not only as a food product. It is also used as a cosmetic for the skin.

Along with the benefits, cottage cheese can also bring harm to the body. So that its consumption does not adversely affect the state of the pancreas, you should not eat it every day. 200 g twice or thrice a week will be enough for the body.

Compared to other fermented milk products, cottage cheese spoils faster, thereby provoking the reproduction of E. coli. This fact must be taken into account when buying a product. Not having confidence in the conditions of its production and storage, it is better to refuse to purchase. An expired product may affect bowel function andkidney.

No benefit can be extracted from the curd product, which contains vegetable fats. Although it is he who is not able to harm blood vessels - unlike fatty cottage cheese, which increases cholesterol and contributes to such a disease as atherosclerosis.

In order to control weight, it is not recommended to use fatty and medium-fat cottage cheese for people on a diet and pregnant women. It is best to opt for low-calorie or grained cottage cheese.

It is not recommended to use fresh cottage cheese for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. For them, dishes that have undergone heat treatment are preferable: cheesecakes, casseroles, dumplings, etc.

Cottage cheese: product composition

Curd is made from milk - a valuable product that a person tries first in his life. Therefore, all useful elements are maximally concentrated in cottage cheese. First of all, it is rich in protein, as well as trace elements: iron, calcium and phosphorus. The cottage cheese also contains 12 vitamins. All of them are harmoniously balanced, which helps the human body to easily absorb the product.

What are the benefits and harms of cottage cheese for the human body? The nutritional value is provided by the presence of protein in the product. Phosphorus and calcium contribute to the formation and strengthening of the skeletal system. The presence of minerals contributes to the prevention of anemia. And B vitamins regulate metabolism, improve vision, and prevent atherosclerosis.

However, you should not abuse cottage cheese, so as not to harm the liver. It is enough for an adult to eat 200 g several times a week. Preschooler - 300 g in 3-4 doses. Babies can be fed with cottage cheese not earlier than 7-8 months of age, or even later. The first curd food should not contain any additives.

Calorie cottage cheese

The nutritional value of cottage cheese directly depends on its fat content. So, 100 g of a fatty product contains 230 kcal, medium fat - about 160 kcal, and low fat - 85 kcal.

Moreover, the presence of protein in fatty and low-calorie cottage cheese is not particularly different. Therefore, of course, it is better to choose a low-fat product.

The value of cottage cheese is in calcium

This microelement plays an important role for the human body. It is necessary for strengthening nails, teeth and bones, which is important for both children and the elderly. Calcium contributes to the growth and physiological development of young children. Its deficiency leads to urolithiasis and poor blood clotting.

100 g of cottage cheese contains approximately 100-120 mg of calcium. Homemade cottage cheese contains less calcium. This is due to the fact that during its manufacture, most of the trace element remains in the whey and does not enter the final product in the right amount.

Why cottage cheese is recommended for children

For children, cottage cheese is an indispensable product in the diet. Feeding them to a child is necessary so that he grows well and is strong. For the first time, children are introduced to this fermented milk product even beforeof the year. For babies who are bottle-fed or have rickets, cottage cheese is introduced into the diet earlier. They start feeding with half a teaspoon and in a few days, gradually, bring it to the dining room.

It is in infancy that a child's teeth and bones are actively formed, and cottage cheese rich in phosphorus and calcium contributes to this. Milk protein helps to support the production of immunity, as well as form cells and enzymes in the body of a small child.

It is extremely important to include cottage cheese in the diet of pregnant women

What are the benefits of cottage cheese for pregnant women? For the full development of the child in the womb, this product is needed, rich in calcium, protein, iron and other trace elements. If something is missing, the child will begin to make up for the deficiency from the mother's body. And then the woman will begin to complain about bad teeth and brittle nails, weak bones and muscles, hair loss. If there is a lack of iron in the body of a pregnant woman, which is involved in the structure of the circulatory system of the child, then she may suffer from anemia and even feel the threat of a miscarriage. To prevent all this from happening, it is enough for the expectant mother to eat about 200 g of cottage cheese 2-3 times a week. Too much consumption of the product can lead to problems with the pancreas.

Having decided to include cottage cheese in your diet, the benefits and harms must be discussed with your doctor so as not to harm yourself or your child. Pregnant women should be aware that a homemade product can be dangerous for them, because.it is not known whether sanitary standards were observed during its preparation. You can only eat such cottage cheese if it has been sold by a seller you have trusted for years. It is best to give preference to a product from the store, produced in accordance with GOST. Cottage cheese must be purchased without any additives, and you should also refuse to buy it marked "curd product" - vegetable fats and preservatives are added to it, and the requirements of the State Standard in their manufacture are not met.

How to choose the right cottage cheese in the supermarket

For those who prefer store-bought cottage cheese, you should buy it in a transparent plastic package. In soft, you should not take it, because. it is not known whether it was broken during storage and whether pathogens got inside. You need to choose a product only with the name "cottage cheese". Modified names like "cottage cheese" or "curd product" have nothing to do with a natural product.

Quality cottage cheese should contain nothing but milk and sourdough. And natural cottage cheese can be stored for no more than 7 days. When increasing the shelf life, the manufacturer adds preservatives to it

What you should pay attention to when buying cottage cheese in the market

Fresh cottage cheese should be white with a delicate pastel tint. Yellowness or blueness in the product indicates its spoilage. Sometimes unscrupulous sellers mix fresh and stale cottage cheese, which is indicated by color heterogeneity.

Fresh cottage cheese should not be bitter orbe too sour. And its smell should not be sharp.

Semolina can be added to curd to increase volume. It's easy to recognize this. Cottage cheese with impurities will crumble into small pieces when broken, while high-quality cottage cheese will be divided into large pieces.

It will not be superfluous to also pay attention to the amount of cottage cheese sold by the seller. If it is more than 10 kg, then, most likely, the cottage cheese is stale and has been collected for several days. Because one private trader is unlikely to have so much milk to produce such a large amount of fermented milk product. Larger quantities are only available for farms.

Cottage cheese that crumbles will last longer, but it is extremely difficult to cook any dish out of it. If the cottage cheese is too liquid, then this indicates that it was diluted with something or it began to turn sour.

Is a low-calorie product really he althy?

Most often, cottage cheese with a minimum fat content is chosen by people who watch their weight. But not everyone knows that manufacturers often add sugar to such a product to improve its taste. You can read about its presence on the packaging. For the same purpose, cottage cheese is also flavored with a large amount of s alt, which retains water in the body and leads to edema and excess weight. Therefore, low-fat cottage cheese, with an inattentive choice, may not always be beneficial.

Graned cottage cheese is not so harmless either. It tastes better than diet food because of the higher fat content. But you should know thatduring production, such cottage cheese is flavored with cream, which increases its calorie content.

Quality product you can cook yourself

This can be a great solution for those who are afraid to face unscrupulous sellers or cottage cheese producers. After all, when preparing homemade cottage cheese from milk, you will know exactly what you put in it and under what conditions you cooked it.

To prepare a homemade product, you need to take 2 liters of sour milk and s alt. We put a deep iron bowl with milk in a water bath and add half a teaspoon of s alt. We heat on a small fire. In the process, sour milk will begin to curdle. We stand for five minutes and throw the resulting mass into a colander lined with several layers of gauze. When the whey drains, wrap the cottage cheese in gauze and leave it in limbo for a couple of hours. The output is about 250 g of delicious homemade cottage cheese from milk.

How and how much to store cottage cheese

The shelf life of cottage cheese in the refrigerator is no more than three days. After the expiration of this period, the product can only be consumed in processed form. If the cottage cheese began to sour, it should be thrown away, because. it is impossible to stop this process, and its use can adversely affect he alth.

Store the product at a temperature of +2+6 oC. The shelf life of store-bought cottage cheese in the refrigerator can be extended if the manufacturer has stated this on the package. But in this case, you need to be prepared for the fact that preservatives are present in it. Frozen product can be storedup to half a year. But in this case, the beneficial properties of cottage cheese are lost by a third. There should not be meat or fish near him, otherwise he will absorb their smells. You need to defrost the cottage cheese gradually, moving it first to the refrigerator, and after a few hours to room temperature.

When sending cottage cheese to the refrigerator, it is best to place it in a glass jar or plastic container with a lid. You can also wrap it in parchment or foil. In cling film or a plastic bag, it will quickly deteriorate due to the formation of condensation inside. To prolong the freshness of the cottage cheese, you can add a piece of sugar to the container.

After heat treatment, curd products can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day, and in case of baking - up to two.

Delicious cottage cheese dishes

We discussed the benefits and harms of cottage cheese for the body. It is also worth knowing that many low-calorie dishes can be prepared from this product. That is why it is often chosen by people who are losing weight. Curd desserts are easily digestible and fill the body's need for vitamins and microelements. Let's dwell on a few delicious dietary dishes from cottage cheese. Cooking them is not difficult at all, and the result will meet all your expectations.

Curd-nut snack

Add s alt and finely chopped dill to the curd. Form balls and roll them in chopped nuts. This dish can be eaten for dinner.

Cupcakes

Mash a banana - it willin this dish as a sweetener. Mix it with curd. Add 1 egg and a couple of tablespoons of fiber. Soak blue or ordinary raisins for 10-15 minutes in cold water beforehand - this way you will get rid of the toxic chemical - sulfur dioxide, which is used when drying dried fruits in industry. Then rinse it and pour boiling water over it for a few seconds. Add raisins to the curd mass, mix and, placing in cupcake molds, send to the oven. At 200 oC cupcakes will be ready in 20-30 minutes. It is better to eat them in the morning due to the presence of carbohydrates in them.

Diet dried fruit pie

Mix a glass of oatmeal with the same amount of kefir. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to swell. Add a pinch of s alt, 250 g of cottage cheese and 150 g of various dried fruits (dried apricots, dates, prunes), previously soaked in cold water. 1 tsp extinguish soda with lemon juice. Beat in 1 egg, mix. Pour into a grease-free silicone mold and bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 200 oC. It is recommended to consume such a pie in the morning.