Some of this information, provided by Tara Spisak, RD, LD, CDECS, registered dietitian, and Sarah Mohrman, RDN, LD, MA, dietitian, program coordinator, PPG – Cardiology, previously appeared in Parade, Here’s Exactly What Happens to Your Heart When You Eat Cottage Cheese.
How can eating cottage cheese benefit cardiovascular health?
Cottage cheese can be part of a heart-healthy diet, as a good source of protein and calcium.
Cottage cheese has potassium and calcium. How do these nutrients impact cardiovascular health?
Foods that contain potassium can help control blood pressure, as it helps to process sodium out of the body. Potassium also relaxes the blood vessel wall, which can help lower blood pressure.
While most people think of calcium as an important nutrient for bone health, it also has implications for heart health. Diets deficient in calcium can increase your risk of having high blood pressure.
How do the protein and the fats content in cottage cheese impact heart health?
Cottage cheese contains a good source of protein, about 13g per ½ cup serving, which is equivalent to about 2oz. of meat. You want to choose low fat cottage cheese to lower your fat intake to be heart healthy. Most of the fat in cottage cheese is saturated fat, which can increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase plaque build-up, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
Does the sodium in cottage cheese raise blood pressure?
Cottage cheese can raise your blood pressure due to its high sodium content. A ½ cup serving of cottage cheese has 330mg of sodium. In a heart-healthy diet, you want to aim for around 2000mg of sodium per day, so cottage cheese is considered a high-sodium food.
What are some ways people can integrate cottage cheese into heart-healthy meals?
Monitor your portion sizes of cottage cheese to help cut back on fat and sodium, but you could have ½ cup cottage cheese with fresh fruit or add a few tablespoons to a slice of whole grain toast with avocado. You could also replace ricotta cheese with cottage cheese in lasagna to help cut down on fat and calories.
For more articles like this one, visit our Nutrition & Recipes section on the Parkview Dashboard.
