Drier even than our winner was this organic brand. This simple weeknight dish relies on zucchini ribbons instead of noodles, and is stuffed with a zippy ricotta-pea filling. For our methodology and the full list of cheeses we tasted, scroll to the bottom of the page. I took an informal poll to determine whether the Epicurious staff as a whole preferred large-curd or small-curd cottage cheese, and while the margins were slim, my colleagues ultimately leaned in favor of small curd. Calories count. The abundance of essential nutrients found in best cottage cheese for ketogenic diet also makes it a good addition to a healthy and well-balanced diet. © 2020 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. First up, the rankings! Cottage cheese, full of fat and full of flavor, freshly made and ready to be doused in olive oil and flaky salt, or served with peaches and a drizzle of honey. Instead, opt for Greek yogurt. But does that mean butter and ice cream are the new superfoods? Many full-fat varieties have the same ingredients as their lower fat siblings. It was tied with Trader Joe's for third place after our blind tasting—and they are admittedly quite similar in texture and appearance. This is the easiest dairy-free calcium solution. Full-Fat Cheeses (including cottage cheese) is a dairy food made from milk and available in an assortment of colors, flavors, and textures. BUY IT: Friendship Dairies 4% California-Style Small-Curd Cottage Cheese, $2 for 8 ounces at AmazonFresh. Find out. Again, there is little research on sour cream, but when it comes to light versus regular sour cream we actually say neither. those stabilizers break down, resulting ina watery mess instead of a creamy dream). We're not even trying to build up momentum for some lame new diet. It also has the smallest curds of any cottage cheese we tasted, which may or may not matter to you. After comparing tasting notes to brand labels, we discovered that cottage cheeses with an excess of stabilizers (including carrageenan and a variety of gums) routinely fell to the bottom of our rankings; however, in a surprise twist, Friendship does contain stabilizers—though much fewer than the five different types found in at least one other brand—if you'd like to steer away from them completely, go for Good Culture or Daisy. Without the regular consumption the recommended three servings of dairy foods daily, it can be difficult to meet daily nutrient needs for calcium, potassium, vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin A. Fat in foods can lead to feeling fuller and more satisfied after a meal. For a sweet treat, top Hiland Dairy cottage cheese with fruit. Among the 13 brands of full-fat, small-curd cottage cheese—including both organic and non-organic varieties—sampled recently by a panel of Epicurious staff, it was determined the best tasting and best textured. We chose only full-fat cottage cheeses—which is usually indicated as 4% milkfat—since lowfat and nonfat varieties often have a host of stabilizers that give them off flavors and make them perform poorly when cooked (i.e. A comprehensive meta-analysis of 18 population studies concluded that eating cheese was associated with a 3% lower risk for stroke, especially when participants ate about 1 ounce per day of cheese. The best yogurt to eat is the type you like. To make dry cottage cheese, milk is lightly fermented, resulting in fresh cheese that's cut into curds, drained, and rinsed. Your Go-To Protein – To Go! We tasted 13 brands of curds and whey to determine the very best one. We also tasted only plain cottage cheeses for the same reason we chose plain Greek yogurt when conducting that taste test: we wanted to taste the unadulterated product. The USDA classifies cottage cheese into three varieties, based on the amount of milk fat: regular cottage cheese, lowfat or reduced fat cottage cheese and nonfat or dry curd cottage cheese. If drinking and eating whole milk dairy means it will actually be eaten and enjoyed, grab a spoon and a glass! BUY IT: Good Culture Whole Milk Classic Cottage Cheese, $6 for 16 ounces via Whole Foods on Amazon.