“I love cottage cheese!” is something I’ll admit I rarely hear from fellow college students. But if you push aside your old-fashioned, 50’s housewife images of cottage cheese, you’ll discover it’s a delicious and nutritious snack. It’s creamy, refreshing, high in protein and low in sugar, and it can be made easily portable. What else do you need in a snack?
Muuna Cottage Cheese is at the forefront of bringing back cottage cheese. The company was founded in 2016 by the Israeli dairy company, Tnuva, to break into the U.S. market. I talked with Melissa Rifkin, the Registered Dietician for Muuna, to discuss the health benefits of cottage cheese and what makes Muuna special. Below is a summary of our conversation.
Q&A:
AW: What makes cottage cheese a healthier alternative snack to a similar dairy product like yogurt?
MR: Yogurts can be laden in sugar, which consumers are often not aware of. Most yogurts contain at least four spoonfuls of sugar. On the contrary, cottage cheese, like Muuna, contains a rich source of protein, probiotics, potassium, and is low in sugar.
AW: Is Muuna cottage cheese healthier than other cottage cheese competitors?
MR: Muuna boasts low sugar content, high protein and now contains probiotics so it absolutely is at the top of its competitors. I like to think of Muuna cottage cheese as the new and improved, reinvented yogurt of 2019. It has a creamy texture and a wide array of flavor options so it is my cottage cheese of choice.
AW: What nutritional components of Muuna (like protein and fat) are beneficial for your health and how?
MR: Muuna contains probiotics called B. lactis, which help to promote a healthy digestive tract and immune system. It also contains the 9 essential amino acids, making it a great restorative protein for after the gym. With its high protein content and low sugar, Muuna is a superb snack or part of a meal that will keep one satiated for hours.
AW: Muuna offers one low-fat product. Is low-fat actually healthier for you, or is it healthier to consume full fats that are “healthy” fats?
MR: This depends on sugar content. Sometimes companies add sugar to low-fat products which counteracts the healthy choice of a low-fat product.
AW: Is all the sugar in Muuna products from the added fruit or is there added sugar? How much added sugar is acceptable to consume each day?
MR: Women can consume up to 25 grams of added sugar per day and men can consume up to 37.5 grams. Fitting Muuna into ones’ diet can be easy and attainable to achieve a limited overall sugar intake.
AW: What should you look for in a healthy snack to keep you full for a long time?
MR: I always recommend that snacks contain protein and carbs to maintain satiety and replete lost nutrients. Some delicious on-the-go snack options could be creamy Muuna topped with fruit (protein and carbohydrates) or cottage cheese topped with nuts (protein and healthy fat). Since most vegetables are so low in calories but provide so much nutritional value, I encourage them to go along with snacks as much as possible. This adds volume and nutrients to a meal without the added calories.
Cottage cheese can be cool, too. Next time you’re at the store and you reach for the Greek yogurt, stop for a second and try reaching for Muuna cottage cheese instead. Start the cottage cheese revolution at your own university.