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Cottage cheese

Also known as Curd cheese, Pot cheese, Cottage curds

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A fresh, unripened cheese made by acidifying milk and draining the curd without pressing, leaving the loose grains in a little dressing. Its protein is overwhelmingly casein, which digests slowly.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceWeight ManagementSleep

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Moderate evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis. Casein is a complete, slowly digested protein, and trials report a prolonged rise in blood amino acids after casein-rich foods compared with fast proteins.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Limited evidence

Some trials report greater fullness after high-protein dairy snacks than after carbohydrate-matched alternatives. The studies are short and test protein amount more than cottage cheese as a food.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Sleep quality

Sleep
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for cottage cheese before bed affecting sleep. Pre-sleep casein has been tested for overnight muscle protein synthesis rather than for sleep itself, and the sleep claim has essentially no direct human data behind it.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Cottage cheese

Ask about Cottage cheese

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories81 kcal4%
Protein10.4 g21%
Total fat2.27 g3%
Carbohydrate4.76 g2%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars4 g—
Water81.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.24 g6%
Monounsaturated fat0.516 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.083 g—
Cholesterol12 mg4%
ALA (omega-3)0.0070 g—
EPA (omega-3)0.0010 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.0010 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.07 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A68 µg8%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.08 mg1%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.02 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.251 mg19%
Niacin (B3)0.103 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.524 mg10%
Vitamin B60.057 mg3%
Folate8 µg2%
Vitamin B120.47 µg20%
Choline16.3 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium111 mg9%
Iron0.13 mg1%
Magnesium9 mg2%
Phosphorus150 mg12%
Potassium125 mg3%
Sodium308 mg13%
Zinc0.51 mg5%
Copper0.033 mg4%
Manganese0.015 mg1%
Selenium11.9 µg22%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene6 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.27 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172182).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Milk allergy

    Cow milk protein allergy is distinct from lactose intolerance and is a major regulated allergen. Cottage cheese is casein-rich and is not an option for people with milk protein allergy.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose content

    Unlike aged hard cheeses, fresh cottage cheese retains lactose, and the dressing added back after draining adds more. People with lactose intolerance often tolerate it less well than cheddar or parmesan.

  • Too much

    Sodium

    Cottage cheese is salted and is one of the saltier fresh dairy products by weight. Reduced-sodium versions exist and differ substantially.