Best Cottage Cheese is Friendship Cottage Cheese

I love cottage cheese. It’s one of those Super Foods that’s always in my fridge. Eaten plain, mixed with fresh fruit, combined with salsa, swirled with honey or fruit preserves, or added to pancake batter, I swear by the versatility and nutritional power of this amazing dairy source.

As a self-proclaimed cottage cheese connoisseur, I have tested numerous varieties, usually opting for the low-fat version. Last year, I was visiting the East Coast and came across Friendship Dairies’ Whipped Cottage Cheese. Curious, I bought a container. And upon my first bite, I knew I was breaking new ground in my relationship with this curdled protein powerhouse. Light, fluffy, but also creamy and rich, Friendship Dairies’ Whipped Cottage Cheese is, in my opinion, the best cottage cheese on the market. The nutritional stats are similar to other low-fat cottage cheeses: One-half cup serving has 90 calories, one gram of fat, three grams of carbs, 16 grams of protein, and gives you 10 percent of your daily calcium needs.

The problem is that Friendship Dairies’ products are not as ubiquitous as Breakstone’s, Daisy or your store-brand generic label. If you live in the eastern states, you have a much better chance of finding it in your local grocery store, since Friendship Dairy hails from Friendship, New York. But for those of us who aren’t so lucky, you may have to search around. I found mine at Whole Foods.

Friendship also makes an entire line of cottage cheese and other dairy products, like sour cream, yogurt, farmer’s cheese and butter. But it’s their line of cottage cheese that is their darling product. In addition to my favorite (Whipped) which tastes like a cross between fluffy ricotta cheese and creamy cottage cheese, there is also Pot-Style, which is a large curd and slightly creamier style, Pineapple, which is swirled with real chunks of pineapple, Digestive Health, which is added with healthy bacteria, and a No-Salt Added version for those who are watching their sodium intake.

I recently read an interview with Real Housewives of New York, Bethenny Frankel, and she also swears by Friendship Dairies’ Whipped Cottage Cheese as a go-to snack or as a recipe swap. And Self magazine nominated Friendship as their top cottage cheese pick.

Even if you’re not a cottage cheese fan, (and you’re not lactose-intolerant), this super yummy and protein-packed dairy is worth spending a few dollars on and experimenting with. If you can’t stand the taste of plain cottage cheese, get creative and add something sweet, like fruit, or make this delicious Cottage Cheese Dip recipe for vegetables.

If you have a cottage cheese snack idea, we’d love to hear from you. Post it in the comments below!

(image via: Self.com)