The One Nutritional Fact You Should Pay Attention To When Buying Cottage Cheese (It's Not The Protein)

Research any high-protein recipe online and you'll probably notice a common denominator: cottage cheese. Once the relic of 1970s diet culture, it's been reinvented as a way to boost the nutritional value of everything from pancakes to pasta sauces and even brownies. While there's no denying its impressive protein content, it's also surprisingly high in sodium, which is one nutritional fact worth paying attention to when shopping for cottage cheese. 

A half-cup serve of cottage cheese generally contains around 300 to 400 milligrams of sodium, but some brands have much more. It's true that some sodium is essential for your body, the average American consumes 3,400 milligrams per day, well over the recommended upper limit of 2,300 milligrams, and even suggested intake of just 1,500 milligrams, prompting potential health risks. The good news is that once you know what to look for on packaging, it's easy to keep track of what you're eating. 

Listing sodium content on the nutritional facts label is required by law, and it's here that you want to check for the number value of sodium, rather than relying on any claims on the packaging, which can be confusing at best, if not misleading. For example, the term "reduced sodium" simply means that the product contains 25% less sodium than a regular version of the product. "Low sodium" on the label does mean that there is less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, but you need to pay attention to what size serve this refers to.

If you want to reduce the sodium intake when choosing the best cottage cheese, it's going to come down to your dietary requirements, taste preferences, and perhaps a bit of compromise. Low-fat foods often have more salt added to replace the flavor and texture that's lost with reduced fat. For example, Knudsen Low Fat Cottage Cheese contains 410 milligrams of sodium per half-cup serving, while Walmart's Great Value 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese clocks in at 490 milligrams of sodium for the same amount. On the other hand, low-fat cottage cheese is usually slightly higher in protein, so you'll need to determine which of these values is your priority.

If it's all about getting the lowest amount of sodium in every serving, then look for a brand without added salt. Hood No Added Salt Low Fat Cottage Cheese has a very low 60 milligrams of sodium per half-cup serving, along with 14 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. Friendship Dairies Low Fat No Added Salt Cottage Cheese has an even lower 45 milligrams of sodium, with 16 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fat.

From our ranking of the best cottage cheese brands, our top pick (Breakstone's 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese) offers a low-sodium option, with 200 milligram of sodium per half-cup serving, along with 13 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat. It's also made with cultured milk, which is another item to look for on the label when buying cottage cheese, as it indicates the presence of beneficial probiotics.