Cottage cheese has a mild flavor that can be mixed with sweet or savory toppings and used as a dip, an ingredient in baked goods, a side dish or as a main meal. Unlike hard or dry cheeses, cheese makers leave some whey in when making cottage cheese so the curds remain loose and creamy. Cottage cheese can be part of a healthy diet as it provides a number of essential vitamins and minerals.
Calories and Fat
One cup of 1 percent milk-fat cottage cheese contains 163 calories. Choose full-fat cottage cheese, with 4 percent milk-fat, and consume 225 calories per cup. By choosing 1 percent cottage cheese, you save 8 g of fat and consume only 2 g of fat, only 1 g of which is saturated. Saving the calories and fat helps you manage your waistline without sacrificing nutrition.
Protein
Cottage cheese provides between 25 and 28 g of protein per 1-cup serving, about the same amount in 3 oz. of roasted chicken breast. The protein is considered complete, meaning it gives you all the amino acids you cannot produce on your own. The Institute of Medicine recommends you consume between 10 and 35 percent of your total daily calories from protein to support cellular repair and proper muscular growth and development.
Dairy Servings
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid, 2 cups of cottage cheese equals one serving of milk. Most adults need at least 3 cups of milk daily to get the calcium necessary to reduce your risk of osteoporosis. People who consume more milk and dairy products also tend to eat more nutritious diets overall. In 2 cups of 1 percent cottage cheese, you get 276 mg of calcium, or about 28 percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. This serving also provides more than 600 mg of phosphorus, also essential to healthy bones, and 2.8 mcg of vitamin B-12 -- almost 50 percent of the daily value. Vitamin B-12 supports healthy red blood cell function and energy production and is often deficient in vegetarian diets as it is primarily found in meats.
Sodium Considerations
Regular cottage cheese, regardless of the milk fat amount, contains about 900 mg of sodium per cup. The Institute of Medicine recommends limiting your sodium intake to 1,500 mg or fewer per day. Cottage cheese with no added sodium is available, but it tastes bland.
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