Cottage cheese!
Posted by Paola
Hurray for cottage cheese!
My high-protein / low-carb problem has been solved.
A couple of days ago, I wanted to know what proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fat I should be aiming for. Little did I know that many of the named diets out there are all about these proportions and there’s a lot of conflicting information out there.
I read that protein and carbohydrate contribute 4 calories per gram, whereas fat contributes 9 calories. One site suggested these calories proportions.
* 10% – 15% protein
* 55% – 60% carbohydrates
* 25% – 30% fat
After a day – protein seemed to low – and more reading, I came up with my own. Here are the details to fit my daily 1,200 calorie allowance:
| % Calories | Calories | Grams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% – 35% | 300 – 420 | 75g – 105g |
| Carbohydrates | 40% – 55% | 480 – 660 | 120g – 165g |
| Fat | 25% – 30% | 300 – 360 | 33g – 40g |
I have been finding it hard to increase protein and decrease carbohydrates and did a little research online. And – lo and behold! – cottage cheese comes to the rescue! A fat-free cottage cheese can have four times as much protein as carbohydrates.
The top hi-protein/lo-carb items on my list are cottage cheese, watercress, Quark soft cheese and Quorn. This is how the calories are distributed:
| Protein | Carbs | Fat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat-free cottage cheese | 81% | 18% | 1% |
| Quark soft cheese | 73% | 25% | 3% |
| Watercress | 67% | 33% | 0% |
| Quorn mince | 62% | 19% | 19% |
| Quorn pieces | 55% | 23% | 23% |
I really like cottage cheese – there’s loads of ways to sex it up. I now have to stock up. Prepare yourself for lots of photos of cottage cheese meals!
Hurrah!
