This post is sponsored by Hood®. All opinions are my own. 

I am definitely someone who tends to go through phases with the meals and snacks I eat. For example, right now I’m on a huge kick with scrambled eggs and fruit for breakfast, falafel salads for lunch, and coconut date balls for pre-workout snacks. I’ll likely have these for a while, maybe for a couple of weeks or months at a time, and then I’ll switch things up. For those of you who have been long time blog readers, you may remember that my cottage cheese kick lasted me for years. I would actually bring a cottage cheese bowl to work for breakfast every single day and not get sick of it. When the folks at Hood® reached out to me recently to see if I’d be interested in trying a couple of their new products, I realized that I actually haven’t been eating as much cottage cheese now that I’m not packing a little Tupperware for work every morning. I’ve kinda missed my cottage cheese days!

The two new flavors that Hood® sent me to try are the Cottage Cheese with Honey & Pear and the Cottage Cheese with Maple & Vanilla Flavor Added. For those of you who are fans of Hood® Cottage Cheese with Pineapple, I think you’ll enjoy the sweetness of these new flavors. In the one with honey and pear, the honey adds a subtle sweetness, and there are pear bites mixed right into the container. In the one with maple and vanilla, the flavors taste like they are infused right into the cottage cheese. So yum.

Since you guys are always asking me for new recipe ideas, I thought it would be fun to share a few ways I’ve been enjoying these new products. Here are some ways to change things up without adding a lot of extra cook or prep time to your day.

Three Cottage Cheese Snacks in Five Minutes or Less

Maple Cottage Cheese with Blueberries and Cinnamon

Scoop a couple of spoonfuls of Hood® Cottage Cheese with Maple & Vanilla Flavor Added into a small bowl. Top with a handful of fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. This one is basically what I used to bring to work with me all the time. Sometimes I’ll add slivered almonds or crushed walnuts to the mix. You could also sprinkle with chia, flax, or other nutritious toppings.

Cottage Cheese and Chia Stuffed Avocado

Slice an avocado in half, and remove the pit. Scoop a couple of spoonfuls of Hood® Cottage Cheese with Honey & Pear added into the hollow middle of the avocado. Sprinkle chia seeds on top, and then eat with a spoon by scooping out the avocado.

Cottage Cheese, Pear, and Almond Toast

Toast up a piece of multigrain or Ezekial bread. Spread Hood® Cottage Cheese with Honey & Pear on the slice of bread, and then top with some extra slices of pear. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Again, you could top this with other items like chia, flax, or hemp for an extra boost.

If you try any of these snacks, let me know how you like them! Also, if you are working on trying to incorporate more protein into your diet, these cottage cheese recipes might be a good option for you. One of the healthy eating methods I always abide by is protein first. I try to incorporate a protein source into all my meals and snacks by deciding what the protein is going to be and then building around it. With a high 10-11 grams of protein in half a cup, Hood’s cottage cheese flavors will give you that protein punch to keep you full while also providing you with a good source of calcium.

These particular flavors do have a higher sugar content than some of the Hood® nonfat, low-fat, and country-style variations, but my viewpoint of this is to think about which is worse: eating sweetened cottage cheese or eating a bunch of sugar filled candy and cookies? This is a good example of how not everything with nutrition has to be so black and white or good versus bad. If the sweetened flavors are what personally help you satisfy your sweet tooth instead of turning to other types of sweets at night, I don’t think the extra sugar content in fruit infused cottage cheese is a bad thing. As long as you aren’t going crazy with your overall sugar content over the course of the day, you’ll be fine. It’s just like how putting creamer in your coffee or having a glass of wine at night won’t mess up your entire physique. If it takes the edge off feeling like you are restricting yourself and helps you eat better overall, go for it. Remember, always moderation, never deprivation. Do what works for you. 

Feel free to leave a comment with other ways you like to eat cottage cheese! I’m thinking that these flavors would also be fun to blend into a smoothie or use to make protein pancakes. I’ll have to try those next. 🙂

P.S. For coupons to Hood cottage cheese flavors, click this link!