Why cottage cheese before bed

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For their investigation, scientists recruited 10 active females in their 20s. They participants were given 30 grams of Cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before dozing off. Volunteers ate dinner two hours prior. Researchers measured the resting energy expenditure - the amount of energy used while asleep - of the young women when they woke up between 5 and 8am. The team found that when participants were given a casein shake just before sleeping, their metabolism was equally as efficient as when consuming cottage cheese.

The resulting drop in blood sugar can cause your brain to signal hunger, especially if you have been drinking on an empty stomach. Drunk munchies , or "drunchies" do not usually call for the kind of healthy bedtime snacks bodybuilding types prefer but rather for a giant burrito, a bag of chips, some fully loaded nachos or anything else that is salty, full of fat, delicious and very bad for you.

If you are looking for a protein-packed, creamy snack before bed, cottage cheese is probably not the first thing to come to mind unless you gravitate toward bodybuilding late night snack fare such as that. Reaching for low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese can seem even less tempting when you know that removing even some of the fat also removes a lot of the luscious creaminess. Greek yogurt is sweeter, creamier and requires no additives if you buy it already flavored or blended with fruit or other flavors such as honey.

But when comparing them side by side, experts at the University of California-Davis found that while a 3. Choosing cottage cheese for your bedtime snack makes sense for a whole variety of reasons, from the protein and nutrition to the creaminess and fresh flavor. In addition, researchers at Florida State University have discovered that people who eat at least 30 grams, or a little bit more than 1 ounce of protein about 30 minutes to an hour before going to bed experienced better metabolism, muscle quality and overall health than people who did not.

Even better, the people in the study who ate their cottage cheese before bed gained all of these benefits without also experiencing weight gain. This study, published in the November 18 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition , is one that used an actual food that people eat rather than going straight to protein powders or other supplements, making it more relevant to real life. In addition, cottage cheese requires little to no preparation, keeps well in the refrigerator and is even offered in one-serving containers or with fruit already added.

It is also relatively inexpensive and you can choose full fat, low-fat or nonfat. You even get to choose the size of the curds, and if you are a huge fan of the do-it-yourself mindset, you can easily make your own by adding an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar to milk and gathering the curds when the milk separates. There are many different ways to enjoy cottage cheese , whether you prefer it cold or hot, savory or sweet. The simplest way is to just grab a spoon or fork and scoop it up as is.

Adding a touch of salt and a generous sprinkle of pepper helps out bring out its natural creamy flavor. Any type of fruit goes well with cottage cheese, though the classic add-ins are pineapple or berries.

Or go back to the s and have your cottage cheese inside the hollow of a poached pear or on a bed of sliced peaches. Honey gives cottage cheese a bit of sweetness as does maple syrup. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to kick the flavor up a notch. Mix in chopped green onion and pecans with a dash of hot sauce and either eat it that way or pop spoonfuls on top of whole grain crackers such as woven wheat ones. Count out the number of crackers your calorie count for the day can accommodate, so you don't accidentally overindulge.

Spread cottage cheese on toasted whole grain bread, drizzle it with honey and run it under the broiler for a creamy, crunchy, guilt-free treat. This is also a good choice for breakfast because it gives you all the flavor of a breakfast pastry without the starchy carbs.

Nutrition Eggs and Dairy Cheese. By Brynne Chandler Updated May 7, Janet Renee has over a decade of experience as a registered dietitian.