Do You Have Cottage Cheese in Your Fridge?

Tinybeans mom, Anne Hatfield, and her family are here to share why they trust this item on the grocery list. Nutritionists and Betty Draper approve of it, too. Over to you, Anne.

As a mom of two kids under five, I’m always on the search for the best healthy-yet-not-boring snacks to feature in our family fridge. This new smooth cottage cheese blended with real fruit by Kemps® is the first product we’ve tested as a family. Read on to find out why cottage cheese is making a comeback and fueling our family’s full days of play.

Family Tested, “Full Day of Play” Approved: Kemps’ Smooth Cottage Cheese

At the end of the school year, our children grow tired of their lunch box staples. With the change in season and routine from school to camp, there’s an expectation that the fridge will see a refresh, too. Think: goodbye apples, hello watermelon. But this summer, we’re happy to also say “cheerio” to yogurt, and “good day” to Kemp’s new smooth cottage cheese that features real blended fruit, probiotics and no high fructose corn syrup.

I was both a bit dubious and very excited when I heard about Kemp’s new smooth cottage cheese that was being positioned as an alternative to yogurt for kids. The first thing that came to my mind was “An alternative to yogurt, yet still a dairy product? What’s the point?”.

The excitement then came from remembering as a child how much I enjoyed cottage cheese with fresh berries—but only in small doses, as the texture gave me pause (sorry curd lovers, but I’m a smooth versus chunky kind of gal, except when it comes to peanut butter).

Also, does anyone else hear cottage cheese and immediately think about Betty Draper? In Mad Men, Betty’s last meal pre-labor was toast, cottage cheese and pineapple, and cottage cheese is now forever cemented in my mind as a sensible meal choice.

So, our family welcomed the opportunity to test this new product. And we’re happy to report Kemp’s Smooth Cottage Cheese blended with real fruit gives all of the taste and none of the pause from our 2.5-year-old son, Ernie, and 4.5-year-old daughter, Milly.

Kemp’s smooth cottage cheese comes in a four-pack with three flavors to choose from, each featuring a different co-brand of our kids’ most well-loved characters: Transformers Mixed Berry, PJ Masks Strawberry and Peppa Pig Strawberry Banana.

Ernie enjoyed the Transformers Mixed Berry so much that it caused my husband, Jonny, to open the fridge and pull out the Peppa Pig Strawberry Banana to share with Milly. My husband is a Brit and while he was happy to have other UK representation in the house with Peppa Pig in the fridge, he too questioned the product.

Then, my curiosity was officially piqued, and I went from food tester to investigative journalist.

Why Cottage Cheese is the Nutritious Choice for Summer

The reason cottage cheese is well-loved by nutritionists is that it’s filled with protein—and lots of it—which helps you stay fuller longer (that’s at least what we learned in this video from Doctor Eric Berg).

In the summer, my kids transition from the classroom to full days of play at the lake and happily getting lost in the woods. But, as all adventure-loving moms know, there’s nothing worse than being halfway through a hike when one of the kids complains they’re hungry…even though they ate just before you left the house 30 minutes ago.

So, it got me thinking that Kemp’s may have created a clever new mom hack. A smooth cottage cheese that keeps our kids happy (cheers, PJ Masks), and fuller longer? And still is chock full of probiotics a.k.a. the good bacteria that supports our digestion and immune systems? Game on. Maybe there’s a way to get through our hikes with less complaints and more smiles after all!

Also, if anyone else’s husband or friends question why cottage cheese is a good alternative to yogurt this summer, here’s a quick hit of history for you to share with your mom pals.

During World War I, there was a national food shortage and the Federal Drug Administration called in cottage cheese to save the day. According to the Food Historian, “Cottage cheese was touted as a meat substitute to kill two birds with one stone—it ate up some of the dairy surplus while also allowing people to eat less meat.” Cottage Cheese then proceeded to take off as a health food in the 1950s as people realized the benefits of staying fuller longer with this protein-packed alternative to meat.

So, there you have it. Cottage cheese is trusted in wartime, by Betty and nutritionists, and now by my kids, too. We’re happy to report that Kemp’s Smooth Cottage Cheese has earned its place in our family’s fridge this summer.