Cottage & Cream cheese cheaters

Overview:

Dieticians often recommend using cream cheese and cottage cheese, as they are low in phosphate and sodium. Standard cream cheese is high in fat and is ideal if you are trying to eat a high-energy diet. If you want to limit the amount of fat you eat, or are trying to lose weight, you can use low fat cream cheese or cottage cheese. Unfortunately many people say they find cottage and cream cheese boring or tasteless. Luckily there are many flavoured varieties of these cheese – you can buy them pre-mixed with herbs, garlic, pineapple and lots more. Another approach is to use cottage and cream cheese to “stretch” a small amount of foods which are higher in phosphate or sodium such as hard cheese or bacon. This gives you more flavour than plain cream or cottage cheese and allows you to enjoy a taste of restricted food.

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Ingredients:

Try addiing any of the following to plain cream cheese or cottage cheese:

• Tinned pineapple or peaches, chopped or sliced
• Finely diced red pepper, grated carrot or cooked frozen peas
• A small slice of crispy bacon, crumbled
• A small slice of smoked salmon, finely chopped
• Tinned tuna, flaked
• Smoked mackerel, dried chilli flakes (more or less to taste), blend with cream cheese
• Pickled cucumber, finely chopped
• Fresh herbs, finely chopped – e.g. parsley, thyme, dill, coriander
• Mango chutney
• Cinnamon powder
• Fresk of pickled chillis, finely sliced

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Preparation:

Combine cheese with one of the the above ingredient options.

Use with plain crackers or toast for a snack or in a sandwich of white or brown bread for a light meal.

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Notes:

Add salad to the meal depending on restrictions and allowances Ask your dietician if unsure.