Cottage cheese is a safe and nutritious choice during pregnancy, as long as it’s made with pasteurized milk. Most cottage cheese sold in U.S. grocery stores is pasteurized, making it one of the dairy options the CDC specifically lists as a “safer choice” for pregnant women. With 28 grams of protein per cup, it’s also one of the most protein-dense foods you can eat during pregnancy.
Safety: Pasteurized vs. Unpasteurized
The main concern with soft cheeses during pregnancy is Listeria, a bacteria that can cause serious complications including miscarriage and preterm birth. But not all soft cheeses carry the same risk. The CDC groups cottage cheese alongside cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella as safer choices when made from pasteurized milk. The riskier category includes soft cheeses like queso fresco, brie, camembert, and blue-veined varieties made from unpasteurized (raw) milk.
Virtually all cottage cheese from major U.S. brands is pasteurized. If you’re buying from a farmers’ market or specialty shop, check the label to confirm. The word “pasteurized” will appear in the ingredients list near the milk source.
Protein and Calcium in One Cup
A single cup of low-fat (1%) cottage cheese delivers about 28 grams of protein. That’s roughly half of what most pregnant women need in a day, packed into one simple food. Protein needs rise significantly during pregnancy to support your baby’s tissue growth, and cottage cheese is one of the easiest ways to hit that target without cooking a full meal.
Cottage cheese also provides calcium, B vitamins, and phosphorus. Calcium is critical during pregnancy because your body will pull from your own bone stores if you’re not getting enough through food. Pairing cottage cheese with fruit or whole-grain toast makes it a quick, balanced snack that covers multiple nutrient needs at once.
The Sodium Trade-Off
One cup of low-fat cottage cheese contains roughly 918 milligrams of sodium. That’s a significant chunk of the 2,300 mg daily limit most guidelines recommend, and it’s worth paying attention to if you’re managing high blood pressure or have been told you’re at risk for preeclampsia.
Low-sodium and no-salt-added versions are widely available and can cut that number substantially. If you eat cottage cheese regularly, switching to a reduced-sodium variety is a simple adjustment. Rinsing regular cottage cheese briefly under water can also reduce sodium content, though it changes the texture slightly.
Choline: Present but Modest
Choline is essential for fetal brain development, and pregnant women need about 450 mg per day. Cottage cheese contributes to your choline intake, but not by much. A cup of nonfat cottage cheese provides only about 26 mg, which is roughly 6% of the daily target.
This doesn’t make cottage cheese a bad choice. It just means you can’t rely on it as your primary choline source. Eggs are far more concentrated (one large egg has about 147 mg), and pairing a couple of eggs with a serving of cottage cheese at breakfast gets you to nearly half your daily need.
Digestive Benefits
Some cottage cheese brands now include added probiotic cultures, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus casei. These are the same types of beneficial bacteria found in yogurt, and they can help with the constipation and sluggish digestion that are common throughout pregnancy. Progesterone slows down your digestive tract, and probiotics support gut motility.
Not all cottage cheese contains live cultures, though. Look for “live and active cultures” on the label if digestive support is part of why you’re choosing it. The probiotic strains in cottage cheese have been shown to survive in viable numbers for at least 28 days of refrigerated storage, so you’re getting functional bacteria if the label says they’re there.
Practical Ways to Eat It
Cottage cheese is versatile enough to work at any meal. Mixed with berries or sliced peaches, it’s a high-protein breakfast or snack. Blended smooth, it becomes a base for pasta sauces or a substitute for ricotta in lasagna. Topped with everything bagel seasoning, it’s a savory option that pairs well with vegetables or crackers.
For food safety, keep cottage cheese refrigerated at 40°F or below and use it within the timeframe on the container once opened, typically five to seven days. If it smells sour or the texture has changed noticeably, discard it. Pregnancy shifts your immune system in ways that make foodborne illness both more likely and more dangerous, so erring on the side of freshness is worth it.