So, I played a mean trick on my kids last week. It was worth it though, because it made them rethink trying new foods. Admittedly, I LOVE cottage cheese, I always have. It’s what I put in my crepes with a little bit of fruit, it’s what I go to when I’m having an angry night with a bit of sugar on top (that’s right, I would pick cottage cheese over ice cream). It goes in my pasta shells, and it goes in my baking. I. Love. Cottage. Cheese.
The problem has been, I’m the only one in the house that feels this way. Bo throws his nose up at it, and the kids learned it from him – they wouldn’t go near the stuff, didn’t matter how awesome I told them it was, they weren’t having it.
And then, I got the opportunity to make them do a blind taste test of Nordica Smooth Cottage Cheese. I told them that they got to be in a video, and that’s all it took to get them to try something new. They saw the containers, and they saw what it looked like. I could tell that they both assumed it was just some yogurt.
Still, they tasted it slowly. Anna, super unsure at first, assuming that her reaction would be “I don’t like it”. They both dug in. Oliver swished it around in his mouth a bit, and just kinda sat there. Then, the child previously the most disgusted by the mention of cottage cheese, he went “I like it” and started digging into it, eventually finishing the entire container. Anna immediately said “I don’t like it”. But then she had another bite… and then another… and then “Actually… I do like it” and she followed Oliver in finishing the container.
Then, the best part: I told them it was cottage cheese, and I laughed so hard I almost cried. The kids learned two awesome lessons that day. First, be willing to try new things, because you never know what you might love. Second, when it comes to food, always trust Mom over Dad!
Want to know what the scoop is with this stuff? It’s real cottage cheese, with all the same benefits of cottage cheese, that has been mixed with some incredible flavours, and is completely smooth (no lumps at all!). I compare it to greek yogurt – that’s the density and texture, but it’s got an awesome 25% more protein! It’s available in vanilla bean (what I gave the kids), salted caramel (what I have hidden in the back of the fridge for me), and lemon (which is always sold out around us; apparently my town loves the lemon). Right now it’s only available in Ontario (lucky us!) in almost every grocery store.
I know that it’s still January, and you’re all still thinking about staying in shape, and eating healthier (I promise you, I’m in the same boat). These are only 110 calories and super filling. Plus, you can use them in your baking. Any time you see a recipe calling for yogurt, you can substitute this, or even sour cream (like in my banana bread, some vanilla bean smooth cottage cheese would be great instead!).
So, forget any preconceived notions that you have about cottage cheese (I’m looking at you Bo). So much of why we like (or dislike) something is based on texture. For example, Bo hates anything chunky. If this is you, you NEED to give this a chance. Just one tiny taste will change the way you think of cottage cheese! Oh, and if you decide to surprise someone like I did the kids (which was SO fun), make sure that you tag it #OneTinyTaste so that I can see it too!
Disclosure: I am part of the Gay Lea Nordica Smooth Cottage Cheese Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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