Amazing Muscle Building Benefits of Cottage Cheese

When you are working hard in the weight room and trying to pack on lean muscle mass, you need every bit of help you can get. The best insurance for  your muscles is a balanced and proper diet.

It is important to realize that your muscles only grow and get stronger when they are resting and recovering. What you do in the weight room will break down your muscles and give them the chance to get stronger and grow bigger, but what you do with your nutrition is what really separates you from the pack. Since our muscles only grow during recovery periods, it is vital we have the proper nutrition. One of my favorite times to consume quality calories that will be a muscle building catalyst is right before bedtime. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a cardinal sin to eat something before you go to bed if you are consuming the right kind of calories. Your muscles grow and recover when you are sleeping, so feeding them with quality protein and amino acids before bed is a muscle building strategy of many body builders and fitness enthusiasts.

Directly after working out, you want fast digesting protein to immediately restore your depleted muscles, but before you go to bed you want very slow digesting protein that will drip feed your muscles critical proteins and amino acids throughout the night. I am sure you have all heard of casein protein powder. The best form of slow digesting protein is just that, as it is ultra high in amino acids and contains quality protein that helps your body recover and grow lean muscle mass. However, casein protein powder can get expensive. That’s why you should opt for something a little more affordable. How about cottage cheese! One of the best food sources for casein protein powder is, believe it or not, cottage cheese! Cottage cheese makes an incredible late night muscle building snack because it is a slow digesting form of quality protein, just what your body needs to recover and grow!

So what exactly is cottage cheese? It is nothing more than a cheese curd with an extremely mild flavor. The nutrition profile on cottage cheese is excellent because it is so low in fat and high in casein protein., and it is a popular snack for all sorts of athletes and body builders. A four-ounce serving of cottage cheese contains 120 calories and only five grams of fat, and the protein content per four ounces of cottage cheese is a whopping 14 grams! Cottage cheese contains only three grams of carbohydrates per serving and is relatively high in calcium, as well. Obviously, it is one of my favorite late night snacks. It does my body wonders, and gives me all of the proper fuel I need to recover and grow after an intense workout. Not to mention, cottage cheese is much cheaper to buy than regular casein protein powder, and it gives you all of the same benefits. So if you are tight on your budget and looking for the best late night muscle builder, pick up some cottage cheese!