Description of the product and cooking features. Composition and calorie content of goat's milk cottage cheese. How is it useful and can it be harmful? Interesting facts about goat curd.
Goat curd is a product made from goat milk. Hearty, healthy and tasty, it will be appropriate in the diet of every person. Goat milk is less allergenic and more nutritious than cow's milk. In addition, it is more comfortable to digest, and therefore those people who have problems eating cow curd can easily eat a product made from goat's milk. It is versatile in the kitchen, it can be eaten as an independent dish, adding sugar, nuts, dried fruits to taste, or it can be used as an ingredient in the preparation of various dishes - cheese cakes and casseroles made from goat curd are especially tasty.
What is goat curd?
In the photo, goat's milk cottage cheese
Goat curd is not so common in stores; you can buy it, perhaps, only in large supermarkets and health food stores. In addition, even if you manage to find it, you will be faced with the fact that it costs significantly more than a cow. If you want to save some money, you can make your own goat curd at home. No special devices are required for this, and the technology is quite simple.
There are many recipes for goat curd, but the traditional one is as follows: milk is poured into a saucepan, a little salt is added to emphasize the taste, brought to a boil, then the milk is removed, mixed and left for 3 days at room temperature. After this time, the curd is heated a little, then put in a colander lined with gauze, tied in a knot and hung. All serum should be drained. It turns out the classic homemade goat curd.
There are also other ways to make cottage cheese from goat's milk with the addition of various starters - often using whey, kefir, sour cream starter, etc. It is noteworthy that modern housewives manage to cook a product in a multicooker, which is much easier and requires less labor.
The composition and calorie content of goat curd
Goat curd is a rather nutritious product, it contains a lot of protein and a sufficient amount of fat, but, nevertheless, its energy value is low, due to the fact that the carbohydrate component is practically absent.
The calorie content of goat curd is 156 kcal per 100 g:
- Proteins - 16.7 g;
- Fat - 9 g;
- Carbohydrates - 1, 3 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0 g;
- Water - 68 g.
The product also contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A, RE - 55 mcg;
- Retinol - 0.05 g;
- Beta carotene - 0.03 mg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.04 mg
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.27 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 46.7 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.28 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0, 11 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folate - 35 mcg;
- Vitamin B12, cobalamin - 1 mcg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 0.5 mg;
- Vitamin D, calciferol - 0.29 mcg;
- Vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol - 0.2 mg;
- Vitamin H, biotin - 5.1 mcg;
- Vitamin PP, NE - 3, 9 mg;
- Niacin - 0.4 mg
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium - 112 mg;
- Calcium - 164 mg;
- Magnesium - 23 mg;
- Sodium - 41 mg;
- Sulfur - 180 mg;
- Phosphorus - 220 mg;
- Chlorine - 152 g.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron - 0.4 mg;
- Cobalt - 1 mcg;
- Manganese - 0, 008 mg;
- Copper - 74 mcg;
- Molybdenum - 7, 7 mcg;
- Selenium - 30 mcg;
- Fluorine - 32 mcg;
- Zinc - 0, 394 mg.
In addition, the product is rich in fatty and organic acids, amino acids. Moreover, it is important to note that the composition contains all 20 amino acids necessary for a person, among which 8 are irreplaceable, that is, those that the body is not able to produce on its own.
It is worth noting that you can find a special low-fat product on sale, however, we advise you to purchase goat curd of normal fat content, since it itself is rich in fat-soluble vitamins, which can be adequately absorbed only in the presence of fat, respectively, a low-fat product becomes less valuable.
Useful properties of goat curd
Due to its rich chemical composition, goat curd is very healthy. It has a beneficial effect on the entire body and is especially valuable for strong muscles, strong bones, healthy blood composition. The product is recommended for use by both men and women and children - let's take a closer look at how goat curd is useful in each case.
The benefits of goat milk cottage cheese for women
Goat curd is a nutritious product, but low in calories, that is, it saturates well, but does not add extra pounds. This quality of cottage cheese should be appreciated by women who are constantly on diets: the product helps to stay full, but at the same time does not go beyond the set limit of daily calorie content, which ensures effective weight loss. Therefore, when planning to go on a diet, you should definitely buy goat curd.
The product is very rich in selenium: 100 g contains more than 50% of the daily dose. This mineral is essential for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland, which diseases are very common today.
It also contains a large amount of vitamin B12 - more than 30% of the daily dose of 100 g. This element is valuable for blood health, and its sufficient intake into the body provides good prevention of anemia - another common problem for women, especially during pregnancy.
The benefits of goat curd also lie in the fact that it is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, important minerals for bone health, and this makes it especially useful in the diet of women who have already entered the climatic period. It is during menopause that the likelihood of developing such a disease as osteoporosis, which is characterized by increased fragility of bones, increases.
However, the strengthening effect in this case extends not only to the bones, but also to the hair and nails, which allows the woman to become more beautiful.
The benefits of cottage cheese for men
Men will primarily appreciate goat curd as a source of high quality protein, which contains all the essential amino acids for building and maintaining muscle. Its presence in the diet of representatives of the stronger sex who are actively involved in sports is especially important.
Goat curd also has a beneficial effect on the work of the heart and blood vessels, normalizes cholesterol levels, helps reduce the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, thrombosis and acute heart conditions, and since heart attacks more often affect men than women, this property of the product is especially significant for the stronger sex.
Goat curd is also useful for the liver, and, again, this quality is more important for men, since they more often expose their body to toxic effects - they consume more alcohol, fried foods, caffeine, etc.
It is noted that the product has a positive effect on potency, cottage cheese stimulates the production of testosterone. This, in turn, is not only reflected in sexual desire, but also in the man's motivation to achieve new goals.
The benefits of goat curd for children
The product is very important for the harmonious development of a child at any age. Of course, goat curd should not be given to a baby at all, but already from six months it can be introduced into complementary foods. Moreover, pediatricians often advise starting with goat's rather than cow's curd, since the likelihood of side effects in this case is minimal. Children prone to allergies are not just advised, but strongly encouraged to start complementary foods with goat products.
It is worth noting that there is a certain common stereotype regarding the taste of goat's milk cottage cheese - supposedly there is an unpleasant smell of "goat" in it, while the mother herself concludes for the child that he will not eat such a product. However, homemade goat curd from an animal that is properly looked after has no foreign odors and has a "clean" taste of an ordinary dairy product.
If you can't find such high-quality homemade cottage cheese, you can turn your gaze to a store product, but in this case, carefully read the composition. For a child, it is worth choosing cottage cheese without various additives and even sugar - you should not teach it from an early age.
First of all, goat curd for children is a healthy development of bones, teeth and muscle skeleton. The complete amino acid composition, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D helps in this matter. In addition, it helps in establishing and adjusting the work of the digestive system. Cottage cheese is a natural probiotic, it contains beneficial microorganisms that help the intestines work.
Goat curd during pregnancy
Pregnant women must definitely introduce goat curd into their diet, it will not only save the expectant mother from potential deficiencies - general vitamin deficiency, hypothyroidism, anemia, fragility of bones, etc., but will also contribute to the better growth of the child. In general, goat's milk cottage cheese will be very useful for both mom and baby.
It is important to note that the product is well absorbed, does not burden the pregnant woman's digestive system, which is often already tense, especially in the later stages due to fetal pressure.
It is also worth mentioning the positive effect of cottage cheese on the nervous system due to the presence in the composition of a large amount of B vitamins. The product raises mood, increases concentration, and protects against insomnia. All these effects are very important for the expectant mother.
Read also about the benefits of goat milk
Contraindications and harm to goat curd
Despite all the positive properties, it is worth noting that before eating goat curd, you must definitely familiarize yourself with its contraindications.
First, it is important to say that there is a fine line between the benefits and harms of goat curd when it comes to excessive consumption. Although the product is easily digestible, excessive consumption can create unnecessary stress on the gastrointestinal tract. Protein and fats saturate for a long time, but it is more difficult to digest them than carbohydrates, namely, the product is rich in protein and fats, first of all.
If you do not have digestive problems, you can eat 100-200 g of goat curd per day without any negative consequences. But if you have certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is better to first consult with your doctor regarding the presence of the product in the diet and its amount. Note also that homemade cottage cheese is usually much fatter than store-bought, so the portion should be reduced to 50-100 g per day if you are afraid of excess weight.
It is also important to say that goat curd can bring harm to everyone who, due to a particular disease, must follow a dietary diet and, without consulting a doctor, began to actively use the product. And although in general, goat curd is usually allowed even for people with serious illnesses, prior consultation is still required.
Goat curd contains lactose, and therefore people with lactase deficiency should not eat the product. Although with mild forms of insufficiency, you can afford a small amount.
Despite the low degree of allergenicity, individual intolerance to the product is not excluded, and therefore if you yourself are trying goat curd for the first time or giving it to a child, start with a small portion - no more than 1 tsp, if this amount does not cause negative symptoms, the portion can be increased.
Note! The freshness of the curd is of the utmost importance, an expired product can be very harmful to the body, therefore, when buying and opening it at home, be sure to check if the expiration date has passed.
Interesting facts about goat curd
When fermenting cottage cheese, make sure that the temperature is at least 23OC, otherwise the milk will simply go bad.
Homemade cottage cheese must be eaten in the first 2-3 days after cooking, otherwise you can get poisoned. If you've cooked a large portion, just freeze the portion.
From the whey left over from the cottage cheese, you can bake delicious pancakes or pancakes.
To prepare cottage cheese, you need a lot of milk: from 10 liters of milk, only 1.5 kg of cottage cheese is obtained.
In ancient times, buttons were made from cottage cheese, it was pressed in a special way, and it turned out to be very hard.
In India, the product was used for religious ceremonies, while honoring their god Krishna, they solemnly broke a pot of cottage cheese, this was a symbol of good luck and happiness.
The quickest goat curd recipe is as follows: boil a glass of milk, add 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice - it instantly curtains the product, and after a few minutes the cottage cheese can be eaten.
Watch a video about goat's milk curd:
Goat curd is a unique product. It is very useful for any person - man, woman, and child, is easily absorbed and supplies the body with many essential nutrients. However, it also has contraindications, be sure to read them before eating.
