Blood pressure benefits of cottage cheese salad

Trying to control your blood pressure through diet, but tired of eating the same old staples? Try this fresh and creamy, blood-pressure friendly recipe for peachy cottage cheese salad.

Preparation time about 30 minutes; Serves 4

Salad

Ingredients:

• 250 g (1/2 lb) sugar snap peas
• 125 g (1/4 lb) arugula, washed, dried and torn
• 125 g (1/4 lb) butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn
• 4 ripe peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
• 500 g (1 lb) low-sodium, low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
• 60 g (4 tbsp) toasted sliced almonds
• Cayenne, sprigs of fresh dill (garnish)

Dressing

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
• 10 ml (2 tsp) honey
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh dill
• Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add the sugar snap peas to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and drain
2. To make the dressing, put the oil, lemon zest and juice, mustard, honey, chopped dill and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk well
3. Add the sugar snap peas, arugula and butter lettuce to the dressing and toss to coat well
4. Divide the dressed vegetables among 4 serving plates. Scatter over the peach slices and top with cottage cheese. Sprinkle with almonds and a little cayenne. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve

• Top this salad with nectarines or fresh apricots
• Mix in 125 grams (1/2 cup) low-fat, plain yogurt to make the cottage cheese taste creamier
• Serve with warmed sunflower seed, walnut or pumpkin bread for a well-balanced lunch

• A 125 grams (1/2 cup) of 1% cottage cheese has only 82 calories, compared to 144 calories for the same amount of part-skim mozzarella, or 170 calories for part-skim ricotta
• The cottage cheese has only 1.2 grams of fat, compared with 9 and 9.8 grams, respectively, for mozzarella and ricotta
• Cottage cheese is a great source of B vitamins as well
• Fresh peaches are a good source of vitamin C and provide some beta-carotene

Each serving provides:

Key nutrients:

• 280 Calories
• 100 Calories from Fat
• 11 g Fat
• 2 g Saturated Fat
• 0 g Trans Fat
• 19 g Protein
• 25 g Carb
• 5 g Fibre
• 50 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients:

• 24 mg Vitamin C
• 47 mg Magnesium
• 534 mg Potassium
• 175 mg Calcium

This fresh-tasting salad combines luscious, sweet peaches and crisp green vegetables with a generous portion of creamy cottage cheese. It is quick and easy to put together, taking only a little longer to make than a sandwich.