Avocado Toast and Herbed RicottaIf you talk to any nutritionist or dietician today, protein is one of the buzzwords you’ll hear over and over. Most people think about adding meat to their diet in order to up their protein intake. There’s another great option available that most people don’t even think about … Ricotta! A quarter cup of part-skim ricotta cheese is only 80 calories but delivers 7 grams of filling protein, along with a dose of calcium.

Not only that, ricotta cheese is way too delicious and versatile to use only as lasagna filling. Chefs and home cooks alike are starting to capitalize on the many ways to use this cheese! Here are a couple of quick and easy ways to incorporate ricotta into your diet and get a boost of protein;

  • Mix a half cup of ricotta with a teaspoon of sugar, a splash of skim milk and a dash of vanilla for a fantastic topping for whole-grain waffles along with fresh fruit. Use it as a healthy spread replacement for cream cheese on toast or bagels.
  • For a delicious and nutrient-packed dessert (or breakfast), take a scoop of ricotta, top it with fresh berries and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.
  • Top steel cut oats with ricotta, berries and slivered almonds.
  • Toast some 9-grain bread and top with herbed ricotta, avocado, tomatoes and chives.

Sure, you can continue use ricotta exclusively for lasagna; but why would you? Once you discover all the delicious ways you can add protein to your diet using ricotta cheese it will become a staple in your refrigerator.