Name: Pumpernickel Morning Cheese Toast
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 medium slices pumpernickel or rye bread; 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese, whipped; 1/2 small avocado, sliced; 1/2 small cucumber, cut into slices; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pumpernickel Morning Cheese Toast

Stephanie Lang, MS, RDN, CDN

Medically reviewed by

Richard N. Fogoros, MD

Updated on September 20, 2019

(11 ratings)

Total Time: 5 min

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 0 min

Servings: 1

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

292 calories

13g fat

34g carbs

13g protein

Show Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories	292
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g	17%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 6mg	2%
Sodium 502mg	22%
Total Carbohydrate 34g	12%
Dietary Fiber 8g	29%
Total Sugars 3g
Includes 0g Added Sugars	0%
Protein 13g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 102mg	8%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 534mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Cottage cheese is a great source of protein to give you the energy you need to start your day. Half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese contains almost 15 grams of protein. This recipe uses cottage cheese as a spread on pumpernickel toast.

Pumpernickel is a dense, dark German style bread made with coarsely ground whole grain rye. For a heart-healthy (and gut-healthy) day, aim to make at least half of the grains you eat in a day from whole grain sources.

A recipe for cancer prevention almost always involves fruits and vegetables, which are full of flavor, color, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Cottage cheese toast is a great vehicle for showcasing delicious raw fruits and vegetables at the morning meal; you get a hydrating crunch from the cucumber and a creamy dose of healthy fats and vitamins from the avocado. All you need is a few grinds of black pepper to top. Keep the salt shaker away as the cottage cheese is already salted.

Ingredients

2 medium slices pumpernickel or rye bread
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese, whipped
1/2 small avocado, sliced
1/2 small cucumber, cut into slices
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Toast the pumpernickel bread.
Divide the cottage cheese between the two slices of toast and spread over the surface of each slice.
Fan the avocado slices onto one slice of the toast. Place cucumber slices on the other slice of toast.
Grind the black pepper over the top of both toast slices.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Do you prefer a sweet over a savory breakfast? Instead of the cucumber and avocado, top your morning cheese toast with sliced ripe plums or peaches, fresh berries, or persimmon slices. Instead of black pepper, add a few shakes of cinnamon to enhance the sweet flavor of the fruit with the slightly salty cottage cheese.

When you swap the savory for the sweet combination, you still reap the high protein benefit of the cottage cheese, and depending on the type of fruit you use, you still get a low calorie, antioxidant containing toast topping.

Cooking and Serving Tips

If you can find a low-fat whipped cottage cheese at the store, the texture will be the most spreadable, almost like a cross between cream cheese and ricotta cheese. If you cannot find whipped cottage cheese, any kind will do, or you could even pulse your cottage cheese in a small food processor for a smoother look.