Until recently, white cheese is best known as a health food – and not a particularly popular one either. It is done by curdle milk (without spoiling it) and separate the solid parts, or curds, resulting in a characteristic lumpy texture that many people find off-putting. It seems an unlikely choice for social media fame, but that’s exactly what happened: Thanks to a handful of viral videos, cottage cheese has reached a new zenith since its peak in the 1970s, according to the New York Post. The hashtag #cottagecheese has racked up over 200 million searches on TikTok alone.
A group that is undoubtedly delighted by this dairy revolution? Registered dietitians. Cottage cheese is incredibly nutritious and has fewer calories than most other cheeses or dairy products. A cup of low-fat cottage cheese has just 163 calories, for example, but also contains 28 grams (g) of protein, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It contains nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and selenium.
You can find varieties of cottage cheese to suit a range of dietary needs or preferences, including lactose-free, no added sodium, low-fat and fat-free, as well as flavored and unflavored cottage cheese in different curd sizes. And if you don’t like eating it straight from the container, there’s no shortage of cottage cheese recipes. Many people find that pureeing it to a smooth texture or mixing it into baked goods and other recipes can be a great way to consume this low-calorie, high-protein dairy product. Still not convinced? Try one of these five sweet desserts made with cottage cheese!
