While I can’t say I’m necessarily onboard with all viral TikTok trends (like, um, lube as a makeup primer?) I have been known to use the video streaming platform like a self help book—for better or worse. Say what you want about the app, but it’s a one-stop shop for recipes, style inspo, dating advice, and tarot card readings that so conveniently keep the delusion of your situationship alive. God bless ‘em for it.
Cottage cheese—yes, we’re talking about the lumpy, curled dairy product that made you shutter in elementary school—just happens to be the latest craze to hit TikTok. ICYMI, the hashtag alone has garnered a whopping 197.5 million views. And while everyone seems to have their own take on the trend (think: everything from avocado cottage cheese toast to a questionable ice cream concoction) there’s a common consensus: cottage cheese is just straight up good for you and rocking the web as a result.
@reem.beydoun viral cottage cheese ice cream.. if you know the original creator tag them below🫶🏼 #cottagecheese #ramadan #healthydessert #cottagecheeseicecream
Here’s the TL;DR reason: it’s packed full of protein. I mean, we’re talking 25 grams to a cup. As such, it’s no surprise the TikTok health girlies have glommed onto the cheese tubs. “Cottage cheese adds nutritional value by providing extra protein to any high carb meal,” Nutritionist Resource member Sonal Shah told Yahoo! Life, noting that it’s also packed with minerals like B vitamins and calcium. “The bulk of it is casein protein which is a slow digesting protein providing the body with a steady stream of amino acids throughout the day. Supporting muscle growth and repair while avoiding peaks and crashes in blood sugar levels.”
Now whether it’s actually tasty on its own or just easy to stomach is another debate entirely. Here’s what I mean by that: some lifelong devotees are straight spoon-diving into their cottage cheese while others are relying on more creative (read: better) approaches to getting the protein intake. To be fair, I’ve never had something smothered in hot honey and *not* inhaled it.
“I have never considered myself a fan of cottage cheese until I tried the viral cottage cheese recipe going around,” one user said in a now-viral vid. Here’s what her recipe *in particular* entails: a “really good piece of sourdough bread,” avocado, cottage cheese, chili oil, green onions, and lemon zest. The comment section was in agreement too: this shit slaps. “Cottage cheese is my new obsession,” one fan wrote, while another chimed in, “Wow… game changer!!! I’m doing this!!!”
It’s also not the only approach we’ve stumbled across on the clock app. Some folks are adding cottage cheese to their eggs and pasta sauce, whipping up a chip dip, and yes, even making that aforementioned ice cream—which, BTW, is literally just the milk product with fruit and honey if you’re adventurous enough to try.
While some might argue (me, I’m talking about me) that the cottage cheese campaign is really just a bunch of folks using it as a vehicle for other ingredients, we’re not here to judge. In fact, please keep eating the cottage cheese and hit my DMs with whether you manifested abs as a result. I’d love that market research and just might start drowning my avo toast with the stuff.
Images courtesy of Pexels.
