How Gen Zs brought back a once controversial food from the 1970s


A controversial food from the 1970s is making a comeback among Generation Z (Photo: TikTok)

Once looked down oncottage cheese is back with a bang thanks TikTok.

People on the app can't get enough of the curd product right now. The reason for this is because of the lumpy dairy ingredient thinlow in calories and high in protein, making it a great addition to healthy treats.

Gen Z uses cottage cheese in many inventive ways, from leveling their eggs to smashing it onto toast, and even making cookie dough. Yes, you read that correctly.

Incorporating cottage cheese into everyday recipes has become so popular that several hashtags have been dedicated to the cause, including #cottagecheesecookiedough, #cottagecheeserecipes and simply #curd, which has already been used more than 37,000 times.


a white woman eating a mars bar protein shake
TikTokers put all kinds of cottage cheese (Photo: TikTok/Eliya eats)

Milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are usually sources of protein and calcium, but are also high in fat.

However, cottage cheese is high in protein but low in fat, meaning those who want to build muscle mass and stay full longer won't be able to get enough of it.

Chandler Isaac shared her cottage cheese scrambled eggs with her 1.1 million followers, saying: 'This is hands down my favorite high protein breakfast snack.'

@emthenutritionist

CORK BRUSCHETTA AVOCADO TOAST A quick, easy high protein breakfast (or lunch) that I eat A LOT. From a nutritional point of view, the cottage cheese hype is a fact. Easy to incorporate into meals, rich in proteins to keep you full and lots of great vitamins. Combine it with fiber and you have a hearty breakfast to keep you going. for 1 portion 360 ​​kcal and 22 g protein 40 g good bread 1/4 red onion, finely chopped Large handful of sweet cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 small avocado, cubed 2 heaped tablespoons of cottage cheese (lean or normal) Fresh basil leaves, torn 1 egg 1 small clove of garlic Salt and pepper to taste Fill a small pan with water and bring to a gentle boil. Carefully add the egg and cook for 6 minutes for a soft-boiled egg. After cooking, place the egg in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Peel and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, and diced avocado. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, plus a small drizzle of olive oil. Tear some fresh basil leaves and add to the mixture. Cut a clove of garlic in half. Once the bread is toasted, GENTLY rub the cut side of the garlic over the surface of the bread 4-5 times to add a subtle garlic flavor. Spread the cottage cheese evenly over the garlic-rubbed toast. Spread with the bruschetta mixture. Cut the soft-boiled egg in half and place it on the assembled toast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if necessary. #healthy food #healthyrecipes #breakfast

♬ original sound – Emily English

Many others have shared their cottage cheese on toast recipes, with the hashtag #cottagecheesetoast also proving popular, having been used in more than 1,000 videos.

Meanwhile, Emily English (@emthenutritionist) shared her stacked avocado and eggs on toast, with the toast smothered in cottage cheese.

This included @EllieLerma, who said she first saw the idea for “sweet and spicy” cottage cheese toast on Instagram. She made hers by putting chilli jam, salt and honey on top of cottage cheese on toast.

It's not just limited to a TikTok craze either, with retailers in Britain reporting a huge increase in demand for the product, with M&S reporting a 30% year-on-year increase in sales. Meanwhile, Waitrose has reported a 22% increase, according to The Guardian.

Robert Graham, director of Graham's Family Dairy, told the newspaper that the craze came out of nowhere.

He said, “Since May last year when there was a TikTok craze, our cottage cheese sales have increased by 40%.”

However, it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, as @tkpaps writes on X, formerly Twitter: 'This cottage cheese trend needs to stop.'

Meanwhile, @bethconvid19 wrote: 'This cottage cheese trend has gone far enough. I will NOT replace it with mashed potatoes, dips or ice cream. I would like to declare war on influencers.”

So, the next time you're looking for a protein-rich breakfast or a satisfying snack, why not opt ​​for cottage cheese? It's not the seventies anymore.


Recipe for cottage cheese cookie dough

Ingredients

  • 324 g low-fat cottage cheese
  • 60 g maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 190 g almond flour
  • 60 g vanilla protein powder
  • 200 g dark chocolate pieces

Method

  1. Mix the cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla in a blender and puree until very smooth.
  2. Place the mixture in a bowl and stir in the almond flour and protein powder until well incorporated. Then fold in the chocolate pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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