Tangy cottage cheese is a staple of many low-calorie diets. It’s not surprising that it’s become a fad diet on its own.

The cottage cheese diet is a calorie-restricted, low-carbohydrate diet. It’s meant to help you lose weight quickly. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of this crash diet.

 

Basics of the cottage cheese diet

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There’s no official version of the cottage cheese diet. It’s simply an eating plan where you eat only cottage cheese at each meal for at least three days. Some people also eat fresh fruits and vegetables in moderation.

Alcohol, fruit juice, sodas, and other sweetened beverages are usually avoided.

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Pros of the cottage cheese diet

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1. You’ll likely lose weight quickly.

2. The diet’s easy to follow and no cooking’s required.

3. Cottage cheese is high in protein.

 

The main benefit of the cottage cheese diet is fast weight loss. Any diet that greatly restricts calories usually results in weight loss. However, you may lose mostly water weight and not fat.

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It’s inexpensive

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Cottage cheese is also inexpensive and easy to find. A large tub is usually only a few dollars at the grocery store. This makes the cottage cheese diet appealing if you’re on a tight budget.

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It’s convenient

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The cottage cheese diet is convenient. There are no complicated recipes or shopping lists. You don’t have to count calories or points, or weigh your food.

Cottage cheese is portable and easy to pack, so you can take it with you to work or school.

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It’s a high-protein diet

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Cottage cheese is high in protein. One cup of low-fat cottage cheese has a whopping 28 grams (g)Trusted Source and only 163 calories.

High-protein foods digest slowly. This helps keep you feeling full longer and makes you less likely to overeat.

Protein also helps keep blood sugar levels stable, and helps build muscle. Discover more benefits of protein.

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The bottom line

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If you like the taste of cottage cheese, you’ll probably enjoy this diet, at least for the short term. You can change it up by topping your cottage cheese meals with seasonings, including:

• cinnamon

• nutmeg

• pepper

• ginger

• Indian spice blends

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Cons of the cottage cheese diet

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1. There’s little variety in the diet so you may get bored easily and you won’t meet your nutrient needs.

2. The diet is calorie-restrictive and may cause the body to go into starvation mode.

3. Cottage cheese contains no fiber.

 

Like any restrictive eating plan, the cottage cheese diet also has its downsides.

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It lacks variety

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If you only eat cottage cheese all day, you may get bored and abandon the diet. This could lead to binge eating and ultimately sabotage your weight loss goals.

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It may trigger cravings

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Diet restrictions may trigger food cravings. The results of a 2017 study found that people with restricted diets experienced more food cravings and ate larger amounts of the foods they craved.

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It’s a fiber-free diet

 

Cottage cheese contains no fiber. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of fiber is 25 g for women ages 19 to 50 and 38 g for men ages 19 to 50. People over 50 require a little less.

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A low-fiber diet is linked to constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticular disease.

Fiber helps control blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. Unless there’s a medical reason you need to restrict fiber, it’s important to eat as much as you can each day.