By Justine Sterling |
The best low fat cottage cheese (and nonfat cottage cheese) should have squeaky curds with a creamy texture. It shouldn’t feel like a chore to eat. You should wake up in the morning excited about your low fat cottage cheese breakfast. Does that seem unlikely? You haven’t tried our top picks yet.
Exciting fact about me: I love cottage cheese. I love it spread on toast. I love to use it like a dip for salty, ridged potato chips. I love to stir avocado chunks and chili crisp into it and eat it at my desk for breakfast, freaking out coworkers. Usually, I opt for low fat cottage cheese. I’m not particularly diet conscious these days, I just like the experience better. I like that it’s not as rich as full fat cottage cheese. I like that it plays better with other flavors. I like that the curds are squeakier. So, it was a good day when I sat down at my desk with 11 different containers of cottage cheese in order to find the seven best nonfat and low fat cottage cheese brands on the market. I can’t promise you’ll love cottage cheese as much as I do, but you’ll be a lot happier with your morning CC if you opt for one of these picks.
(And if you’re looking for the best cottage cheese that’s 4% milkfat, click the link!)
- Great Value Lowfat
This is spreadable cottage cheese—perfect for piling onto toast in the morning. It’s very soft and creamy. It’s also quite salty, so be careful adding any extra seasoning. I’m a fan of black pepper in my low fat cottage cheese, and this one would be perfect with that touch of spice. It’s definitely not the best low fat cottage cheese for fruit. Keep this one savory.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Lucerne Fat Free
Here’s the best fat free cottage cheese to use in place of ricotta. The curds are very small and there’s not a lot of extra liquid in the tub. It’s very fluffy and creamy. And it tastes sweet—like fresh cream. It’s hard to believe it’s fat free. Spread it on bruschetta and top with fruit preserves or smoked salmon. Stir it into a creamy sauce for pasta. Use it in lasagna!
See AlsoDoes the Cottage Cheese Diet Really Work?Eating Cottage Cheese Before Bed Will Boost Your Metabolism, Science SaysCottage cheese has many health benefits. Should you eat it every day?Is Dairy Inflammatory?Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Alta Dena 2% Milk Fat
Do you like BIG, CHUNKY curds? Then this is the best low fat cottage cheese for you. I love the extra-creamy texture of these massive curds. It’s side dish-worthy cottage cheese—like you get from a diner. Serve it alongside the most standard fruit salad or just eat it in a small bowl in between bites of scrambled eggs and pancakes, and sips of very run-of-the-mill diner-style coffee.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Kalona Supernatural Organic Lowfat Milk
This low fat cottage cheese comes topped with cream. Cream! On low fat cottage cheese! It’s a looser-style of cottage cheese (apologies but that’s really the only way to describe it). You need a spoon to eat it. It’s also well seasoned and on the saltier end of the spectrum. It’s the best low fat cottage cheese for an indulgent experience with much less fat.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Knudsen Lowfat Cottage Cheese
Many cottage cheeses are salty, so I never really got the idea of pairing them with fruit. But not this one. This is the best low fat cottage cheese for fruit because it’s extremely creamy—it practically tastes like unsweetened ice cream. It’s thick with small curds and that creaminess lasts and lasts. I would love this topped with berries. I would eat that for dessert.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Daisy Low Fat Cottage Cheese
This low fat cottage cheese from Daisy is straight down the middle. It has uniform curds that are on the smaller end. It has that cottage cheese tang. But it also has some creaminess. It is a good, classic cottage cheese. And, if you’re like me, it’s also the best low fat cottage cheese for scooping up with potato chips. Go for sturdy kettle-cooked chips—it will hold up to the thick cottage cheese better.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Organic Fat Free Cottage Cheese
We can be hard on Trader Joe’s, sometimes. Because the store really is hit or miss. But when TJ’s hits, it hits hard. This is the absolute best fat free cottage cheese. And it’s even better than the low fat cottage cheeses I tried. It has big, creamy curds and a pleasant tang. It’s not too thick—there’s some good whey in there—and the flavor is fresh. It tastes a lot like some of the best full fat cottage cheese brands out there. Whatever you want to do with cottage cheese, this fat free option from Trader Joe’s can handle it.
Credit: Merc
Best on Toast
Rating:
6.5/10
Sporks
Best Ricotta Substitute
Rating:
7/10
Sporks
Best Big Curds
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Small Curds
Best with Fruit
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Classic
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
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About the Author
Justine Sterling
Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
