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Cottage Cheese Is Hard to Find. Try These Smart Swaps
A protein craze is straining dairy supply, but Greek yogurt, ricotta and other staples can help fill the gap
Cottage cheese has become a favorite among shoppers looking for more protein, but nutrition experts say it’s worth checking labels for sodium, saturated fat and added sugar.
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Key takeaways
- Cottage cheese sales rose to more than $2 billion in 2025, up 82 percent from 2022, according to Circana data cited by The New York Times.
- Now the soft cheese can be hard to find because demand rose faster than production could be expanded.
- Nutritionists say Greek yogurt, ricotta, high-protein milk, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds can help fill the protein gap.
Cottage cheese is having a moment, and grocery shelves are feeling it.
The often-overlooked soft cheese has had a major comeback. On TikTok, home cooks chasing what some call “protein-maxing” are blending cottage cheese into ice cream, smoothies, flatbreads, bagels and pasta sauces. Its appeal is easy to see: the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says a half-cup of 4 percent full-fat cottage cheese has about 120 calories and 14 grams of protein.
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As demand outpaces supply, some shoppers are finding empty spaces where their favorite tubs used to be.
Cottage cheese sales grew to more than $2 billion in 2025, an 82 percent increase from the end of 2022, according to Circana data cited by The New York Times . The paper also reported that the average American ate about five pounds of cottage cheese a year when sales peaked in the 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, before dairy manufacturers shifted more production capacity toward yogurt.
What should shoppers buy if the cottage cheese shelf is bare?
Greek yogurt may be the closest dairy swap. A Johns Hopkins clinical nutrition handout lists 5 ounces of plain nonfat Greek yogurt at about 12 to 18 grams of protein, compared with about 14 grams for a half cup of cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta.
High-protein ultra-filtered milk has about 13 grams per 8-ounce serving, while skim or 1 percent milk has about 8 grams.
Ricotta is another easy substitute, especially in toast, pasta, dips or blended recipes. Johns Hopkins groups part-skim ricotta with cottage cheese at about 14 grams of protein per half cup.
A few high-protein, nondairy options include dry beans, peas and lentils, says Kate Yerxa, a registered dietitian and statewide coordinator for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program at University of Maine Cooperative Extension. And Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, says eggs, tuna and tofu can also work as protein swaps, depending on the meal.
Zumpano’s broader advice: Do not chase one viral food.
“[You] should focus on whole food sources of protein: lean meats, fish, eggs/egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, beans and lentils, [and] nuts and seeds. Choose protein-rich foods you enjoy and incorporate them daily. Vary your sources of protein, avoid processed meats and processed high-protein foods,” Zumpano tells AARP.
Protein is important — but be sure to read the whole label
The AARP book The Whole Body Reset recommends that women over 50 eat at least 25 grams of protein at each meal, and men over 50 eat at least 30 grams per meal.
For adults 50-plus who are trying to add protein to their diets, cottage cheese can be a useful option, Yerxa says.
“[It] can easily fit into a healthful diet for many adults. A half cup serving of cottage cheese has about 14 grams of protein, which is about the same amount of protein that you would get in 2 ounces of cooked chicken breast, lean ground beef, or in two eggs. Cottage cheese can be added to meals, or it makes a great snack,” she tells AARP.
Just be sure to read the whole nutrition label. Cottage cheese and some substitutes can be high in sodium, saturated fat or added sugar. That is especially important for people watching their blood pressure or managing heart risks.
Yerxa says shoppers should use the Nutrition Facts label if they are trying to reduce saturated fat, sodium or added sugar. As a rule of thumb, she says, 5 percent or less of the daily value is considered low, while 20 percent or more is considered high.
Zumpano also recommends looking for products with fewer ingredients and watching for added sugars, artificial sweeteners, fillers, gums and emulsifiers. For cottage cheese or substitutes, she advises keeping added sugar and saturated fat below 5 grams per serving and sodium below 200 milligrams per serving.
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
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