High in protein, low in fat, and low in carbs, cottage cheese was advertised as the ultimate diet food in the ‘90s. However, it has been used to add taste and texture to recipes for decades.
To help you find the taste and texture you prefer, we found the finest cottage cheese brands. Whether you are adding it to a sweet treat, a savory casserole, or enjoying it on its own, find your favorite below.
Good Culture
The quality of nutrition is a factor many people consider when choosing a brand of cottage cheese. Therefore, we are starting our list of best brands with a brand that is truly committed to using only the best ingredients.
Founded in 2014 as a way to help the founder, Jesse overcome an autoimmune disease, Good Culture is a brand built on quality nutrition. Specifically, on producing cultured dairy that comes from happy cows and is good for the gut and the earth.
The quality of dairy and manufacturing comes through in the pleasant flavor of this brand’s cottage cheese. It has a richer and cheesier flavor than other brands. A small curd cottage cheese, Good Culture has a creamy texture that is not too wet.
In addition to the exceptional taste, texture, and nutritional quality, all varieties of Good Culture Cottage cheese are organic. Moreover, Good Culture even has you covered on the go with its single-serving cups.
Below are the different types of cottage cheese by Good Culture that you can purchase in a standard 16-ounce container. In addition, the nutritional facts are provided for a ½ cup serving size of each variety.
Low-Fat Classic Cottage Cheese
- 80 calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 2.5 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Whole Milk Classic
- 110 calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 4.5 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Double Cream Classic
- 130 calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 7 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Below are the different Good Culture cottage cheese options available in single-serving cups. In addition to the three classic flavors, there are two fruit flavor choices. The nutritional value listed is for one single serving, 5 oz. cup.
Low-Fat Classic
- 110 calories
- 18 grams of protein
- 3 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Whole Milk Classic
- 140 calories
- 18 grams of protein
- 6 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Double Cream Classic
- 160 calories
- 18 grams of protein
- 9 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Strawberry Chia
- 150 calories
- 16 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 9 grams of sugar
Blueberry Acai Chia
- 150 calories
- 16 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 9 grams of sugar
Whether you want to stick to the classics or go a little bit fruity, Good Culture has you covered with the highest quality of organic ingredients.
Nancy’s
While Good Culture took the top spot based on nutritional quality and variety, there is a second brand that is of equal value in the nutritional department. Nancy’s.
Since the 1960s, Nancy’s has been committed to making food that goes beyond the basics of nutrition and offers additional health properties. Like probiotics!
While probiotics are often associated with yogurt, Nancy’s adds them to the brand’s cottage cheese. Therefore, providing even more gut-health benefits to the already cultured cottage cheese.
Nancy’s cottage cheese has a wonderful flavor that is slightly tangy compared to some other brands. Thai lovely tang is a reflection of the naturally cultured cottage cheese.
In addition to the two organic varieties of cottage cheese that are higher in fat, Nancy’s also offers a low-fat option. While this low-fat option is still free from any additives, it is not organic.
All three varieties come in a 16-ounce container with a suggested ½ cup serving size (nutritional values for a ½ cup serving are listed below).
Organic Whole Milk Cottage Cheese
- 120 Calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 6 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Organic Lowfat Milk Cottage Cheese
- 80 Calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Natural Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
- 80 Calories
- 14 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Even though Nancy’s is a popular brand across the country, it may not be in all mainstream grocery stores. If you can’t find it at your standard grocery store check for it at stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts.
Organic Valley
Organix Valley is one of the top brands in the world of organic dairy products. One of the things people love about Organic Valley is its cooperative farming. Since 1988, it has been the cooperative farming of this brand that has helped it grow and become a household name.
Cottage cheese is one of the many delicious dairy products produced by this cooperative. Part of the promise by Organic Valley is to make products that only use organic dairy, and are free from any additives. Moreover, products that are free from any toxic pesticides and are non-GMO.
The brand’s cottage cheese meets all of the quality standards set by the brand to create a delicious small curd cottage. With a perfect blend of flavor and texture, this is a favorite for many people. The low-fat version is especially popular because of the extra gram of protein per serving.
Organic Valley Cottage Cheese (4% Milkfat)
- 110 calories (per ½ cup)
- 14 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Organic Valley Lowfat Cottage Cheese (2% Milkfat)
- 100 calories (per ½ cup)
- 15 grams protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Horizon
Along with Organic Valley, Horizon has been a well-respected name in the organic food industry for several decades. Horizon maintains its organic promise by gathering milk from cows raised on farms owned by Horizon. Moreover, being diligent about providing the cows with only non-GMO and organic food to eat.
This dedication to producing quality organic dairy products is tasted in the brand’s cottage cheese. While the cottage cheese made by Horizon is made with all organic dairy, it does have added stabilizers.
Although the stabilizers do not impact the nutritional value or organic properties of the product, some people prefer to avoid them for digestive reasons. However, if you do not have any issues with stabilizers, they help maintain the freshness of cottage cheese longer.
In addition to helping maintain freshness longer, the stabilizers help reduce the natural tangy flavor of cultured cottage cheese. Therefore, if you prefer a milder flavor with a creamy texture this brand may be a good choice.
There are two options of cottage cheese available from Horizon, and each of them is available in a 16-ounce container.
Regular Cultured Cottage Cheese (4% milkfat)
- 120 Calories (per ½ cup)
- 14 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Low-fat Cultured Cottage Cheese (2% milkfat)
- 100 Calories (per ½ cup)
- 14 grams of protein
- 2.5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
365 by Wholefoods
While many of us would prefer to only eat organic foods, sometimes the higher cost of organic products makes it more difficult. Luckily, with brands like 365 by Wholefoods, you can enjoy organic dairy at a more budget-friendly price.
The cottage cheese by 365 is made with cultured organic milk and organic cream. Like Horizon, 365 also includes some stabilizers. However, the stabilizers used in 365 are organic and the list of stabilizers is shorter compared to Horizon.
If you don’t eat cottage cheese every day, but you want to keep organic cottage cheese on hand, 365 is a great brand that will stay fresher longer than other organic options. Therefore, it may potentially save you even more money by not going bad before you can eat it.
The one drawback to this brand is that it has slightly less protein per ½ cup serving. Although the other nutritional values are about the same (compared to other brands).
- 110 calories
- 12 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
An added benefit of this brand is that it is sold on Amazon, making it an easy and affordable option.
Daisy
If organic is not a priority for you, there are several other tasty cottage brands to choose from. One of the best is Daisy.
Daisy has been putting the best dairy products on kitchen tables since 1917. And even though they are not an organic company, they are committed to using the highest quality ingredients. Moreover, using only the necessary ingredients.
The use of only three ingredients (cultured milk, cream, and salt) just proves the commitment of this family-owned business to keep things simple.
The result of these three simple ingredients is delicious and creamy dairy cottage cheese with a fresh and mild flavor. While most people love the fresh taste of Daisy cottage cheese some people may not enjoy the texture.
This cottage cheese has a higher liquid-to-curd ratio compared to most other brands. Therefore, the texture is wetter and milkier.
However, if you enjoy a wetter cottage cheese then you will love the wide range of products by Daisy. Not only does Daisy have single serving cups (like Good Culture), but they are one of the few brands to also offer a large 32-ounce size.
Daisy 4% Regular Cottage Cheese
- 110 Calories (per ½ cup)
- 13 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Daisy 2% Regular Cottage Cheese
- 90 Calories (per ½ cup)
- 13 grams of protein
- 2.5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Daisy Cottage Cheese with Fruit (Strawberry, Cherry, Pineapple, or Peach)
- 160 Calories (per 6-ounce single serving cup)
- 14 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 16 grams of sugar
If organic is not a necessity for you then Daisy is the best choice for a natural and simple cottage cheese made without preservatives.
Trader Joe’s
If you live near Trader Joe’s, then it is worth mentioning that the Trader Joe’s brand of cottage cheese is almost identical to Daisy. It has the same list of only 3 ingredients, along with a similar flavor and texture.
Moreover, the Trader Joe’s brand is a bit cheaper than what Daisy is typically priced at the grocery store. Therefore, if Daisy sounds like a brand you would enjoy then give the Trader Joe’s brand a try too.
- 110 Calories (per ½ cup)
- 12 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 3 grams of sugar
Breakstone’s
Breakstone is one of the oldest dairy brands in the United States. Beginning in 1882, this brand has been providing high-quality sour cream and cottage cheese to the East Coast for over a hundred years.
Known for creating products with bold flavors and delicious creamy textures, Breakstone’s is a tradition for many families. While it is not organic and has a few more ingredients than Daisy, the quality is clear in the delicious flavor and creamy texture of the products.
In addition, Breakstone’s is one of the best due to the brand’s wide range of cottage cheese products. While most brands offer only small curd or large curd, Breakstone’s offers both options. There are also different options for container sizes: single serving (4 ounces), 16 ounces, and 24- ounces.
Moreover, this brand has a large variety of flavored cottage cheese options that come in single-serving cups. Whether you are looking for a single serving of flavored or plain cottage cheese, or a large container for the whole family Breakstone’s has plenty of options to choose from.
Take a look at the wide range of options offered by Breakstone’s to see what flavor, size, and nutritional values are best suited for your needs. All nutritional values are listed for a ½ cup serving.
Full Fat (Large Curd or Small Curd)
- 120 Calories
- 12 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Full Fat (4%) Small Curd Single Serving Cup
- 120 Calories
- 12 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Low Fat (2%) (Large or Small Curd)
- 100 Calories
- 13 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 5 grams of sugar
Low Fat (2%) Small Curd Sing Serving Cup
- 100 Calories
- 13 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 5 grams of sugar
Low Sodium Reduced Fat (2%) Small Curd
In addition to the standard low fat cottage cheese that has 360 mg of sodium per serving, there is a low sodium option that has only 250 mg of sodium per serving. The rest of the nutritional values are the same as the standard low-fat cottage cheese.
Fat-Free Small Curd
- 80 Calories
- 11 grams of protein
- 0 grams of fat
- 6 grams of sugar
Fat-Free Small Curd Single Serving Cup
- 80 Calories
- 11 grams of protein
- 0 grams of fat
- 6 grams of sugar
Fruit Flavored Cottage Doubles
Choose from pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, peach, mango, or black cherry. Each flavor comes in a single-serving container. A delightful blend of creamy small curd cottage cheese provides a delicious sweet and savory snack.
Depending on the fruit selected, the nutritional value will range from 110 calories to 120 calories, 10 to 12 grams of protein, and 8 to 10 grams of sugar. However, each flavor will have only 2 grams of fat (from the milk).
While Breakston’s is primarily an East Coast brand, many grocery stores carry it nationwide. Therefore, it is worth looking for if you want a quality brand of cottage cheese with a lot of options.
Knudsen
Knudsen has been around for almost as long as Daisy. Beginning in 1919 in California, this family-owned creamery began with a goal similar to many other brands – to create the best dairy products with the best ingredients.
For over a hundred years, the company has worked to make this dream a reality. Beginning with sourcing milk from local dairies in California.
Today, the company still sources its milk from California dairy farms that are located close to the creamery. Therefore, using freshly sourced milk to make every batch of cottage cheese.
While Knudsen is known for using quality local ingredients it also uses additives to stabilize the cottage cheese. Therefore, if you prefer to avoid products with additives an organic brand or Daisy would be a better choice.
Although Knudsen does not have an ingredient list as simple as many of the other brands, it does have an advantage over many of them when it comes to its size offerings. Knudsen is one of the only brands to offer cottage cheese in 8-ounce, 16-ounce, 24-ounce, 32-ounce, and 48-ounce containers.
While not every type of cottage cheese is offered in all of these different sizes, there are more options to choose from than other brands. In addition, Knudsen is one of the few best brands to have fat-free cottage cheese.
They also offer one fruit-flavored cottage cheese. However, unlike other brands that only offer fruit-flavored cottage cheese in single serving sizes, Knudsen only offers it in a standard 16-ounce container.
Regardless of what container size suits your needs, the recommended serving size is ½ cup. Take a look at the nutritional value of each Knudsen cottage cheese to see how a ½ cup compares to other brands.
Cottage Cheese (4% milkfat)
- 110 Calories
- 11 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Small Curd Lowfat Cottage Cheese (2% milkfat)
- 90 Calories
- 11 grams of protein
- 2.5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
Nonfat Cottage Cheese
- 80 Calories
- 10 grams of protein
- 0 grams of fat
- 6 grams of sugar
Lowfat Cottage Cheese & Pineapple
- 110 Calories
- 8 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fat
- 14 grams of sugar
As you can see, Knudsen tends to be lower in protein and higher in sugar than many other brands. Therefore, depending on your nutritional goals this may not be the best fit.
On the other hand, if you want a brand of cottage cheese that tastes good and is more affordable than the higher-protein options, Knudsen is a good choice.
Market Pantry
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If you want a great-tasting cottage cheese but you are on a budget, then Market Pantry by Target is a good brand to try. This brand has a nice mild flavor and good texture that many people enjoy.
However, as a budget-friendly brand, the quality of ingredients is not on par with the other brands mentioned above. Especially the organic brands. One of the drawbacks of this product is the long list of ingredients, including carrageenan as a thickener.
Although some people want cottage cheese that is additive-free, many do not mind the additives as long as it doesn’t impact the taste and nutritional value of the product.
As you can see from the nutritional information for ½ cup of Market Pantry cottage cheese, it is quite similar to other name brands.
- 110 calories
- 5 grams fat
- 5 grams carbs
- 12 grams protein
Next time you are at Target, compare Market Pantry to the other cottage cheese brands to see if this budget-friendly option is best for you.
Lactaid
If you love cottage cheese, but your body doesn’t love lactose, then reach for cottage cheese by Lactaid. Lactaid is one of the best brands of lactose-free milk. Moreover, one of the best brands for other lactose-free dairy products, like cottage cheese.
Lactaid cottage cheese is made from milk that has been treated with lactase to break down the lactose in the milk. Then, the milk is cultured and turned into cottage cheese in the same way regular milk is used to make cottage cheese.
Therefore, since this cottage cheese is made from real cow milk, it has a similar nutritional profile to regular cottage cheese. It also has a similar flavor and texture.
Compare the nutritional content of ½ cup of Lactaid cottage cheese with the other brands above to see how similar they are.
- 110 calories
- 13 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fat
- 4 grams of sugar
As one of the best lactose-free brands, Lactaid products are available at most grocery stores around the country. You can also search online if you can’t find cottage cheese at a store near you.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of cottage cheese brands. All of these brands are great choices when it comes to great-tasting cottage cheese with a good texture. Therefore, deciding on the best brand depends on what is most important to you.
Whether it is organic ingredients, a variety of flavors or sizes, or the cost that is most important to you, any of the brands from above can be your best brand.
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