Protein, protein and more protein: This seems to be the latest health and wellness trend on social media. And some TikTok creators have found what they consider the next best way to implement more protein into people’s diets.
TikTokers are taking cottage cheese and baking it in the oven.
Hundreds of videos pop up when searching for “baked cottage cheese” on the social media app as users try out the new trend for themselves.
People are essentially spreading a layer of their favorite brand of cottage cheese onto a baking sheet — typically with a parchment paper lining — and popping it in the oven.
Victoria Minell is a TikTok creator from Sydney with over 1.2 million followers who shared a basic baked cottage cheese how-to video with her audience.
She told Fox News Digital the protein hack is “super versatile, high in protein, low-carb and a great gluten-free option.”
Minell showed her online audience how to make the bread substitute and how to make it into a prosciutto and tomato wrap — and it’s garnered nearly 11 million views.
Fox News Digital also spoke to Ashley McCrary, known as Healthy Little Peach on social media. Her TikTok video of baking cottage cheese currently has over 2.5 million views.
The content creator from Springfield, Missouri, has been sharing recipes on the internet for seven years and said this trend is flavorful.
“People are always looking for delicious ways to boost their protein intake, and cottage cheese has recently become incredibly popular,” she said.
With over 760,000 Instagram followers, McCrary shared a baked cottage cheese recipe with her audience that packs 37 grams of protein into the serving.
“Versatile and delicious, you can use it as a wrap or even as a pizza crust. It’s also an excellent choice for those following a low-carb lifestyle,” she said.
The recipe she created, with inspiration from others, has a few more ingredients — including one cup of cottage cheese, two eggs, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder and 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
McCrary uses a blender or food processor to blend the ingredients before lining a baking pan with parchment paper and pouring the cheese evenly on the pan.
From there, she bakes it for 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a crispy, protein-filled addition to her meal.
Best to check with nutritionists, other experts first
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist from Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital that although cottage cheese is a high-protein food, there are some potential cons to the hack.
“While low-carb diets have been popular for a few decades now in one form or another, carbohydrates are a necessary piece of a balanced diet,” she said.
She noted that if people looking to make this new trendy food item are very active and exercising a lot, then taking out tortillas, bread, wraps and other carbs from the diet may lead people to “overconsume protein and fall short of other nutrients.”
Freirich also said she would not recommend the baked cottage cheese trend to those who are lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, as cottage cheese is milk-based.
“I recommend that everyone discuss your potential nutrient needs with a registered dietitian to ensure that your dietary choices are best supporting your health goals,” she added.
Lauren Harris-Pincus, a New York-based registered dietitian and nutritionist, also advised against baking cottage cheese for those who are sensitive to high amounts of sodium.
“[A] potential disadvantage includes a high sodium content, which can equal more than 1/3 of the recommended daily intake,” she told Fox News Digital.
Harris-Pincus also noted that cottage cheese lacks fiber, which can be found in whole-grain bread and tortillas and can cost much more than your average loaf.
“Bread contains nutrients like iron and B vitamins, such as folic acid, that are very important for women of childbearing age,” she also explained.
The response online has been mixed — some social media users saying it’s a “game changer,” while others have said they “hate cottage cheese.”
One user commented on Minell’s TikTok video and said, “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! You can do that with cottage cheese?!”
Another wrote, “The way I immediately got up and threw cottage cheese in the oven!”
Some users are shaking their head at the idea — with one commenting, “I really hate cottage cheese … It sits in my fridge until it goes in the trash.”
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