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We Graded 5 Cottage Cheeses A–F. The Internet’s Favorite Came Last.

Cottage cheese went from grandma’s fridge to everyone’s TikTok, and for good reason — it’s one of the highest-protein dairy foods on the shelf. We graded five popular tubs on the same 6-dimension Labelgrade. They all score respectably (this is a high-protein category), but the order has a twist: the humble no-salt-added plain tub won, while the organic, whole-milk option the internet loves landed last — because sodium and saturated fat are two of the six dimensions, and the trendy pick carries more of both.

The verdict

We graded 5 cottage cheeses A–F: the category averages 77/100 (B), from 83 (B+) at the top down to 75 (B) at the bottom.

Cottage cheese grades well on protein, but the spread (75 to 83) is all sodium and milkfat. The plain no-salt-added Friendship tub won; the organic whole-milk Good Culture — the internet’s darling — came last, dinged on sodium and saturated fat, not protein.

Top of the class B+ Friendship Dairies 1% Milkfat Small Curd No Salt Added Cottage Cheese 83/100
Bottom of the class B Good Culture Organic Whole Milk Classic Cottage Cheese 75/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Friendship Dairies 1% Milkfat Small Curd No Salt Added Cottage Cheese B+ 83/100

Pros

  • Low sodium at 55.4 mg
  • Low saturated fat at 1 g
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#2 Daisy 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese B 77/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low saturated fat at 1.8 g
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#3 Breakstone's Lowfat Cottage Cheese B 76/100

Pros

  • Low saturated fat at 1.5 g
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#4 Muuna Lowfat Plain Cottage Cheese B 76/100

Pros

  • Low saturated fat at 2 g
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#5 Good Culture Organic Whole Milk Classic Cottage Cheese B 75/100

Pros

  • Clean, short ingredient list
  • Low saturated fat at 3.6 g

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 5 cottage cheeses, ranked

#Cottage cheeseGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Friendship Dairies — 1% Milkfat Small Curd No Salt Added Cottage Cheese B+ 83 fiber (30/100)
2 Daisy — 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese B 77 fiber (30/100)
3 Breakstone's — Lowfat Cottage Cheese B 76 fiber (49/100)
4 Muuna — Lowfat Plain Cottage Cheese B 76 fiber (30/100)
5 Good Culture — Organic Whole Milk Classic Cottage Cheese B 75 fiber (30/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Friendship Dairies 1% Milkfat Small Curd No Salt Added Cottage Cheese tops the class at 83/100 (B+); Good Culture Organic Whole Milk Classic Cottage Cheese anchors the bottom at 75/100 (B). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cottage cheese scored best?

The no-salt-added, lower-fat plain tub topped the list — see the ranked table above for the order and each one’s weakest dimension. Sodium is the dimension that separates this category most.

Why did the organic whole-milk one score lowest?

It’s a fine product — but whole-milk means more saturated fat, and its sodium is on the higher side, and those are two of our six dimensions. "Organic" isn’t one of them, because organic doesn’t change the sodium or fat on the label. The grade reflects what you actually eat.

Is cottage cheese healthy?

For protein, it’s one of the best values in the dairy case, which is why the whole category grades B-range. The main thing to watch is sodium — it varies a lot brand to brand, and the no-salt-added versions score best here.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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