The Protein-Packed Food That Disappeared From Diner Menus - Tasting Table

The diner is an American institution that helped define U.S. cuisine, though fewer diners exist today. Diner menus still often feel retro, but the food offerings have changed over time. Cottage cheese was once a common item, especially in the mid-20th century when Americans became interested in slimming down. “Diet plates” frequently used cottage cheese as a low-calorie protein paired with fruits and other ingredients. A 1975 Denny’s menu shows multiple low-calorie plates featuring cottage cheese, including combinations with steak, beef on rye, and peaches served with lettuce and rye wafers. These examples reflect how cottage cheese fit into diner-era diet trends.

"Around the 1950s, folks in the U.S. started taking a serious interest in slimming down, and so-called “diet plates” became a favorite meal in homes and restaurants for decades. These dishes often included cottage cheese as a low-calorie protein source, alongside various fruits and other items. Looking at a 1975 menu from Denny’s, the “Lean and Low” section features plates like the “Slender Steak,” a top sirloin with cottage cheese, tomato wedges, and egg slices; the “Low-Cal,” a beef patty on rye bread with the same accoutrements; and “Peaches and Cottage Cheese,” two peach halves with cottage cheese served on lettuce with rye wafers for just 227 calories."

"These days, spotting cottage cheese on the menu of just about any restaurant would be quite unusual, but there was a time when it was an absolute staple. Around the 1950s, folks in the U.S. started taking a serious interest in slimming down, and so-called “diet plates” became a favorite meal in homes and restaurants for decades. These dishes often included cottage cheese as a low-calorie protein source, alongside various fruits and other items."

"The diner is an American institution that came into being in the U.S., and in many ways served to define the country's cuisine - at least at a certain point in culinary history. These days, there are still plenty of good diners in the U.S., though not nearly as many as there once were. And while the menus at these establishments do tend to lean retro, the food is a significant part of what defines a diner, after all, the dishes on offer have changed considerably over time."

"Cottage cheese got its name, like you might expect, as a simple cheese to make in cottages and farms back before home refrigeration changed the milk game. It was a simple food that wasn't really en vogue until the mid-20th century diet frenzy hit, and eventually that fad also p"

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