Recently, grocery shoppers have noticed something peculiar about the contents of their local supermarkets.
No, it’s not the increasing prices, nor is it the contents of the food—instead, it’s about what seems to be impossible to find on refrigerator shelves, even if it was easy to acquire just a few weeks ago.
That mystery item? Cottage cheese.
While some may wonder why this simple ingredient now seems so hard to find, some users on TikTok have an answer: Bethenny Frankel.
For those who aren’t aware, Frankel is the 54-year-old founder of Skinnygirl and an alumna of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York.
Recently, she was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show, where her look received many compliments. This inspired some to investigate how she may have achieved her physique, leading them to her cottage cheese-based “supermodel snack.”
Where’s the cottage cheese?
Several users on TikTok have noted that their grocery stores are running low on cottage cheese. For example, user Demi Passaris (@donebydemi) filmed a video of her grocery store’s empty shelves and dubbed the missing cottage cheese a consequence of “the Bethenny Frankel effect.”
“I’ll eat whatever she tells me,” the TikToker wrote in the caption.
Others, such as TikTok user Erin (@donebydemi), simply admitted to following every bit of advice Frankel put out, citing her appearance at the Sports Illustrated show as the reason.
But how does this relate to cottage cheese?
According to Frankel’s website, the food that she ate before her Sports Illustrated swimsuit appearance was her so-called “Supermodel Sandwich.”
Despite being called a sandwich, it actually contains no bread.
Instead, the “sandwich” is simply shaved turkey and cottage cheese mixed with Dijon mustard and everything bagel seasoning, served over slices of an unrefrigerated tomato. Despite its simplicity, internet users have loved the high-protein snack.
@donebydemi I’ll eat whatever she tells me #bethennyfrankel #sportsillustrated #creatorsearchinsights ♬ NOKIA – Drake
@itserinkatherine If @Bethenny Frankel ♬ shake it just a lil bit reedmix – reedbeatz
Commenters are mixed
In the comments section, users were divided about the idea of the Bethenny Frankel effect.
Some loved the snack suggestion, saying they’ve added it to their kitchen rotation.
“No bc i thought cottage cheese was disgusting (i had never tried it) then i saw bethenny making her supermodel snacks & immediately bought,” wrote a user. “It’s been my lunch every day the past week.”
“I have fallen for it and I don’t regret it at all!!!” added another.
Others countered that this is likely a consequence of the high-protein craze, as recipes featuring cottage cheese have been popular on the social media app for well over a year.
“It’s not just her, it’s the protein craze. Ppl make everything with cottage cheese these days,” declared a commenter.
“Love her to death but why is beth getting the credit for people finally discovering how to eat cottage cheese,” offered a second.
Further users speculated if all of this was simply a PR push from Frankel’s team.
“Must’ve hired a new PR firm. everyone loves bethenny now,” said a user.
The Daily Dot reached out to Passaris and Erin via TikTok DM.
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