Cottage cheese and tomato: Debunking the breakfast myth

This theory strikes many of us with a powerful impact. Combining tomatoes and cottage cheese is allegedly a significant mistake with notable consequences. Does this mean we need to remove our favourite breakfast from our diet? See what the expert has to say on this matter.

Many of us have already been told that combining two seemingly harmless vegetables—cucumber and tomato—is an "average" idea rather than an "outstanding" one. Of course, suggesting that this duo hidden in one salad gives it some toxic properties is an exaggeration or just a plain food myth. However, it cannot be denied that these vegetables do not interact positively with each other, and the influence of one on the other makes our salad significantly poorer in terms of health-promoting properties.

Does combining cottage cheese with tomatoes work the same way? Is a sandwich with cottage cheese and a slice of red vegetables a toxic breakfast? Or maybe just bland? What is the point of one product reacting to another? These questions did not appear out of nowhere, as the thesis about this supposedly harmful combination surfaces on the internet occasionally. Below, we explain what this is all about.

According to this thesis, combining tomatoes and cottage cheese causes insoluble mineral salt crystals to form. This is supposed to burden our joints, where the mentioned particles are thought to deposit and lead to discomfort and inflammation. Does this make sense? MSc Aleksandra Cichocka, a Department of Diet-Related Disease Prevention specialist in Warsaw, answered this question. In "Practical Medicine" magazine, she addressed this issue in the following way:

In scientific publications regarding diet in joint diseases, I have not encountered a recommendation to avoid combining tomatoes and cottage cheese in a dish. You can find this opinion on the internet, but not in scientific literature.

The specialist added that the theory about the harmful combination of cottage cheese and tomatoes is another food myth that should not be heeded. However, she noted that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have to follow certain dietary restrictions, which sometimes include tomatoes (and other nightshade vegetables). Fortunately, this has nothing to do with the supposed toxic effect of tomatoes on cottage cheese. What a relief!