Quark and Dairy Alternatives

The Budwig Diet is often called the Flax Oil and Cottage Cheese Diet (or FOCC for short).

The dairy protein in quark plays an essential role in the Budwig Diet. The sulphur-rich proteins in quark emulsify with the flaxseed oil, effectively binding the oil to the protein. This creates a stable mixture that Dr Budwig believed made the omega-3 fats easier for the body to absorb and use. It also produces the delicious, creamy base for Budwig Diet muesli.

When Dr. Budwig developed her diet, she simply used the fresh German cheese that was traditionally made there,  quark.

Quark has a texture similar to a thick strained Greek yoghurt. It typically contains around 10–12% protein and was traditionally made from skimmed milk, making it virtually fat-free.

Finding Quark in the UK

Quark is still not widely available in the UK, although it is becoming easier to find. Fortunately, several suitable alternatives work just as well in practice. The main differences are usually the bacterial cultures used and a slightly different flavour.

Aim for a product that is:

• 0% fat (or as low in fat as possible)
• At least 10% protein
• Plain and unflavoured

There is no advantage in choosing one of the newer “high-protein” cottage cheeses or quarks containing 12–14% protein. They work perfectly well, but because they are thicker, you may need to add a splash of milk to blend them smoothly with the flaxseed oil. This effectively brings the protein concentration back to around the level Dr. Budwig originally used.

Kefir Quark tends to contain fat. It is best avoided, but if you want the benefit of the probiotics, add just a teaspoon to an otherwise fat-free quark.

Suitable Alternatives

If you cannot find quark, choose the best alternative you can find. Ideally it should contain nothing more than skimmed milk and live cultures. Any of the following are suitable:

• Fat-free natural cottage cheese (plain and unflavoured)
• 0% fat Greek yoghurt (around 10% protein)
• 0% fat Skyr (around 9–10% protein)

If none of these are available, choose the dairy product that comes closest to 10% protein while being as low in fat as possible. A small compromise is better than missing your Budwig Cream altogether.

Another alternative is to make your own which is quite easy.

What to Avoid

 Whatever dairy product you choose, it should be:

• Sugar-free
• Free from artificial sweeteners
• Unflavoured
• Free from thickeners, stabilisers or any additives, Free from thickeners, stabilisers or other additives. These are added simply to make a thin, watery product appear thicker