What Sex and the City did for Manolo Blahnik, the South Beach Diet did for fat-free ricotta. “South Beach Dieters really discovered all of the uses for fat-free ricotta cheese,” says Lauren Slayton of Foodtrainers, a nutritional counseling center in New York City. Her clients prefer the fat- and preservative-free Calabro brand.

Online dieting message boards detail a host of recipes ranging from the refined Lemon Peel Ricotta Crème and tiramisu to more amateur-night concoctions, such as mixing the cheese with sugar-free vanilla syrup or a dollop of natural peanut butter.

Jana Klauer, a physician in New York City specializing in nutrition and the author of How the Rich Get Thin, says her patients love topping it with raspberries in the morning. Noting that it’s devoid of sugar and high in protein, she deems it “perfect for breakfast.” [source: Allure]