Vegan Cheese, Seriously?

Cheese….. That wonderful ooey gooey topping on pizza or the yummy ingredient we all love in many dishes, macaroni and cheese comes to mind, can be made totally from plant foods, AND taste good!

Okay, some vegan cheeses may be lacking in the standard taste or feel grainy to the tongue, especially those derived from rice, but there are more and more varieties popping up on the shelves every day. We just have to try them until we find the one we like the best. It is worth the effort in order to continue with a plant based diet without the cholesterol clogging our arteries or the added hormones and antibiotics found in conventional cheese. Be careful though to avoid highly processed vegan cheeses; they can be similar to American cheese or other over processed wonders lurking among the good. My advice? Try them all if you have to until you find the one for you, and get back to enjoying cheesy goodness again!

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons.

Deb Rankin
December 31, 2012, 2:44 pm
I've found this to be so true! I started eating vegan in April 2012, but I didn't try vegan cheese until a few weeks ago. I wanted to get used to not relying on cheeses for flavor, like I did when I was a part-time vegetarian. But a hankering for a grilled cheese sandwich to go with my tomato soup sent me in search of vegan cheese, and I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was!
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1. Veggie
  December 31, 2012, 5:04 pm
  Thanks Deb , Yes I too miss the ole cheese days, but my heart is probably saying yay!! Thanks!
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2. Dana Cherie
  April 11, 2013, 9:03 pm
  Hey Deb, Have you tried daiya? They're cheese is great for grilled cheese. It's nice because it melts and tastes good. It's not grainy. I'm not absolutely in love with the ingredients list, so I don't eat it often. But for those occasional cravings it's my go-to for sure! The pepperjack kind is quite tasty.
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Veganara
December 31, 2012, 3:38 pm
Voted. Nice blog. Yes, it is hard to manage without cheese, isn't it? But there are some excellent ones around these days, so it is much easier than it was in the past!
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1. Veggie
  December 31, 2012, 5:05 pm
  Thank you for the vote! There is even a good cream cheese out there now!
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kristo
December 31, 2012, 8:09 pm
voted! Vegan cheese is also surprisingly easy to make!
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1. Veggie
  January 1, 2013, 11:17 am
  You can make it? Did not know that, maybe you could share a recipe in a new post? Thanks for voting!
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  1. Dana Cherie
    April 11, 2013, 8:58 pm
    Hey Veggie, Great info! I just did an article that shares some of the raw vegan cheeses that I love. If you have time check it out! I used to purchase cheese from the grocery store (still do from time to time), but now I usually just make my own. They're super fast and super tasty :) http://www.theflamingvegan.com/view-post/Raw-Vegan-Cheese
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JustVegan
January 1, 2013, 10:11 am
O yes its great to have these options. can add them to plenty of recipes. voted.
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1. Veggie
  January 1, 2013, 11:18 am
  thank you! it is nice to have the many choices!
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stacijae
January 5, 2013, 2:18 pm
I became a lacto-vegetarian back in June, and since then, have realized that I am one of the few people capable of GAINING weight as a vegetarian. Then I realized that I've been compensating for the lack of meat with dairy products (mostly cheese and cream cheese). I didn't fall victim to fried foods, but I've been living off of cheese and crackers and bagels. I've been thinking of becoming vegan, but am struggling to give up cheese entirely. This article has really helped me to look at it from a more positive perspective. Thanks! (voted)
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1. Veggie
  January 6, 2013, 12:02 am
  thank you! I used to love dairy foods so much, but also discovered I have a problem with lactose. Bread of any kind I also love and this is harder to give up!
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  1. Dana Cherie
    April 11, 2013, 9:04 pm
    What about bread do you not love? There are many vegan varieties out there that taste great...
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