Dairy Alternative Month, Part II: Cheese

We’ve already talked about the health risks of regular dairy milk; now, let’s talk about cheese.

We all know that many cheeses are full of fat and calories. It’s also high in sodium, and can contribute to allergies and other health problems.

And if you are a vegetarian, you could still be eating animal products just by eating cheese. Many cheeses contain rennet, or rennin, which is a part of a calf’s stomach and is often used to coagulate cheese.

Who doesn’t love cheese? If there was one problem I had when I was trying to go vegan, it was definitely avoiding cheese. But that was years ago; today, there are many alternatives to regular dairy cheese. Having tried many of these, I can vouch for their taste; I’d say that soy cheeses in particular are much better than soy milks.

Cheese alternatives can add the cheesy flavor you want on your salads, sandwiches and pastas without adding all of the calories and fats. Here are just a few of the different alternative cheeses available on the market:

Soy Cheese: Soy cheese is pretty awesome, and comes in a variety of flavors. The pepper jack kind is my favorite. Most have about 35 to 40 calories per slice and about 20% of your daily calcium requirements.

Rice Cheese: I actually had no idea that rice cheese was even made—but it shouldn’t come as a surprise, knowing that there is rice milk, right?—so I can’t vouch for flavor here. But each slice has about 20% of your daily calcium needs and about 40 calories. It’s also supposed to be the cheese that’s easiest on your allergies.

Almond Cheese: This is a natural. After all, how many people love almost cheese logs to begin with? This cheese is loaded with protein—about 15% of your daily value—and has about 50 calories and 25% of your daily calcium value.

Tofu Cheese: The beauty of tofu is that it can pretty much taste like anything, so you have a wide variety of choices at your fingertips.

Homemade Cheese: Yep, you can make your own—no 16th century peasant apron required. From brie to ricotta to just about any cheese sauce you want, you can make it dairy-free. Click here for recipes.

For more alternatives and recipes, click here. And even if you’re not an animal rights activist, you can still use PETA’s resources for a vegetarian or vegan diet here. They have a list of “staples” plus recipes, brand suggestions, tips on vegetarian cooking and more.