Hi everyone-

I gave up red meat several years ago, a devoted animal lover (we have 5 dogs), decided to get really serious about what I eat for one, and need to really lower my cholesterol (do not want to take meds)

Happy to have found this forum.

Have a great week!

Jen

Hello and welcome!

Have you been vegan for a while, or are you just starting out?

I was about 80 percent....I have been 90 percent the last couple of weeks. Cannot shake my cheese cravings

Have you tried any "cheese" recipes made with nutritional yeast? Cheese was also my nemesis, until I found Joanne Stepaniak's "Uncheese Cookbook". You can also google recipes. It's obviously not exactly like dairy cheese, but it does help with the cravings. I think I started out making a sauce for macaroni and cheese.

A lot of health food stores also sell vegan cheese. My favorite is the Follow Your Heart brand. I use it to put on pizza.

Anyway, hang in there; you're doing great!

Thanks Darby1-

I have not tried anything else yet.....thanks for the suggestion!

J

Hey mojen and welcome. I've been vegan for about a year and the cheese cravings did go away for me. In fact I find it rather repulsive now that I've learned more about the suffering that goes into it. I also recommend trying some cheeze sauces - I find I like the ones that use nuts in them to be more like the real thing.
I use this one for nachos, noodles, etc. Shmoo Dip. I've never used the pimentos and tend to play with the seasonings depending on how I'm going to use it.
This basil-tofu-ricotta is great for baked italian dishes.

The faux cheese thing seems to vary from person to person. For example I can't stand the follow your heart brand but many like Darby love it. I really like Sheese's Smoked Cheddar - I eat it just on crackers. So if the first one you try isn't great keep trying until you find one. I've read many recommendations of staying away from subs for the first little bit you're vegan so you aren't disappointed but to each their own.

Glad you made the move to veganism!

Depending on what you are eating, avocado is a great cheese substitute. I love avocado on sandwiches and it can make a great spread. I don't eat vegan cheese substitutes because I really don't see a reason to do so but I will make some nutritional yeast type recipes once in a while.

I'm new, too!

I have to say that cheese is one of the most addicting foods, ever. I went vegan a couple years ago and I had SUCH a hard time getting rid of cheese. But once that initial period of dairy-daydreaming was over, I was totally fine.

I still go through periods where I start eating dairy again, and have realized that it's the devil. It takes me a few weeks to suck it up and stop eating it, but it's not the end of the world. Keep on truckin'

I promise the way you feel when you completely stop eating it will amaze you! Good luck!!

A belated welcome (I've been gone)!

Just had to mention that sometimes the cholesterol doesn't go down when you eat a vegan diet because other factors play into it. Mine did not go down so I take the medication. Hopefully, your case will be different, but, so you don't experience my disappointment, I just wanted to let you know that, sadly, lower cholesterol isn't always a side effect of a vegan diet.

It does have multiple factors but I do have to say that both my husband I myself received comments from our doctors about being one of the lowest cholesterol numbers they've ever seen. I think my husband was 112 after 3 months of being vegan. I was about 114 after about 6 months of being vegan.

Hey Mojen- You've stopped in the right place. I browse this forum all the time and see lots of interesting things. Welcome