ideas on how to reduce cheese intake
 

My intake of animal byproducts has slowly gone down, to the point where my kitchen is vegan (I eat veggie in restaurants), EXCEPT for cheese. I'm not aiming for vegan, but like a lot of veggies, I am aiming for fewer animal byproducts. And like a lot of veggies, I'm trying to cut down on cheese, in particular.

On vegan websites, I read posts by a lot of veggies who are trying to go vegan but can't ditch cheese. That problem seems to be common. So I know I'm not alone. :dizzy:

Anyway... anyone able to help a lady with a cheese addiction? Recipes, ethical arguments, methods to change habits, even gross-out motivation...

Thanks to anyone who can reply! :)

Ugh, you and me both, sister-friend. I got fat off cheese pizza. I don't think I want to ditch it completely, but I'd like to eat way, way less of it.

Haunted Cheese
 

I LOVE cheese. I could eat a whole block of it in one sitting. I simply don't buy it. It's a luxury in this house. Find recipes you really like that don't call for cheese. Do a new search for new ideas. Freshness keeps us from going back to our old haunts.

Grate it. It goes alot further then you get to eat less. Also don't buy your favourite brand then you want it less. In cooking you can get away with using the non dairy cheese substitutes I use that in pasta and healthy pizzas and that kind of thing. Just use cheese in sandwiches and grate it so I don't eat so much.

You can also cut down on milk by buying soya. I can get by with soya on everything except for tea. It curdles in tea and goes disgusting but I buy a small pint of organic milk for that so I don't feel so bad.

They make some pretty decent tasting soy and rice milk cheeses. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods market carries them.
Good luck,
sarah

There are several out there that still have animal products in them so you need to read the lables; I haven't seen a vegan one at Trader Joe's around here but I wish they'd carry one!

Tofutti makes vegan cheese slices but they have hydrogenated oil, so I won't eat it. Tofutti does make a good vegan sour cream and a vegan cream cheese that is great; there is a non-hydrogenated and a hydrogenated version of each.

Of the non-hydrogenated vegan cheeses, "Vegan Gourmet" and "Veganrella" are the only ones that aren't repulsive, IMO (I've tried all of the vegan ones available in the USA) and the "Vegan" (it says that in big letters on the label) parmesean substitute by Soymage (the other cheese made by Soymage are like stinky plastic, IMO and my dog wouldn't even eat it!).

Ah, the power of cheese…lol. Seriously, if it weren’t for cheese I’d say I’m ready to go vegan right now. Oh, and eggs are a hidden ingredient in lots of processed foods, I’m still more dependant on that stuff than I’d like to be. I’m using more soymilk than real milk these days and have given up yogurt because the kind I like is so high in sugar, but cheese and I have a life-long love affair! Why does it have to taste so freakin’ good?! Does anyone have any specific brand recommendations for cheese substitutes to try? I hate buying a new product and finding out I can’t stand the taste of it.

I see you beat me to posting Yogini! Thanks for the suggestions. Do you happen to know if Whole Foods carries "Vegan Gourmet" and "Veganrella"?

;) Every Whole Foods I have been to (in several states) carry both those. IMO, The Vegan Gourmet is the best of the 2 brands...it comes in a Nacho flavor that is really good for nachos, tacos and burritos!

The Mozzarella makes the BEST vegan lasagna ever. It also comes in Cheddar and Monterey Jack varieties; all of the varieties are best added in to other foods (mac and cheese etc.) and don't taste the greatest on thier own, at least if you are used to eating animal products.

I have the same problem. Haha. But this is me being a Wisconsinite.

I cant say I've enjoyed any of the vegan cheeses I have tried.

I've been lacto ovo for 16 years and really enjoy cheese and other dairy products. I only purchase organic dairy, usually from Whole Foods, and only purchase organic cheese made without calf rennet. To me, rennet is the gross out factor of cheese. If I can buy organic cheese made with non-animal rennet, I'm completely ethically comfortable with eating the cheese. Personally, I don't like soy cheese and LOVE real cheese!

Also, I buy eggs from a local farmer who takes very good care of his chickens. I am able to enjoy eating tasty eggs and support a local farmer who is practicing ethical farming and TRUE animal husbandry. Americans are never going to give up meat and dairy, so the more we can support the little guys who are doing it right, the better chance we have of gradually chipping away at the scary, awful, and tragic factory farming industry. :soap:

:moo: :ink:

Xer -- I grew up in Wisconsin. :) Sometimes my friends and family from home think I'm insulting them by not eating cheese... :o

Hm, I've used fake cheese. To me, the fake cheeses are waxy and oily. (With the exception of veggie parm, but that has whey in it. :( ) But I haven't tried veganella.

Back in Minnesota, I was doing great with eliminating more animal products, but the small Hawaiian town that I live in now doesn't have a lot of my old staples, like soy margarine and Egg Replacer. I might end up going to a new grocery store.

Nothing is quite like Ener-g egg replacer, is it? Here are some other options:

General baking: 2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp oil + 2 tsp baking powder

1 banana or 1/4 cup apple sauce plus 1/3 tsp baking powder for each egg called for in a sweet, baked recipe

1/4 cup plum puree plus 1/3 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp vinegar

1 egg:1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed in 3 tbsp water (let sit for a few minutes)

Tofu (Silken works really well): To substitute for one egg in a recipe, mash 1/4 cup tofu and add (works well for "Quiche")

I'm from Wisconsin too! I think I've got cheese in my blood (oh wait, maybe that's beer, or beer-battered cheese. It's a wonder I'm not topping 300 lbs!) I've also been buying my eggs and dairy from supposedly more "ethical" sources, but I can't help but feel a bit guilty about it. I got some Vegan Gourmet monterey "cheese" at WF last night, I'll let you know what I think of it. What about butter? I use vegan non-hydrogenated shortening in baking and frying, but for spreading on toast nothing beats good old butter for me. Any tasty substitutes I might try?

Earth Balance spread is soooo good!

Hi, I am new but this is a thread I could have written! I have been veggie for over a year and I really want to cut down on cheese...I just can't seem to do it. The tips in this thread are great though.

Cool to see others from WI here. It seems there are Cheese Hauses in every other town, lol.

Yeah, when I moved to NY from WI, I noticed that there wasn't cheese everywhere. I would go entire days without eating cheese... sometimes it's hard to remember that the rest of the world doesn't put cheese on everything. :)

Then I moved back to the midwest, to MN, and all of a sudden, I was eating cheese every day again. Sometimes twice a day. It seemed like there was cheese on everything... on every sandwich, on vegetables, in casseroles.

Now that I've moved to HI, the cost of living is higher, and I cook at home rather than eat out. The time is great to make a change in my diet. Yet I find myself cooking with cheese a lot.

TBJ333 you know I am sure I posted a lengthy answer, giving various reasons as to why reducing cheese was a good idea, per your request, but it seems to be missing! Perhaps I have lost my mind and I posted this information elsewhere but I did a search and couldn't find it. Do you remember reading a post like that from me here?

I replied to your PM. Don't know what's happening. :( This is a good thread though, lots of informative posts.

Moving on... I've decided for this week that when I go grocery shopping, I won't buy any real cheese. (But I might buy some veggie parm, even though it has whey in it.) Not having cheese in the house = not cooking with cheese, right? ;)

Something a vegan said to me a long time ago: "I realized I was only eating animal product for taste." I keep that thought in my mind and am trying to remind myself that I shouldn't give up my ideals for taste. We'll see how this week goes. I'm grocery shopping tomorrow.

I don't know if it is availble in the U.S. but I really like the Yves Veggie Cuisine brand of "cheese" The slices melt pretty good if you are making grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

I'm amazed no one here has mentioned using nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor!

I use nutritional yeast flakes on top of pizzas, lasagne, mashed potatoes, etc, although I will say that nutritional yeast can run a little on the expensive side.

I'm still not a fan of most vegan cheeses, but nutritional yeast flakes are pretty good.

OK, one of my posts isn't here, too. Maybe it's some evil conspiracy by the dairy industry? :p

Just wanted to report that I was successful last week. I didn't buy any cheese at the grocery store, so I didn't eat any at home. Who'da thunk it? ;)

The site has been having technical difficulties this past week - that is why we are moving to a bigger/better server this weekend. Hopefully the problems will be solved then :)

Thanks for the info. :)

Still, conspiracy theories are fun... :devil:

I've been a vegetarian since I was 4, and one would think that would keep me thin but OHHHH no. Thanks to the cheese. I've been trying to cut down a lot too. Some things I've found that help are to:

1) Always have the grated kind. It'll save you from devouring a huge hunk of it.
2) If you buy the bagged, pre-grated kind, never let your hand enter it more than once per day. You'll be surprised how much less you need than you want!
3) Make foods that would be gross with cheese. Generally sticking to the Asian areas makes it easier. I mean, who wants to have soy sauce and parmesan in the same bite? :no:
4) There are a lot of things we put cheese on without needing to. Salad, for example-- cheddar is always on the salad bar, but if you get a fat-free creamy dressing, it's pretty much superfluous. Always ask yourself, "Will this cheese really make it that much better?"

And we have my two cents. :D Good luck!

Ooo, good point about mixing cheese with stir-fry... eww! :)

Anyway, I bought some vegan parm... will have to try it and report back soon. :D

try this site I love it.

govegan.net

Hi, I hope it is okay to post this link....

There is an AWESOME book called "The Uncheese cookbook" that I really like. I borrowed it from a friend of mine (need to get my own) and there are tons of really good recipies for *cheese*-like foods.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157...lance&n=283155

Another poster mentioned nutritional yeast flakes ... MMMMMMMMMMM they are so good and so healthy (lots of B vitamins which vegans need).... I make a yummy cheez sauce for my whole wheat pasta dishes and casseroles...

Bacially, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast flakes, margarine (not too much), garlic, spices etc... it is so good it has like a nacho cheese type flavoring...

Good luck :)

I've heard a lot of people talk about nutritional yeast. Don't know whether Hubby would be open to eating a food with that name! Can I sneak it into cookies? :p

No nutritional yeast in cookies!! It's hearty and cheesy flavored, you don't want it in cookies. I usually just mix it with water and make a sauce.

As for cutting down on cheese, I have to ask, why are you reducing the use of animal products? For health? For the animals? I can make many arguments about giving up cheese, but I don't know which to make. ;)

I'm finding that a lot of vegetarian recipes seem to involve cheese/pasta - and it is hard to find books with simple recipes (especially for 1 or 2 people) without those two items. My dad has the same complaint. Who wants to eat that much cheese and pasta in a week? :shrug: