Comments on: Eating Vegan: The Cheese Problem

By: Vegan Queso for Everyone! | Glue and Glitter

Vegan Queso for Everyone! | Glue and Glitter — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:01:54 +0000

[...] I’ve mentioned before, giving up cheese was harder for me than giving up smoking. It was also one of the best things I [...]

By: Jennifer @ kidoing!

Jennifer @ kidoing! — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:23:36 +0000

Have you tried Dreena Burton’s Mac O Geez? It’s cashew based and delicious (my kids love it). Engine 2 Diet book also has a faux mac and cheese recipe.

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:27:59 +0000

Ha! I feel the same about FYH. I love it, but it doesn’t remind me of cheese at all. Cashew cheeze is what I eat the most, since it’s so easy to make in the blender. Even my friends who do eat cheese devour that stuff.

By: VeganBride.com

VeganBride.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:42:15 +0000

Thanks for this thought-provoking post! Funny, I am a vegan who grew up disliking avocado, and only started liking it when I went raw. Now I LOVE a good, ripe avocado…I’m not satisfied w/it as a cheese substitute, but think it can really heighten a meal. (I do LOVE cashew cheese & daiya is at least DECENT tasting & GREAT in texture- I also LIKE the taste of FHY cheese, though the texture doesn’t well mimic authentic cheese well. These HAVE helped to lighten my pizza cravings though- as well as the spiritual & emotional rewards that being vegan brings.

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:25:48 +0000

Eggs in baking is a tricky one for sure! The 1T flax meal + 3T water works for binding in many recipes, but I think you’re best off looking up vegan recipes for baked goods, at least until you get a feel for how vegan baking works.

Could you get veggie ones instead? Maybe ask for something like onions, avocado, and mushrooms inside? The avocado would give it that richness that the cheese does without any dairy. IMO, eating vegan is most important when you’re eating out, bc animal products you encounter in restaurants are most likely factory farmed, unless the menu says otherwise.

By: delta

delta — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:23:14 +0000

At this point I’m not eating any eggs, but I miss them when I’m baking, nothing else seems to work to hold stuff together like eggs do.
The cheese thing, Enchilada’s? have always ordered or made cheese enchiladas.just sauce and tortillas don’t sound very good. I’m good w/ non dairy cheese at home but eating out is a problem. I live in new mexico so I eat mexican most every day. Thanks for your reply

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:08:52 +0000

Those are good questions, and that first one is a tough one!

I don’t eat eggs for health reasons, and other vegans avoid them because they feel that using animal products for food in general is wrong. Honestly, I think it’s a really personal decision, and a gut check is where the answer is, you know what I mean? If you feel comfortable eating those eggs but not other eggs, then do that. If you’re eating any eggs, you’re not vegan, but I don’t think it makes you immoral. If anything, you’re eating far more mindfully than the vast majority of people!

For Mexican food, you can often sub avocados for cheese (in things like burritos, tacos, and even mashed up in quesadillas). For baked dishes, you can just skip the cheese in many cases, use a store bought vegan cheese substitute, or make your own vegan cheese to use.

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:05:29 +0000

I’ve found that it melts best if you shred it up and bake it in the oven. Daiya is hands down the best vegan cheese, in my opinion, though!

By: delta

delta — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:15:14 +0000

Vegetarian many years, now have started down the vegan path. cheese and eggs both are giving me a problem.
Two questions, are eggs ok if no chickens are harmed, we have a few backyard hens who are pets,
they are free to run,play, hunt and scrach, and have a really nice home to go into come dark. Now they leave us a couple of eggs a day. Is it morally ok to eat the eggs?
Also does any one know how to do mexican food without cheese? recipes anyone?

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:22:36 +0000

Have you tried Daiya cheese? Some Mellow Mushrooms carry it now, so you might be able to sate your pizza craving that way! Rachel also recently posted a roundup of vegan pizza options that sound so tasty, you’d never miss the cheese!

The egg thing is tricky. Have tofu scrambles just not hit the spot? I could see that, if you’re hard core into eggs. I’ve heard that a little black salt can give your tofu scramble an “eggy” taste, but black salt is hard to find. Maybe online somewhere? There are also some good vegan quiche recipes out there that use silken tofu in place of eggs.

I hope this is helpful! Isn’t it funny how we all have our sticking points when it comes to animal foods? Cheese was definitely hardest for me!