Do Vegans Eat Cheese?

Vegans are strict vegetarians who avoid any foods or food products that involve the death of living beings. Many vegans completely avoid dairy products, including milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cheese, etc. However, some vegans allow themselves to consume dairy products like cheese.

Still, some cheeses may fall into the grey area between vegan and non-vegan diets. Dairy cows produce milk naturally, and they die after giving birth. But cheesemakers add rennet to milk to coagulate it. Rennet comes from the stomach lining of calves and goats.

So, does this mean that dairy-based cheese is okay for vegans? Not necessarily. Some dairy-free and plant-based cheeses are made using animal rennet, which would violate the strictest interpretation of veganism.

Other cheeses are made without rennet, but still include ingredients derived from animals.

Some vegans allow themselves to eat cheese, but only if it doesn’t come from animals that were killed specifically for their meat. And some vegans simply enjoy eating cheese, regardless of where it came from.

In short, it depends on how strictly you interpret veganism. You might find that you can enjoy cheese, but you should be aware of the source.

What Kinds Of Cheese Can Vegans Eat?

Vegans can enjoy cheese that is made out of plant-based ingredients instead of animal-derived ones. Dairy-free cheese options can include cheddar, goudas, parmesan, mozzarellas, and creams.

Some of these dairy-free cheese alternatives are made with soybeans, peaches, oats, cashews, coconut, and almonds.

There are several types (or varieties) of plant-based cheeses that are made using different ingredients like soy, rice, cashew, hemp, etc. These plant-based cheeses are often made without any added preservations, colorings, or flavors.

If you want to be sure you’re eating healthy foods and high-quality ingredients, you can always rely on our VeganCheeseMakers’ organic and non-GMO cheeses.

What Are Common Vegan Cheeses?

There are lots of common vegan cheeses available today. Some of our favorite ones include Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, Follow Your Heart Creamy Mozzarella Style Cheese Sticks, Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, Vegenaise, and Yves Veggie Parmesan. You can find them in grocery stores, restaurant chains, and online retailers.

We recommend starting with store-bought versions from your neighborhood grocery store. Then, if you’d like to try making your own, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Choose a dairy-free milk substitute. We suggest using soy milk instead of cow’s milk.

2. Add flavorings to your homemade cheese. Try adding fresh garlic, onion powder, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.

3. Use a food processor to shred your cheese. Food processors come with several attachments that allow you to shred cheese easily.

4. Store your cheese in resealable plastic bags in the refrigerator.

5. Enjoy your vegan cheeses immediately after making them. Once they begin to melt, they won’t last long!

How Is Vegan Cheese Produced?

There are a lot of different types of cheeses available today. You can find vegan cheese that tastes just like regular dairy cheese, and there are also vegan cheese alternatives that taste nothing like any kind of cheese you’ve ever tried before.

There are vegan cheese recipes that call for only certain ingredients, while others require a combination of different ingredients.

To make vegan cheese, you’ll need to incorporate seeds, nuts, nutritional yeast, tapioca, coconut oil, spices, and rice. Some vegan cheeses may also include potatoes, milk powder, salt, and sugar.

And if you’d prefer to avoid using those ingredients altogether, you can try making your vegan cheese instead.

There are several types of dairy-free vegan cheese brands available for vegans.

These include mozzarella, cheddar, feta, parmesan, ricotta, and cottage cheese. Most of these dairy-free cheeses are made from plant milk such as soymilk, almond milk, hempseed milk, oat milk, coconut milk, rice milk, and nut milk.

Others are made with tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, peas, oats, flaxseed, quinoa, buckwheat, chia seeds, and barley.

9 Healthiest Cheese Varieties

There are lots of different kinds of cheese out there, but if you’re vegan, you might be wondering whether any of them will work for you. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you and found nine of the healthiest type of cheese varieties.

1. Mozzarella

If you’re vegan, you might wonder if you should include mozzarella in your diet. After all, it comes from animals. But there are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t avoid eating mozzarella.

First off, mozzarella is lower in calories and sodium than most other cheeses, so it’s a great option for those watching their weight. And since it’s low in fat, it’s a healthy addition to any meal. Plus, it’s beneficial to your health.

Not only does mozzarella contain probiotics, but it also helps protect your gut health. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can positively affect your digestive tract.

Studies suggest that probiotics can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea, and may even prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

So if you’re vegan, you can enjoy mozzarella without feeling guilty. Just remember that it’s important to buy organic versions of foods that come from animals, such as mozzarella.

2. Blue Cheese

There are lots of types of blue cheeses out there. Some are milder and others are stronger. You can find blue cheese online and in grocery stores. And if you’re a blue cheese fanatic, you can still enjoy blue cheese.

Blue cheese is usually made using cow, goat, or sheep’s milk. But some varieties are made using human milk or soy milk.

The color of blue cheese comes from the mold used to cure the milk. There are two main types of blue cheese: soft and hard. Soft blue cheese is creamy and spreadable. Hard blue cheese is crumbly and firm.

In addition to being delicious, blue cheese is also healthy. It’s rich in vitamin K, which helps keep bones strong.

It’s also a good source of protein and calcium. And since it’s high in calcium, eating it may help reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

So next time you crave a slice of blue cheese, try it without any animal products. Just remember to wash it down with plenty of water to stay hydrated.

3. Feta

Feta is a soft and creamy cheese that comes in several varieties. You can find it in Greek cheese and Italian cheese restaurants across America, especially during the holidays.

It’s usually served alongside olive oil and garlic. But if you’ve never tried it before, here are some tips to enjoy it properly. Full-Fat Feta cheese is something that cheese lovers should try.

First off, you should know that feta is low in calories. And it’s also rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Plus, it’s delicious!

To start, crumble some feta onto your salad. Or sprinkle it on top of scrambled eggs. Then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top of it. Add some chopped tomatoes and red onions. Season it with salt and pepper. Yum!

Another way to enjoy feta is to whip it into a dip. Try mixing it with plain yogurt and some lemon juice. Drizzle some olive oil on top of that. Sprinkle some oregano on top of it. Serve it with veggies like cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, celery, and carrots.

Finally, you can serve it with crackers or bread. Just spread some butter on top of it. Top it with sliced almonds and sea salt. That’s the ultimate snack!

4. Cottage Cheese

Do vegans eat cheese? Yes, they do! And cottage cheese is one of their favorites.

Cottage cheese is a delicious dairy product that comes in various nutty flavors and creamy textures. It’s a staple food for those following a vegan lifestyle. You can find cottage cheese in grocery stores nationwide. As the cheese aisles are always full.

Cottage cheese isn’t only for vegans. Dairy farmers produce it for sale to everyone. However, it’s usually lower in fat than regular cheese.

A cup of low-fat cottage cheese contains 13 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat. It’s also rich in calcium and vitamin B12.

Since cottage cheese is high in calories but low in fats, it’s often recommended for weight loss diets. Adding cottage cheese to your daily diet may help you feel full after meals and reduce your overall calorie intake.

It tastes great spread on bread, mixed into smoothies, added to scrambled eggs, or used in dips.

5. Ricotta

To make the ricotta white cheese making option, you start with watery parts of cow, goat, sheep, or Italian buffalo milk that are leftover after making other soft cheese. These parts are called “whey,” and they have a lot of protein in them.

A cup of whole-milk, low-fat, or nonfat ricotta soft cheese of choice contains almost 10 grams of protein. But there are lots of other nutrients in ricotta cheese, including calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper.

So if you’re trying to lose weight, boost your immunity, or keep your heart healthy, a ricotta white cheese sandwich can help.

But before you try to make ricotta yourself, here are two things to know:

First, you should buy organic ricotta classic cheese. Because the whey comes from animals raised without antibiotics and hormones, it’s less likely to cause health problems. Rather it gives additional health benefits.

Second, you should avoid buying pre-made ricotta white cheese. That kind of stuff usually has added salt or preservatives. Instead, just make your ricotta cheese from scratch.

Making ricotta white cheese is super simple. All you do is drain the whey from the cheese curds until only the liquid remains. Then you add cream, rennet, and salt to the mixture. Let it sit for 12 hours, and voila—you’ve got ricotta cheese.

6. Parmesan

Parmesan is a delicious cheese that’s high in protein and calcium. It’s also great for promoting healthy bones.

Parmesan is made from raw, unpasteurized cow’s milk that’s aged for at least 12 months to kill harmful bacteria and develop a complex flavor.

The final product is loaded with nutrition, providing energy, protein, fat, carbs, sodium, and calcium.

Since Parmesan is rich in calcium and phosphorus, it may promote optimal bone health for health-conscious people.

A recent study of around 5,500 adults found that higher dietary intake of calcium and phosphorus was significantly associated with better bone mineral density in certain parts of the skeleton.

In addition, since Parmesan is aged for a long period, it’s very low in lactose, making it suitable for those with lactose intolerance.

Grated Parmesan can be used to add flavor to pasta dishes and pizza toppings.

7. Swiss

Swiss cream cheese is a delicious, versatile nondairy cheese that comes in a wide variety of flavors. You can enjoy it in several dishes, including salads, soups, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts.

Swiss-aged cheese is low in fat, calories, and cholesterol, so it’s a great choice if you’re watching your weight. Plus, it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other cheeses.

A serving size of one ounce (about 28 grams) provides only 110 calories, 3 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and less than 1 gram of carbs. And since it’s lower in sodium than most cheeses, Swiss cheese makes a great option for those trying to keep track of their daily sodium intake.

Swiss cheese also contains several compounds that may be beneficial for lowering blood pressure. But more research is needed before we know whether eating Swiss popular cheese will lower blood pressure.

To incorporate Swiss cheese into your meals, try adding it to salads, soups, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, and French Onion Soup.

8. Cheddar

Do vegans eat clumpy cheese? Yes, they do! Cheddar is a widely popular hard favorite cheddar cheese made from cow’s dairy products. It can be white, off-white, or yellow.

The taste varies depending on the variety. There are two types of cheddar cheese – American and English. Both varieties are available in grocery stores, supermarkets, and specialty food shops.

Vegan cheese is high in protein and low in fat, cholesterol, and calories. Vegan cheese provides essential nutrients including vitamins B12, D, and E, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, selenium, and riboflavin.

As mentioned above, cheddar cheese is a great choice if you are trying to reduce your consumption of saturated fats. It is also considered to be a healthy alternative to red meats.

A serving of cheddar cheese has only 100 calories and 4 grams of fat. That’s half the calorie count and twice the fat content of a typical slice of pizza.

In addition to being rich in proteins and calcium, cheddar cheese is also a good source of vitamin k. Vitamin K helps keep bones strong and healthy. It also plays a role in keeping arteries free of plaque buildup.

Eating cheddar cheese is one way to increase vitamin K2 intake. Vegans can enjoy cheddar cheese without compromising their diet.

9. Goat

Goats produce more milk than cows. Goats are ruminants, meaning that they have four stomach chambers where bacteria ferment food before being passed through the animal’s system.

Cows only have two stomach chambers, which means that they pass food directly through their systems without fermentation.

Finally, goat cheese is usually milder and sweeter tasting than dairy cheese. This is because goat milk contains fewer enzymes than cow milk. As a result, goat cheese doesn’t develop strong flavors as readily as dairy cheese.

Conclusion

There are lots of reasons why you should consider being vegan. But if you already are, then there’s no reason to stop eating cheese. Cheese is a great food choice that offers a lot of nutritional value. And since it’s made from milk, it’s lower in calories than regular dairy products.

So if you’re a vegan, you might want to try adding some cheese to your diet. You won’t regret it!