Ditch dairy and try some plant-based cheese alternatives
Image by tookapic from Pixabay
If you’re having a tough time giving up cheese, you’re not alone. Many people have the same struggle when they shift towards a plant-based diet, even when they are aware of the negative impacts on the planet, animals, and their health.
Dairy cheese has a very high water and carbon footprint (since a lot of cow’s milk is required to produce a small amount of cheese). It also causes great suffering to female cows and baby calves, and the high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol put humans at risk of developing health issues such as heart disease and diabetes.
Here are some ideas to get you started on healthy and delicious plant-based alternatives to cheese:
Try some homemade cheese recipes
- This recipe for a cashew chèvre is a winner: the natural fat content of the cashews, the added salt, and other ingredients like nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and tahini help to create a really satisfying flavour profile.
- Try some tofu ‘feta’. This recipe is really easy and tasty, and has a high protein content.
- Need a rich, creamy sauce for pasta? This vegan cheese sauce recipe has potatoes as its main ingredient, with carrots for colour – but you’d never know it wasn’t a cheese sauce!
Eat more high-fat whole foods
- If you crave the richness of cheese but want a healthy plant-based alternative, try incorporating more high-fat foods such as avocados, nuts, and coconut into your cooking. Guacamole with a sandwich, roasted nuts and seeds sprinkled on a salad, and coconut milk stirred into soup.
Explore your local supermarket
- Nowadays, there are all kinds of vegan cheese options available in the supermarkets: from cream cheese to mozzarella, parmesan and, sandwich slices.
Are you ready to break your dairy habits and start exploring plant-based alternatives?
Written by Muriel Gravenor for the ProVeg Veggie Challenge
