Vegan cheese what is it made of

A lot of people use them to make vegan cheese at home due to their availability in every grocery store.

Nut and seed-based cheese is typically fermented with extra probiotic cultures, and has nutritional yeast or flavorings added. Some common nuts and seeds used for vegan cheese are almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds. Tapioca starch and flour are great for vegan cheeses.

Tapioca gives cheese stretchy, melty properties, and even allows it to brown like you see pizza cheese do when baked. Coconut comes in a few forms, and coconut milk, cream, and oil are all often used for vegan cheeses.

Vegan cheese is made through somewhat similar steps to traditional cheese-making. Most commonly, bacteria is used to separate out the plant proteins. The biggest thing you'll notice with your dairy-free cheese is that it doesn't melt quite the same. Don't expect quite the same ooey-gooey experience when you top your pizza with vegan cheese. Keep in mind that all brands are different, so if you try one brand you don't like, don't give up on the rest.

Vegan cheesemakers are coming up with new processes all the time that are making these cheeses taste even more like the traditional stuff. If you're avoiding regular cheese because of the saturated fat, you may not need to. Recent research shows cheese may actually be good for your health and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Vegan cheeses are typically lower in fat, protein and calcium than regular cheese and are likely gluten-free.

Because vegan cheese is a processed food, it tends to be higher in sodium, so check your labels. Vegans can't count on vegan cheese as a protein source, the way that vegetarians may sometimes rely on regular cheese. So while it's not a super vegan health food the way kale and lentils are, vegans may rejoice in eating pizza, grilled cheese and queso dip again.

We reached out to vegan cookbook author Dreena Burton of Plant Powered Kitchen and The Colorful Kitchen blogger Ilene Godofsky Moreno to find out their recommendations for the best vegan cheeses on the market.

With the dairy-free market exploding in the last decade, chances are there are many varieties to choose from at your local grocery store, from soft style cheeses to slices to grated variations. All this sounds great, but is vegan cheese healthy? Well, it depends. Sometimes when we cut out animal products, we replace them with unhealthy plant-based products -- and dairy-free cheese can fall into this vegan junk food trap.

Wondering if you eat too much vegan junk? Take this quiz! Read the nutrition labels and scan the ingredients when you pick up store-bought vegan cheeses. Look for:. Treeline and Miyokos are two vegan brands that make tasty and soft vegan cheeses.

You can expect minimal and real ingredients. Heads up: since these vegan cheeses are made with cashews they can be high in fat though so if you have heart disease, eat sparingly!

Our favorite brand? MamaSezz of course! Check out this dairy-free, whole food " Mama's Mac Sauce " that goes on pretty much anything. It's creamy, tastes like Alfredo, and just check out how amazing it looks Those that are highly processed might add thickeners into their mix such as xanthan gum, carrageenan, and other food-like substances. According to Go Veggie , those who follow a vegan diet that eschews eggs, meat, and dairy, tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol than those who dine upon animal-based fare.

In addition to never containing cholesterol which is only found in animal products , vegan cheeses as with all plant-based foods never contain hormones or antibiotics. Thus, eating vegan cheese is definitely a healthier idea than eating regular cheese. The trick is to read the labels on the foods you buy, to determine what ingredients may or may not be ideal.

For those trying to eat as healthy as possible, Mama Sezz recommends looking for vegan cheeses that contain whole foods and minimal ingredients.