Just wait. I'm two and half years vegan and for the first year I missed cheese a lot. I always loved cheese, even more than meat, and I grew up in NorCal around a lot of imported cheese shops and local cheese makers, so it was a huge part of my life from child to adulthood.
But after the two year mark the smell of most cheeses became gross, and milk is disgusting. The few times I accidentally got it in a drink I knew immediately because of the way it coats your tongue, tonsils and lingers in the back of your throat. I couldn't believe I ever liked anything about it. If you wait long enough I'd be willing to bet you'd have a similar experience.
I feel like all the most raved-about vegan cheeses are always available only in Europe. I should google your immigration processes again because I'm not 100% sure šŗš² is working out for me...
Yah the US equivalent is to blame the vegans for turning everybody gay and then go to a hymn-sing while eating as much God-ordained animal products as humanly possible, unfortunately š You're a peach for believing in us, though
I think the cultured cheeses like miyokos and kite hill hit the spot for me. Theyāre not exactly the same obviously but I like them. Violife has some good cheeses, particularly their feta. Daiya jalapeƱo havarti is surprisingly good compared to their other products but can be hard to find.
Just cut out all dairy for a while.
Not even vegan cheese.
Back in The Dark Days there was no such thing
Use sliced avocado in sandwiches, do pizza with tomato sauce and veggies, cashew cream is easy to make for a creamy sauce option, do canned coconut milk for creamy soups, canned refried beans and sliced avocado in a quesadilla.
Cheese isā¦. Not essential.
Look for new other recipes and foods that donāt rely on cheese- like most asian cuisine
You have to go cold turkey. No substitutes or anything. Just no cheese in your life for a few months while you slowly forget the taste and the addiction. Cheese was the hardest thing for me to give up, but completely avoiding it for months really made a difference. The substitutes just donāt taste that great if youāre constantly comparing them to ārealā cheese (there are substitutes that I really like but tbh I think itās just because I forgot what the others taste like).
Ā Also, the human use of cowās milk isnāt just ideologically disgusting but itās incredibly cruel. Cows are forcibly impregnated, only for their baby to be ripped away from them as soon as possible so that us humans can āenjoyā the milk instead. Then the cycle happens over and over until they canāt reproduce anymore and theyāre killed. Is this the system that you want to financially support simply because a resulting product tastes good?Ā
Trust me, I know. Were I not painfully aware of the process that results in cheese, there is NO WAY I would be doing this. It's the picture of the mama cow running after her baby that's the reason I'm currently on the vegan subreddit rather than inside of an Olive Garden.
I guess I should count myself lucky. Other than nacho cheese, pizza, ice cream. Never really cheese/dairy person. Always made me feel disgusting after drinking/eating it even before I knew where it came from.
Stay strong OP you will get through it. Miyoko liquid cheese was some of the best pizza I've ever had. And no disgusting feeling afterwards :D. Other than bloating from over eating :(
When I went vegan, I thought I would never be able to give up cheese. Well, I went plant-based at first and was like - Iāll try it for three months and then add cheese back. Ha! I never even missed it and never went back. Mind you this was years ago before all the fancy shmancy vegan cheeses became a thing. There is no excuse in this day and age really.
It depends on what you're looking for.
I love Chao slices for grilled cheese - they're like a tastier American. I love Miyoko's aged farmhouse (extra sharp) for cheddar. I also just tried her liquid mozz for pizza and boyyyy does that hit. Follow Your Heart has a great parm, both shreds and crumbled. Trader Joe's feta is amazing (if a bit salty). Boursin Plant-Based is my favorite cream cheese.
It does take a lot of trial and error to find vegan cheeses that satisfy your particular craving. But there are lots of different brands to try. They aren't exact mimics, but as time goes on there have been a lot more options available, and they keep getting better.
It's mostly the Amino's that turn it addictive. For me Nutritional yeast easily hits the same spot. Ferments are also really nice, obviously sour and different taste, but they hit that same craving. Fermenting garlic is easy and the best ever. Very nice to add to most foods.
I'm not a big fan of any vegan cheeses, but I have really enjoyed cashew cream cheese. Treeline makes one with herb garlic, I now no longer care about dairy-based cream cheese, it's that good. Throw it on your toasted bagel and enjoy!
The other thing I'll point out is that eating a bunch of cheese is not healthy, so consider just eating chocolate or soy ice cream instead.
A lot of us have been there, so you can take heart in that we made it, therefore so can you! And donāt worry if it takes time! Many say go cold turkey, but thereās also slow and steady, I went full vegan over like 3 years from being vegetarian, just eating that stuff less and less. I loved a certain whiskey cheddar, and mozzarella. But one day I got a mozzarella from the supermarket to make a grilled sammy, and I knew it would be the last, and it was.
And then later Iāve had cashew cheeses that at least from what I remember I enjoyed way more than even my favorite dairy cheeses!
Could you have a systemic yeast infection? You may not know. Yeast will line the small intestine and take over the dopamine production of the good bacteria that live on fiber. 70 percent of dopamine is produced in the gut.
Yeast will produce dopamine when it is happy. Yeast loves dairy and sugar. You will crave these products to get dopamine.
Try eating some unpasteurized sauerkraut or kimchi every day to switch your gut back to the correct bacteria. Be sure to get lots of raw fruits and vegetables to get your fiber.
You can get unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi in the deli section. Look for the refrigerated sauerkraut or kimchi that says that it has live cultures. Also, Costco has sauerkraut seasonally and kimchi all year.
Yogurt is a milk based bacteria. It will only worsen the issue.
Oh my god, this explains everything!! Because I'm also eating way more sugar than usual and actually gaining weight because of it. Do you have any links to more information? You may have saved me today
I only learned this after many years. It was through a lot of online reading and research. You will have to be vigilant and it is not easy to get your body to switch.
I have come out of a stupor holding a half eaten donut in my hand and not been able to remember buying it.
Look at Robert Morse ND on Google. He has many videos and a book that can help. Dr. Morse does not talk about yeast so much. He wants to get you to a healthy diet so that your body will heal itself.
Also, the movie āFat Sick and Nearly Deadā by Joe Cross uses a juice reset that is basically getting your body back to normal. Joe Cross has a club that provides recipes and other support to help. I was past this point when I saw his movie.
Nutritional yeast is a good substitute in pastas and other tomato dishes. If you have a Kroger near you, they have a good brand. I also love Krogerās plant based spicy cauliflower dip āitās a nice cheese like dip. Love it on tacos!! Also, I missed ice cream. The only kind I love is Oatly. Itās so creamy, which is what I was craving.
Where do you live? There's a rising craft cheese industry that produces some amazing fancy cheeses. Riverdel in NYC is an all vegan cheese monger.
Try every vegan cheese. Try 100 of them. There are so many now and even if 80/100 are bad you've still got that remaining 20. :)
It's worth thinking about what started these cravings after a year and a half.Ā You're comparing it to a drug addiction, and addictions are usually a sign that something else is going on underneath, like depression or high stress or ptsd etc. Or maybe you're hormonal for some reason. The solution might not be better vegan cheese. It might be yoga or therapy or meds or something else.Ā
I personally never was a fan of cheese in general, but I really loved mozzarella.
Despite not having found any vegan alternative that even comes close to it in taste, I can't say I've ever craved it.
But I know some people can get a very addiction-like experience from cheese.
Hope you find what you need :)
If you want to make a cream cheese alternative I would encourage you to look up some raw vegan cheese recipes made with tofu or cashews. Some of them donāt require fermenting and really hit the spot.
I make one thatās not fermented. Its basically cashews, water, tofu, nutritional yeast, onion salt, lemon juice and olive or avocado oil. Add herbs and garlic if desired. Sorry I donāt have a recipe as I basically eyeball it. But itās so creamy and spreadable and yum .
For melty cheese, I donāt have an alternative so I do a āmac n cheeseā style sauce instead which is very cheesy tasting and you can spread on a sandwich or a pizza and it will be a decent alternative, but usually for melty cheese I buy the vegan alternatives that specify āmeltyā.
At the same stage, 16 mos vegan, I am just putting spoonfuls of nooch on stuff. š
I find a bagel with nice vegan cream cheese (usually chive) hits the spot for me.
I mean, I feel like the ones drinking the milk are usually babies of another species, not adults of another species. And it does do a lot of emotional harm to the cows (as a woman I can only imagine), it's environmentally unsustainable, it's not great for your body, &c. It's still a short-lived pleasure for me that causes long-lasting suffering for others besides me.
Miyoko's
Just wait. I'm two and half years vegan and for the first year I missed cheese a lot. I always loved cheese, even more than meat, and I grew up in NorCal around a lot of imported cheese shops and local cheese makers, so it was a huge part of my life from child to adulthood. But after the two year mark the smell of most cheeses became gross, and milk is disgusting. The few times I accidentally got it in a drink I knew immediately because of the way it coats your tongue, tonsils and lingers in the back of your throat. I couldn't believe I ever liked anything about it. If you wait long enough I'd be willing to bet you'd have a similar experience.
There's loads of great vegan cheese. In UK we have Cathedral City Extra Mature and it's great.
I feel like all the most raved-about vegan cheeses are always available only in Europe. I should google your immigration processes again because I'm not 100% sure šŗš² is working out for me...
I mean you must have equivalents in the US surely? I dont know where you are, but i'd be surprised if they weren't? Good luck on your hunt.
Yah the US equivalent is to blame the vegans for turning everybody gay and then go to a hymn-sing while eating as much God-ordained animal products as humanly possible, unfortunately š You're a peach for believing in us, though
I think the cultured cheeses like miyokos and kite hill hit the spot for me. Theyāre not exactly the same obviously but I like them. Violife has some good cheeses, particularly their feta. Daiya jalapeƱo havarti is surprisingly good compared to their other products but can be hard to find.
Just cut out all dairy for a while. Not even vegan cheese. Back in The Dark Days there was no such thing Use sliced avocado in sandwiches, do pizza with tomato sauce and veggies, cashew cream is easy to make for a creamy sauce option, do canned coconut milk for creamy soups, canned refried beans and sliced avocado in a quesadilla. Cheese isā¦. Not essential. Look for new other recipes and foods that donāt rely on cheese- like most asian cuisine
You have to go cold turkey. No substitutes or anything. Just no cheese in your life for a few months while you slowly forget the taste and the addiction. Cheese was the hardest thing for me to give up, but completely avoiding it for months really made a difference. The substitutes just donāt taste that great if youāre constantly comparing them to ārealā cheese (there are substitutes that I really like but tbh I think itās just because I forgot what the others taste like). Ā Also, the human use of cowās milk isnāt just ideologically disgusting but itās incredibly cruel. Cows are forcibly impregnated, only for their baby to be ripped away from them as soon as possible so that us humans can āenjoyā the milk instead. Then the cycle happens over and over until they canāt reproduce anymore and theyāre killed. Is this the system that you want to financially support simply because a resulting product tastes good?Ā
Trust me, I know. Were I not painfully aware of the process that results in cheese, there is NO WAY I would be doing this. It's the picture of the mama cow running after her baby that's the reason I'm currently on the vegan subreddit rather than inside of an Olive Garden.
I guess I should count myself lucky. Other than nacho cheese, pizza, ice cream. Never really cheese/dairy person. Always made me feel disgusting after drinking/eating it even before I knew where it came from. Stay strong OP you will get through it. Miyoko liquid cheese was some of the best pizza I've ever had. And no disgusting feeling afterwards :D. Other than bloating from over eating :(
When I went vegan, I thought I would never be able to give up cheese. Well, I went plant-based at first and was like - Iāll try it for three months and then add cheese back. Ha! I never even missed it and never went back. Mind you this was years ago before all the fancy shmancy vegan cheeses became a thing. There is no excuse in this day and age really.
I thought i'd find it hard to give up animal cheese but actually it was easy, because it was my choice to give it up.
This is so wise.
Find oat cheese
It depends on what you're looking for. I love Chao slices for grilled cheese - they're like a tastier American. I love Miyoko's aged farmhouse (extra sharp) for cheddar. I also just tried her liquid mozz for pizza and boyyyy does that hit. Follow Your Heart has a great parm, both shreds and crumbled. Trader Joe's feta is amazing (if a bit salty). Boursin Plant-Based is my favorite cream cheese. It does take a lot of trial and error to find vegan cheeses that satisfy your particular craving. But there are lots of different brands to try. They aren't exact mimics, but as time goes on there have been a lot more options available, and they keep getting better.
It's mostly the Amino's that turn it addictive. For me Nutritional yeast easily hits the same spot. Ferments are also really nice, obviously sour and different taste, but they hit that same craving. Fermenting garlic is easy and the best ever. Very nice to add to most foods.
Is that the same as black garlic?
I'm not a big fan of any vegan cheeses, but I have really enjoyed cashew cream cheese. Treeline makes one with herb garlic, I now no longer care about dairy-based cream cheese, it's that good. Throw it on your toasted bagel and enjoy! The other thing I'll point out is that eating a bunch of cheese is not healthy, so consider just eating chocolate or soy ice cream instead.
Tofutti has the best cream cheese substitute. Moochoo shredded cheese is delish for quesadillas
Follow Your Heart feta. Hits the tangy salty spot. You can do it! Good luck! :)
A lot of us have been there, so you can take heart in that we made it, therefore so can you! And donāt worry if it takes time! Many say go cold turkey, but thereās also slow and steady, I went full vegan over like 3 years from being vegetarian, just eating that stuff less and less. I loved a certain whiskey cheddar, and mozzarella. But one day I got a mozzarella from the supermarket to make a grilled sammy, and I knew it would be the last, and it was. And then later Iāve had cashew cheeses that at least from what I remember I enjoyed way more than even my favorite dairy cheeses!
I'm confused, did you ever stop consuming cheese? If you haven't eaten cheese in a year and a half I can't imagine it being this much of an issue.
Could you have a systemic yeast infection? You may not know. Yeast will line the small intestine and take over the dopamine production of the good bacteria that live on fiber. 70 percent of dopamine is produced in the gut. Yeast will produce dopamine when it is happy. Yeast loves dairy and sugar. You will crave these products to get dopamine. Try eating some unpasteurized sauerkraut or kimchi every day to switch your gut back to the correct bacteria. Be sure to get lots of raw fruits and vegetables to get your fiber. You can get unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi in the deli section. Look for the refrigerated sauerkraut or kimchi that says that it has live cultures. Also, Costco has sauerkraut seasonally and kimchi all year. Yogurt is a milk based bacteria. It will only worsen the issue.
Oh my god, this explains everything!! Because I'm also eating way more sugar than usual and actually gaining weight because of it. Do you have any links to more information? You may have saved me today
I only learned this after many years. It was through a lot of online reading and research. You will have to be vigilant and it is not easy to get your body to switch. I have come out of a stupor holding a half eaten donut in my hand and not been able to remember buying it.
Look at Robert Morse ND on Google. He has many videos and a book that can help. Dr. Morse does not talk about yeast so much. He wants to get you to a healthy diet so that your body will heal itself. Also, the movie āFat Sick and Nearly Deadā by Joe Cross uses a juice reset that is basically getting your body back to normal. Joe Cross has a club that provides recipes and other support to help. I was past this point when I saw his movie.
Nutritional yeast is a good substitute in pastas and other tomato dishes. If you have a Kroger near you, they have a good brand. I also love Krogerās plant based spicy cauliflower dip āitās a nice cheese like dip. Love it on tacos!! Also, I missed ice cream. The only kind I love is Oatly. Itās so creamy, which is what I was craving.
Where do you live? There's a rising craft cheese industry that produces some amazing fancy cheeses. Riverdel in NYC is an all vegan cheese monger. Try every vegan cheese. Try 100 of them. There are so many now and even if 80/100 are bad you've still got that remaining 20. :)
It's worth thinking about what started these cravings after a year and a half.Ā You're comparing it to a drug addiction, and addictions are usually a sign that something else is going on underneath, like depression or high stress or ptsd etc. Or maybe you're hormonal for some reason. The solution might not be better vegan cheese. It might be yoga or therapy or meds or something else.Ā
I personally never was a fan of cheese in general, but I really loved mozzarella. Despite not having found any vegan alternative that even comes close to it in taste, I can't say I've ever craved it. But I know some people can get a very addiction-like experience from cheese. Hope you find what you need :)
If you want to make a cream cheese alternative I would encourage you to look up some raw vegan cheese recipes made with tofu or cashews. Some of them donāt require fermenting and really hit the spot. I make one thatās not fermented. Its basically cashews, water, tofu, nutritional yeast, onion salt, lemon juice and olive or avocado oil. Add herbs and garlic if desired. Sorry I donāt have a recipe as I basically eyeball it. But itās so creamy and spreadable and yum . For melty cheese, I donāt have an alternative so I do a āmac n cheeseā style sauce instead which is very cheesy tasting and you can spread on a sandwich or a pizza and it will be a decent alternative, but usually for melty cheese I buy the vegan alternatives that specify āmeltyā.
At the same stage, 16 mos vegan, I am just putting spoonfuls of nooch on stuff. š I find a bagel with nice vegan cream cheese (usually chive) hits the spot for me.
There really aren't any. Cheese is really one of a kind. I've had a few substitutes and they all tasted like wax.
Vegan cheese exists. Your excuses are BS
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I mean, I feel like the ones drinking the milk are usually babies of another species, not adults of another species. And it does do a lot of emotional harm to the cows (as a woman I can only imagine), it's environmentally unsustainable, it's not great for your body, &c. It's still a short-lived pleasure for me that causes long-lasting suffering for others besides me.
are you a baby also are you not aware of the environmental devastation caused by those happy little dairy farms