Fellow veggies, can I share a revelation?

amberjo1986

I switched to a vegetarian, mostly vegan diet this summer. So far it's been relatively painless except every now and then I miss cheese. So I've been trying out vegan cheeses and OMG. THEY ARE HORRIBLE. But this past weekend I tried hummus for the first time. Let me tell you, I have found my "cheese" fix. Hummus hits all the right notes. It's fatty, creamy, salty, savory and addictive. I just can't stop thinking about it. It is so much better than vegan cheese and really, I had a eureka moment. I'm done with multiple weekly helpings of fake meat and cheeses, I prefer "real" food now. It was a good crutch when I needed it but I'm so over that overly processed crap. Has anyone else discovered something new when transitioning to a veg diet?

Meghanjoys

There are almond and cashew cheese that come pretty close -- best on a cracker instead of on pizza. but they are fatty (and I mean that in the way that cheese is). it's not low calorie, but when you are really, really wanting cheese they will hit the spot.

amberjo1986

I've seen that in many a blog post, just haven't gotten around to making a cashew cheeze yet. But soon! And now I kinda don't want to BECAUSE HUMMUS. I might have a problem....

Meghanjoys

I love hummus. love it, but super different thing. Kite Hill is a good starting spot. It's more like buying fancy cheese for a party.

amberjo1986

That's the second time I've seen that name today, I'll check it out....

Josalinn

So I have a question. Why are you going vegan? If you think that it is the healthiest diet out there, I disagree but it is not my place to try and convince you otherwise. If you changed for ethical reasons, and still really miss cheese then maybe you can find a local farm that treats the animals humanely? Then you would know "where it's coming from" and can support local farmers and get your cheese fix.

I love cheese. I will eat cheese until the day I die. And I don't eat the crappy fat free cheese. Real cheese all the way! I also love supporting local farmers.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but just a thought.

amberjo1986

It's not for health reasons. I appreciate the thought but I have strong feelings against the dairy industry and their practices. That being said I'm missing something that was never very good for me anyways (cheese) and am discovering new foods in the process, so win win. However, I will concede that omni diets can be perfectly healthy, in fact I didn't go veggie until I lost most of the weight. Furthermore, I have to pay more attention to my diet now because it's too easy to overdo the carbs and fat. But I'm enjoying the journey : )

neenbeck

I was raised vegan and there will always be a part of me that loves those like, overly fake tasting "cheeses" and veggie meats. I'm vegetarian now (actually pescatarian), but I still dabble with vegan stuff. I really like Daiya brand vegan cheese products. It's the closest I've found to the real deal. They sell the sliced stuff, and you can actually make a grilled cheese sandwich out of it! Totally yummy.

I also make my own cashew cheese- it's soooo simple. I mean it ends up acting as more of a cheese dip than actual cheese, but it totally satisfies that cheese craving. Try soaking cashews in water overnight and putting them in the blender with a bit of water and olive oil. You can also find great recipes online

And of course, hummus is always a great (and healthy) alternative to cheese.

Josalinn

amberjo1986 wrote: »

It's not for health reasons. I appreciate the thought but I have strong feelings against the dairy industry and their practices. That being said I'm missing something that was never very good for me anyways (cheese) and am discovering new foods in the process, so win win. However, I will concede that omni diets can be perfectly healthy, in fact I didn't go veggie until I lost most of the weight. Furthermore, I have to pay more attention to my diet now because it's too easy to overdo the carbs and fat. But I'm enjoying the journey : )

While I get the thing against the dairy industry as a whole, does that include the local farms? There are several near me for instance that are open to the public for scrutiny on how they treat their animals, and the products they produce are far superior to the supper market, albeit a bit more expensive.

As far as alternatives go, the only think I can think of is guacamole, but that has a high fat content. I have a friend that used (I think) Daiya brand vegan cream cheese in here Irish potatoes which are neither Irish nor potato for those of you outside the Philly area. They were pretty good.

amberjo1986

It does.

arditarose

Just tried hummus for the first time? Is it not a popular thing where you live?

amberjo1986

Not really. I've known of it's existence and idly thought about trying it out before, just never got around to it. I swear I eat more than 5 foods and they're not all beige.

Wytcher9

I am a lacto-ovum vegetarian. One of my favorite evening snacks is garlic hummus on a salt-free rice cake. The best part is that you cannot taste the rice cake. It is just a delivery device for the hummus. Love to use hummus as spread in sandwich wraps.

arditarose

amberjo1986 wrote: »

Not really. I've known of it's existence and idly thought about trying it out before, just never got around to it. I swear I eat more than 5 foods and they're not all beige.

Interesting. I guess I've just always been around it so it surprised me. I thought it was a very popular food.

RodaRose

Humus is made from Chic Peas and Tahini. You might like other things made with Tahini. . . . maybe try Baba Ganoush (made from Chic Peas and Eggplant)
http://minimalistbaker.com/simple-baba-ganoush/

amberjo1986

I love that website. I made her Mediterranean sweet potatoes this weekend, they were awesome.

Strawblackcat

Have you ever tried Treenut cheeses? They're made of cashews and other assorted nuts. We sell them at work and they tend to sell pretty fast. I've never tried them myself, but since they cost $8 for a small container and we sell a lot of them I figure that they must be pretty good!

Also, have you ever tried nutritional yeast? It has a yummy, slightly nutty, slightly cheddar-like flavor and is full of b vitamins and fiber. I make a really good "cheesy sauce" that goes well on macaroni to make a creamy vegan mac and cheese. I also like to cover my popcorn in it like a sort of cheddar powder. It's pretty cheap, and you can find it at just about any health foods store, so it's worth looking into.

RodaRose

Strawblackcat wrote: »

Have you ever tried Treenut cheeses? They're made of cashews and other assorted nuts. We sell them at work and they tend to sell pretty fast. I've never tried them myself, but since they cost $8 for a small container and we sell a lot of them I figure that they must be pretty good!

Also, have you ever tried nutritional yeast? It has a yummy, slightly nutty, slightly cheddar-like flavor and is full of b vitamins and fiber. I make a really good "cheesy sauce" that goes well on macaroni to make a creamy vegan mac and cheese. I also like to cover my popcorn in it like a sort of cheddar powder. It's pretty cheap, and you can find it at just about any health foods store, so it's worth looking into.

I have been considering nutritional yeast.
It has b12. Plus 2 tablespoons contain 9 grams of protein.
I get that its texture is cheese-y but what does its taste resemble?

misskatibear

amberjo1986 wrote: »

I just can't stop thinking about it.

Haha this bit made me laugh....hummus is goooooood. I tried a really nice one over the weekend Beetroot, cannellini beans and mint. So good and refreshing!

I do find I can eat too much though, and will sometimes give me a bad stomach ¬_¬ So be careful with that lol

Furbuster

This is susposed to be pretty good - I have yet to buy it http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artisan-Vegan-Cheese-Everyday-Gourmet/dp/1570672830

enkiemonkey

amberjo1986 wrote: »

Not really. I've known of it's existence and idly thought about trying it out before, just never got around to it. I swear I eat more than 5 foods and they're not all beige.

Hahaha "they're not all beige". This made me chuckle

leggup

I had a vegan "alfredo" sauce once that was insane. I believe it was pulverized cauliflower and cashew. I have a long list of similar recipes on pinterest I've been meaning to try.

A bit complicated to make (aminos and yeasts and things I don't have in my pantry), but Wholefoods has a garlic kale salad in the salad bar I've been meaning to do a copycat recipe for because it's so cheesy and buttery but vegan.