Probably 80% of the time, when I tell someone that I’m vegan, the first words out of that person’s mouth are, “I could not live without cheese!” The other 20% are usually a comments about steak or bacon, sometimes in a mean-spirited way and sometimes not. Today, though, I wanted to talk a little about the cheese thing, since it seems to be what gets folks the most.

I will not lie to you: giving up cheese was probably the toughest part of going vegan for me. Cheese is delicious, and I had what you might call a “cheese problem.” I loved it, but it did not love me. Instead, it played heavily into my high cholesterol (over 250 at age 25).

When I cut dairy out of my diet, my cholesterol dropped from insanely high for my age and size to a normal level somewhere between 180 and 190.

All of that is fantastic, but it didn’t make giving up cheese much easier. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of quitting smoking. I craved it and was a little grumpy at first. Store-bought fake cheeses couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing. Times were tough until one day I discovered something that helped. There was one food that worked in the vast majority of dishes that were begging for cheese. It quelled my cravings and didn’t taste fake.

That food was avocado.

From sandwiches to salads to no queso quesadillas, avocados saved the day! In really desperate moments, I even diced some up and ate it plain with a fork. It got me through the tough withdrawal stages.

The other vegan staple with a cheesy taste that doesn’t get enough cred is nutritional yeast. You can find nutritional yeast at the bulk bin in most health food stores. It can be sprinkled onto pasta or salads like Parmesan cheese or mixed with other ingredients to make a faux cheese sauce. You can even substitute nutritional yeast 1:1 for the Parmesan cheese in any pesto recipe!

There are some excellent cheese substitutes out there, for folks looking to give these a whirl. Follow Your Heart makes a few types of vegan cheese that melt. There is also a new brand, Daiya, that makes an insanely good faux cheese from tapioca of all things! I think the Daiya cheese is even soy free, if that’s a concern for you.

Have any of you thought about going vegan but run into a stumbling block? I’d love to hear what issues have stood in your way.

Source - GO Media - Written by Becky Striepe - Image Credit: Cheese. Creative Commons photo by ulterior epicure