Dairy Free Cheese

[NeedANewDirection]

Does any of it taste ok?
For cooking / sprinkling on stuff or neat on crackers.
I bought some cheese spread and it smelt and tasted of vomit so now I'm a bit wary :(

[DrDiva]

Violife original is ok for cooking -'even passed the taste test for my DH! Not nice uncooked though, haven't found one that is. (Though I have heard the Sheese is ok. We can't use it as DS is off soya as well.)

[lavendersun]

We did dairy free for 8 years, the only thing that we found remotely palatable was Sheese Strong Cheddar style. Still different but ok.

We did try a new expensive one that had won awards - had to buy it online - we didn't like it as much as the Sheese.

[TiredOfLife]

Are you avoiding dairy or just cows milk?

Ewes milk cheese manchego is nice and my cows milk intolerant DC is fine on it

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

Unfortunately it's all dairy otherwise I would be straight into the ewe / goat options. DS (10 months) has severe cmpa, and because he was anaphylactic we've been told to avoid all milks at least for the time being. And since I'm still bf, I'm off it all too.

He seems to be ok with soya though, so I can give Violife and Sheese a go.
Do I find these in any supermarket? I don't remember seeing them, but I don't spend too much time in the dairy aisle these days...

[lavendersun]

Eggs - I bf for nearly 3 years because DD had anaphylaxis with dairy products - bloody hard at times. I used to buy our Sheese from a local independent health food shop, I used to buy a few, cut it into 1/4s and freeze it between layers of greaseproof paper in plastic containers.

I found that it went off quickly, quicker than I would use it tbh, it would be growing mould in the fridge before I knew it.

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

Excellent tip, thanks lavender

[lavendersun]

I never really took up dairy again in the same way after I had to give it up either Eggs, I was a cheese monster before I had to give it up, now I can take or leave dairy and can only stomach skimmed milk, 6 years on.

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

That's interesting. Given that I've shed a load of weight (from not eating chocolate or cheese, and having to decline most cakes unless I've baked them), I shouldn't complain.

I do get a bit paranoid about calcium and osteoporosis though. I've started eating tinned salmon, something I haven't had since childhood!

[18yearstooold]

Dd is a vegan and I get most of her stuff from tesco

They do 4 different cheeses, the orange one is to be avoided but the others are ok

They also do the most delicious soya milkshakes and chocolate puddings ( you need to check for eggs though)

[lavendersun]

I lost weight too, I took a solgar multivitamin - never bothered with that sort of thing before as my diet was healthy but at one point I weighed 7 stone ... 5' 7", not a good look!

I had to give up wheat and eggs too for 18 months of it, you have my sympathies.

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

I bought some Violife. Tasted a bit raw, and it doesn't taste of much, but at least it's not like sick :)

Bit disappointed none of the range were fortified with calcium though.

It did, however, lead me into a lovely local health food shop, which I will definitely be using again!

[shewolfroar]

tahini...full of calcium

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

Ooh good idea thanks!
Mmm hummus :)

[pashmina696]

I use cheesely for my DS, he loves it melted on toast or on a homemade pizza - my husband has eaten it unawares on the pizza and barely noticed it was fake cheese - i get the white cheddar style.

[Branleuse]

Vegusto no moo is the best vegan cheese by far

vegusto.co.uk/

Violife isnt tooo bad, but its a bit rubbery, but at least it has no aftertaste.

[littleflick]

Cheesley is good (they do a soya free one), Vegusto and Daiya are all very good.

[lavendersun]

Vegusto was the one I bought by mail order that I didn't like - couldn't remember the name of it. I bought a load to try and got some samples of other things.

I thought it was going to be the answer to my DF cheese problem, but it wasn't for me.

We are not DF anymore which is much easier.

[InterOuta]

I've tried quite a few, violife is the best so far unless you can have soya?

[InterOuta]

If he's ok with soya, there's a mozerella one in Holland and Barrets watch comes highly recommended

[Oodear]

Vegusto melty and the sauce aren't too bad. I've found that replacing cheese direct doesn't work but these are ok in circumstances

[superoz]

The only cheese I have found which dd actually likes is Tofutti 'soft cheese' spread. It's not in the supermarket, we get ours from the local health food shop. It's mild tasting and doesn't have any overpowering aftertaste, unlike the Violife we recently tried.
I haven't found any hard 'cheese' which actually tastes edible.

[EggsAreNotFromCows]

Ah, I was just coming on to say we are loving Tofutti! It tastes much like Philly to me, and DS seems happy with it spread on rice cakes. Also melts well, so was good stirred into pasta.
Again, not fortified though. I wish they would, it's seeming difficult to make up the calcium and vit D you would normally get from dairy.

[superoz]

Eggs yes I wish they would make it fortified as dd doesn't really drink dairy free milk anymore so I give her a supplement, though the dietician says even that on it's own isn't enough. I haven't yet found a cheese that tastes better than Tofutti though; every time I find a new one I have high expectations but they never taste right.

[trixymalixy]

Eggsarenotfromcows, love your username!!

Agree about the tofutti cream cheese, it's much nicer than violife cream cheese.