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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To eat cheese as a vegan?

135 replies

Sparksi · 10/04/2024 16:48

I’ve been vegan for 5 years. I’m 8 weeks pregnant and craving cheese triangles. There isn’t a vegan equivalent anywhere. Vegan cheese is not the same. I haven’t had any dairy for years and read somewhere you can develop a bit of an intolerance to it if you’ve not had it for a while - if this is true it would be silly to succumb to the craving if it’s only going to upset my stomach.

I do feel a bit icky if I think about the morals as to why I have been vegan for so long, and definitely wouldn’t be making any permanent changes. I am wondering if it’s my body telling me I need something, though!

WIBU to have it or should I find something else?

OP posts:
Zapss · 10/04/2024 19:15

So long as you're only eating it as a vegan, that's OK.

Catopia · 10/04/2024 19:12

Most vegan cheese is vile. If you/baby want cheese, eat the cheese. Just simply blame the need to get more calcium and vit D for baby and enjoy the cheesy goodness.

I broke vegetarianism after 13 years as I had terrible tuna cravings, I dreamt about tuna, it was weird as I hadn't eaten fish since I was a toddler. But I decided it was my body's way of telling me it desperately needed something that the fish could offer, probably protein and went with it.

JPGR · 10/04/2024 19:09

Your body is needing calcium. Do what is best for your baby.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 10/04/2024 19:08

Enjoy the cheese.

Don't do what I did and say to a vegetarian of under two years that I had been craving roast chicken since I'd been discharged from hospital for the third time with hyperemesis - the enraged stream of accusations and disgust at what I was daring to think of doing, to contaminate the foetus with suffering and death scared me having it.

My Hb was 4.2 when I went in to have the baby and I felt horrendous for years afterwards.

Baby 2 came along, I ate everything.

Grumpymiddleagedwoman43 · 10/04/2024 18:58

Ilovelurchers · 10/04/2024 17:41

People tend to be very all or nothing about veganism or vegetarianism, but in ethical terms, the more meat and dairy we cut out of our lives the better, so that mentality isn't necessarily helpful. Otherwise you might lapse once, think "fuck it" and go around gorging on the flesh of dead animals for the rest of your life because you feel you have failed.....

My best friend is vegan and very occasionally lapses for real cheese pizza. I don't stop thinking of him as a vegan, because that is his intention and what he is, in the main.

It's a bit like lapses in sobriety. If you start to believe that any lapse means you've fucked your sobriety totally, the impulse is to lapse and think, yay, well I've fucked up now anyway, give up, go back to vodka for breakfast, and be briefly happy, then dead.

More helpful to think, even if I have one drink after 12 months sober (or whatever), the second drink remains just as serious a choice as the first, because all that time was NOT wasted....

Does that make sense? I feel very strongly about this. Thinking in absolutely is often harmful to our resolve, counter-intuitively.

So yes, you can have your cheese triangle and still be a vegan, as far as I am concerned, anyway! We all do what we can. Perhaps you body IS telling you something that you need.....

YES! Agreed

Gettingonmygoat · 10/04/2024 18:55

Your body is obviously needing the calcium, have the cheese.

BoudiccaOfSuburbia · 10/04/2024 18:48

I have a friend who was full on vegan for 15 years or so. Possibly more.

Then for various reasons stopped and started eating a full range of dairy and meat. No intolerance or reaction at all.
(reversed a pre-diabetic status due to eating more fats and proteins and fewer carbs for calories)

Clarabell77 · 10/04/2024 18:46

PuttingDownRoots · 10/04/2024 16:50

There is a theory that cravings are related to deficiencies. Calcium for you maybe? Fat?

Or indeed... you might really just fancy the cheese.

This is what I was thinking, sometimes the body craves what it needs.

I wouldn’t judge someone for eating what they want. It’s a decision only you can make though.

RaininSummer · 10/04/2024 18:45

You must be short of calcium or something. As a fairly new vegetarian years ago, I craved chicken so badly when newly pregnant.

SophiaElise · 10/04/2024 18:44

Why don't you eat it to satisfy your craving, then go back to being vegan? I disagree that eating cheese as a one-off makes you vegetarian. You'll be a vegan who ate cheese once.

Mynewnameis · 10/04/2024 18:42

I craved cream when pregnant. Never liked it previously but do now (not vegan). Growing a child changes your tastes

BurbageBrook · 10/04/2024 18:39

PS I should have added I ate dairy like it was going out of fashion in pregnancy- yoghurt, cheese, milk. Tried to buy free range organic where I could. The cravings were so so strong I couldn't have denied them -- I'd have been miserable for 9 months!

BurbageBrook · 10/04/2024 18:35

I think it's wise to eat dairy in pregnancy anyway. It's an excellent source of calcium for you and your baby.

ShortLivedComment · 10/04/2024 18:27

I fancy a cheese triangle now too and I've not eaten one for decades! Not because I'm vegan though.

Walkingwasgoodforme · 10/04/2024 18:22

YeahComeOnThen · 10/04/2024 17:58

@PrincessFionaCharming

yes, because 'labels' exist for a reason. When people say they're 'vegan' and then eat non vegan food (around others) it makes people think 'vegan eat xyz' when they don't.

@Sparksi

Do what feels right for you.

ignore the ignorant posters saying a vegan diet isn't good enough when you're pregnant. Of course it is. You don't need dairy, if your body wants something, it's there in nature in a vegan way. Your craving for that specific item is just because it's what you know. It's just as available in vegan form.

Having a small amount of cheese isn't going to change the dairy industry so try not to worry about that.

However, when I first ate cheese after 5 years of being vegan it really upset my stomach and I'd only had a small amount.

Do it at home alone & don't tell anyone, it's just not worth it, keep it your & baby's secret 😊

Actually I think ignorant vegans can be more of a problem (I was one).
It's really, really easy to think you're doing everything great and you've done tons of research until you find things aren't so great...
No way would I take the risk when pregnant without proper advice.

Kalevala · 10/04/2024 18:16

KnackeredBack · 10/04/2024 17:52

Mature cheddar, parmesan, swiss cheeses, stilton, brie and camembert are all very low lactose and suggested for lactose intolerant diets. Hard cheeses in the main and aged cheeses are the way to go....as a possibly lactose intolerant vegetarian (but not vegan). x

This, I'd go for a low lactose cheese. My cats happily eat a bit of extra mature cheddar without issues.

wingslikeeagles · 10/04/2024 18:14

wingslikeeagles
It's definitely your body telling you something! (Disclaimer - I'm not a medical professional at all.)

But what I wanted to say is that this lactose free soft cheese is lovely: www.arlafoods.co.uk/products-overview/arla-lactofree-soft-cheese-200g-625/ even if it doesn't come in triangles.

This isn't vegan either though.

@saradika no of course not! I literally said that her body was telling her something - I.e. eat dairy.

GrumpyPanda · 10/04/2024 18:14

Go for it and enjoy! And count yourself lucky you haven't developed cravings for a nice juicy wagyu burger 😁

beetr00 · 10/04/2024 18:13

how about violife? decent reviews (not triangles though)

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/285363243

tbh though @Sparksi growing a human entitles you to everything your heart (and stomach) desires 😊

Congratulations

Maddy70 · 10/04/2024 18:06

KnackeredBack · 10/04/2024 17:52

Mature cheddar, parmesan, swiss cheeses, stilton, brie and camembert are all very low lactose and suggested for lactose intolerant diets. Hard cheeses in the main and aged cheeses are the way to go....as a possibly lactose intolerant vegetarian (but not vegan). x

Parmesan isn't even vegetarian so you might want to avoid that one

Sparksi · 10/04/2024 18:04

StormingNorman · 10/04/2024 17:56

You may be vegan but the baby apparently isn’t so keen 😂

You can still hold vegan beliefs without hypocrisy in this case.

I think you can still call yourself a vegan with a little explanation for anyone who cares, “I’ve been vegan for years but the pregnancy is making me crave cheese and I don’t want my baby to miss out on any nutrition it needs”.

Spoiler: it will literally never come up in conversation. It’s not like you go out to a restaurant and get Dairylea triangles on the menu!

Maybe just have half a triangle to take the edge off and if there are no intolerances go back for more.

Edited

Baby’s daddy loves cheese, so that’s probably why! I might just get them and get DH to eat the rest if I’m not feeling up to it

OP posts:
PrincessFionaCharming · 10/04/2024 18:03

yes, because 'labels' exist for a reason. When people say they're 'vegan' and then eat non vegan food (around others) it makes people think 'vegan eat xyz' when they don't

oh what a load of rubbish 😂😂

ScabbyHorse · 10/04/2024 17:59

I say eat the cheese triangle!!

YeahComeOnThen · 10/04/2024 17:58

PrincessFionaCharming · 10/04/2024 17:49

Goodness, who knew vegans were so obsessed with labels. “Eat what you like but I don’t you DARE call yourself a vegan” 🚨

@PrincessFionaCharming

yes, because 'labels' exist for a reason. When people say they're 'vegan' and then eat non vegan food (around others) it makes people think 'vegan eat xyz' when they don't.

@Sparksi

Do what feels right for you.

ignore the ignorant posters saying a vegan diet isn't good enough when you're pregnant. Of course it is. You don't need dairy, if your body wants something, it's there in nature in a vegan way. Your craving for that specific item is just because it's what you know. It's just as available in vegan form.

Having a small amount of cheese isn't going to change the dairy industry so try not to worry about that.

However, when I first ate cheese after 5 years of being vegan it really upset my stomach and I'd only had a small amount.

Do it at home alone & don't tell anyone, it's just not worth it, keep it your & baby's secret 😊

StormingNorman · 10/04/2024 17:56

You may be vegan but the baby apparently isn’t so keen 😂

You can still hold vegan beliefs without hypocrisy in this case.

I think you can still call yourself a vegan with a little explanation for anyone who cares, “I’ve been vegan for years but the pregnancy is making me crave cheese and I don’t want my baby to miss out on any nutrition it needs”.

Spoiler: it will literally never come up in conversation. It’s not like you go out to a restaurant and get Dairylea triangles on the menu!

Maybe just have half a triangle to take the edge off and if there are no intolerances go back for more.