Nutritional Benefits of Ditching Dairy Cheese for Vegan Cheese + Recipes
Just Give It a Try, You Might Love It!
Benefits of Vegan Cheese
Let’s face the facts, cheese is an indulgent food that most people love. it is not only delicious and decadent, it is an art form. The good news is, vegan cheese is also delish, comes in many varieties and flavor profiles but is nutritious and of course cruelty-free.
We are lucky that today, all types of gourmet vegan cheeses are available to us in the market. What is more exciting is that for those who like to cook, vegan cheese can be made in our homes with a very few ingredients.
1. Vegan Cheese is Lower in Fat + Cholesterol
According to numerous scientific studies, a whole food, plan-based vegan diet can lower the risk of heart diseases, obesity, diabetes and certain types of cancers. Milk and other dairy products are the top sources of artery-clogging saturated fat. All milk products contain cholesterol also. Diets that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. On average cheeses are comprised 70% fat.
2. Vegan Cheese + Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are considered to be the source number one of our body’s energy; it makes indeed about 45 to 65% are your body's source of energy. And tests have shown that the Vegan types of cheeses contain about 2 grams of carbohydrates, which is significantly low.
3. Vegan Cheese + Calories
Vegan types of cheese slightly differ from one another and the same applies to its nutritional value that differs from a type of cheese to the other. For example, mozzarella cheese contains about 30 to 80 calories. The same is true for vegan cheese but it provides the body with added nutrients.
4. Vegan Cheese Makes a Great Source of Protein
Your bones and muscles in general, need protein to function properly. It is highly recommended to take about 10 to 35% percent of the total intake of calories. Vegan mozzarella contains, for example 1 gram of protein while typically, vegan cheddar cheese contains denser amounts of protein.
Recipe 1: Vegan Cheddar Cheese
(Prep time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Servings: 4)
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Raw Cashews
1/3 Cup of Water
5 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
¼ Cup of Tahini
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
2 Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Deseeded and chopped Medium Red Pepper
2 and ½ teaspoons of salt
½ Teaspoon of smoked Paprika
1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
¼ Cup of Nutritional Yeast
1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
1 Cup of water
1 Tablespoon of Agar Agar Powder; don’t use flakes
Directions:
Place the cashews, about 1/3 cup of water, the lemon juice, the coconut oil, the tahini, the soy sauce, the tomato paste, the apple cider vinegar, the red pepper, the salt, the smoked paprika, the cayenne pepper, the Dijon mustard, the nutritional yeast, the garlic powder and the onion powder to a blender jug.
Blend your ingredients until it becomes perfectly smooth; then set it aside
Once the mixture becomes smooth, set it aside; but don’t remove it from the blender
Add in 1 cup of water with the agar agar powder to a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil; then keep stirring
Let the mixture boil for about 1 minute
Remove the mixture from the heat; then pour it in the blender over the cheese and blend for very well
Pour the cream cheese in a around dish that is spread with non-stick spray
Place the dish in the refrigerator; then remove from the bowl
Serve and enjoy your cheese!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 70, Fat: 3.5g, Carbohydrates: 6.7g, Protein: 3.9g, Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g
Recipe 2: Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
(Prep time: 4 Minutes|Cook Time: 8 Minutes| Servings: 4)
Ingredients:
• 1 Cup of Cashew Nuts
• 2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Crushed garlic clove
• 1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon Juice
• 1 Pinch of Sea Salt
• 1 Pinch of Black Pepper
• 5 Tablespoons of water
Directions:
Add the cashew nuts, the nutritional yeast, the crushed garlic and the lemon juice to a blender jug.
Add in the sea salt and the black pepper; then measure out the quantity of water that you need and pour it in.
Blend your ingredients until it becomes very creamy and smooth
If you want t he cheese to be thicker; you should use less water and for a thinner salad; you can rather use more water
Serve and enjoy your delicious cheese over baked potato, with vegetables or with your favourite pasta
Nutrition Information
Calories: 217, Fat: 16.5g, Carbohydrates: 12.3g, Protein: 7.9g, Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g
Recipe 3: Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
(Prep time: 10 Minutes|Cook Time: 10 Minutes| Servings: 5)
Ingredients:
• ½ Cup of organic raw cashews
• 1 Tablespoon of squeezed Lemon Juice
• ¼ Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon of Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Tablespoons of Agar Agar Powder
• 2 Tablespoon of Tapioca Starch
• 1 Teaspoon of Tahini
• 1 Teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 Cup of refined organic coconut oil
• 1 and 2/3 cups of water
Directions:
Add all your ingredients to the blender and blend everything together until it becomes smooth.
Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil and keep stirring very well
When the vegan mozzarella starts bubbling onto the sides, stir for about 2 minutes
Remove the vegan mozzarella cheese from the heat; then pour it into 3 ramekins sprayed with cooking spray
Place the vegan mozzarella cheese in the refrigerator for about 1 hour
Scoop the vegan mozzarella cheese into balls with an ice cream scoop
Serve and enjoy your cheese!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 53, Fat: 3.8g, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 2g, Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
Recipe 4: Vegan Gouda Cheese
(Prep time: 8 Minutes|Cook Time: 15 Minutes| Servings: 4-5)
Ingredients:
• ½ Cup of organic cashews, rinsed with hot water
• ¼ Cup of organic refined coconut oil
• ¼ Cup of tapioca flour
• 1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of vegan, non-GMO Kappa Carrageenan
• 1 tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon of sea Salt scant
• 1 Teaspoon of seasoned Salt
• 1 an ½ teaspoons of organic onion powder
• ½ teaspoons of organic garlic powder
• 1 Teaspoons of organic hickory smoke seasoning
• 1 and ½ cups of boiled water
Directions
Prepare a heat-proof dish
Rinse the cashews under hot water for a few minutes
Pour the water into a small pot on top of the stove and let boil
Add your ingredients except for the water to a blender; then add in the cashews; then add the rest of the ingredients over the top
Add the boiling hot water to your blender; then cover with a lid and blend until everything becomes smooth
Transfer the cheese to a dish or mould of your choice and you will notice the cheese starting to solidify quickly
Place the cheese in the refrigerator and let chill for about 2 to 3 hours
Remove the cheese block from the dish or mould and wrap it into paper towels; then place it tightly in a plastic wrap
Nutrition Information
Calories: 97, Fat: 8g, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1.8g, Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Note:
If you prefer to buy gourmet cheese opposed to chefin’ it up, you want to choose the best type of vegan cheese that can satisfy your buds; here are a few tips that can help you make the right choice.
First start by checking the color of the cheese; the cheese should be consistent and of a yellowish color
Check the texture of the cheese; it mustn’t be dry or cracked, or uneven too
Check the flavour of the cheese very well by rolling a piece of cheese in your mouth so that you can feel the flavour of cheese fully in your mouth
The softer the cheese, the shorter its lifespan; so you should pay attention to that.
Experiment!