I have recently become a vegetarian. I intended to stay that way, but after doing some reading, I am trying to make the transition to vegan. I really have no problem giving up meat, eggs, and milk. My problem is CHEESE! Does anyone know of any "fake" cheese that actually tastes good. I have tried one and it was awful!!

You might like THESE (http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/cheesy.html)

deb..this is the Holy Grail of veganism for some..cheeze that tastes cheese. :D

Can you give us an idea of what kind of cheese dishes you are missing/craving. There are some popular substitutes passed around here, but they vary based on what you're looking for.

Mainly I need some type of shredded cheese that actually tastes like cheese. I absolutely loves salads, and like shredded cheese on them. Also on tacos, burritos, etc..

Everytime I see a thread about cheese, I could just cry. Anyway, the only substitute I find even remotely edible is Tofutti slices. But I wouldnt exactly call them good. :( I miss cheese. :( But it's totally worth it! :)

i loves the veganrella mozerella kind, i could eat a whole block plain. but not the chedder, thats nasty!!! and instead of chreese packets, i think tofutti sour cream mixed with lots of vegan parmesan is far superior to anything. the perfect creamy cheese for everything.

Tofutti sour cream and cream cheese rock!

advocados are good on sandwiches, and vegan rella, which I buy at my larger health food stores, is great. There are two flavors, and it melts well. It tasts better melted, btw.

i like to shred the block uncheeses from "the ultimate uncheese cookbook". they rock in soo many ways! try em!

Avocado is sometimes recommended to get that "cheese" flavor in salads or grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm not sure about grated "cheeze" though :( Vegan Gourmet is highly recommended around these parts..perhaps the cheddar flavor of that could be shredded up.

For me, I've not found anything that remotely tastes like cheese. I have found somethings that come close when "in" something. That is, they taste gross if you just eat them plain, but they make a good ingredient. Toffuti slices in grilled cheese and this stuff: https://secure3.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?CS=vegane&RowID=1267&All= on pasta.

The good news is that my cheese cravings seem (after playing at veganism for some 2+ years) to be fading. It still sounds appetizing, but I'm past the "I'd sell my soul to the devil for a Cheezit" phase.

I was very discouraged by all the block cheese substitutes I encountered, so I just learned how to make a bunch of new things that didn't need to be cheesy. I still eat mexican-style food, and just load up on salsa and forget about making it cheesy. I never thought I'd say this, but life really isn't too bad without cheese. :)

Trader Joes has great soy cheese! We will buy and use it even though we are ovo-lacto.

Trader Joes has great soy cheese! We will buy and use it even though we are ovo-lacto.
It's not vegan though, it contains casein.

My personal vegan cheese substitute is vegan gourmet mozarella. I also make quite a few recipes from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbookby Joanne Stepaniak.

vegan gourmet mozerella isn't bad. Only one I've tried, I may buy it again. I had my brother try it, he siad it tasted like cheese

Woops...What is the point of non-vegan soy cheese? A black eye for my favorite grocery store, not good.

<-----thinks he needs to stay away from recommending vegan food.

Woops...What is the point of non-vegan soy cheese? A black eye for my favorite grocery store, not good.
I always wondered that too. Casein is actually one of the worst (health-wise) components of cheese so if you eat soy for health reasons, why would you go for a non-vegan soy cheese and if you care about animals and are avoiding dairy, soy cheese with casein still involves exploitation. It doesn't make any sense.

Woops...What is the point of non-vegan soy cheese? A black eye for my favorite grocery store, not good.

They're mainly marketed to lactose-intolerant people.

Loading up a baked potato with margarine (OK, not healthy, but whatever) and then sprinkling it with nutritional yeast has a pleasant cheesy-ness to me. Start with very little nutritional yeast and then increase the amount as your tastes change.

Maybe I will just suck it up and decide to give up on cheese. I do love salsa, and pico, and all that stuff. So maybe I will just not notice there is no cheese....

You'll notice. :) But eventually it won't matter anymore.

You'll notice. :) But eventually it won't matter anymore.

Man, I hope this happens to me soon!

Man, I hope this happens to me soon!


Make sure you add other things to your food rotation that have nothing to do with cheese, rather than just eat all of your old favorites without cheese. :)