If you're looking to give up cheese, that question might be better answered in the transitioning vegan thread (seriously, they don't bite there!).

For me, meat was the biggest emotional reason and still is.


Not all cheese has rennet in it, so if it's just the rennet you're avoiding, then it's just a matter of habit. The amount of vegetarian cheeses are growing, from what I've seen.

As for giving up something I really like and enjoy, well....I think it's there in what you've said.

I really liked eating animals and I enjoyed being someone who ate animals. But those aren't reasons to do something. There are lots of things we do, or don't do, because even though we would enjoy doing them they would cause someone else pain or discomfort.


You don't have to see animals dying in order to stop doing something, not over and over again anyway. Instead, look on your purchases as your 'vote' for what you want the world to be, look at it not as giving something up, but as gaining more control over how you live. I think one of the best motivators for me, when I first went veg, was the knowledge that I didn't have to be linked to a cruel system. I got to have a say in the matter!

Good luck.

 

I was never a huge fan of cheese (can't stand even the smell of it) but the one thing that was hard for me to give up was Greek yogurt. I experimented and found that tofu pudding or creamy banana smoothies helped fill that void. I also sat down and made a list of foods that I already enjoyed that were plant based and focused on those more, while branching out and discovering new foods. I never had a mango in my life until I became vegan. Crazy huh? Now I LOVE them.

Some grab and go snacks I like to have on hand are:
roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
almonds
hummus with raw veggies or homemade yeast bread slices
energy and protein bars (I make a bunch of my own and stick them in the freezer individually wrapped so I have them on hand the next few weeks)
fresh fruits like apples, pears, peaches, berries, kiwi, bananas, plums, grapes
granola
tortillas with dollup of peanut butter or nut butter wrapped up in them
dates, dried fruits

 

Yeah, I would be open to striving towards vegan but that would be a bit more of a difficult undertaking. For now my goal is to avoid animal rennet as well as gelatin which I find easier. I am happy that I decided to make this change in my life but wow...I wish I knew more people who feel and believe similarly to myself. The social support aspect is a bit rough, so it is great that a forum like this exists.

I am pretty nerdy in the realm of human behavior. I have a psych background. With meat, it makes sense because it is more salient in eliciting thoughts about animal suffering because well- it is the flesh of an animal. With the whole concept of human behavior being linked to consumer demand it makes sense logically but I wish I could get a stronger feeling of making an impact where you can directly see how the work you have contributed makes a difference in the end. Educating myself more on topics related to food helps the most. There are substitutions out there- animal rennet free cheese but the thing that bothers me is that often times many places where I eat may not know if there cheese is rennet free. Of course I can do my own research, but with school I am pretty bogged down with finding a balance in life between work, school, play, and health. It is just a lot to take on.

For now I could just make the goal to eat less cheese at school and such. The difficult thing is that I have a lot of goals that I am working on simultaneously (not meat <-pretty easy, no cigarettes <--minor relaspe over the summer, and to exercise more <--a bit harder). I see them as all important so I dislike the idea of one goal at a time.

I would like to get involved in some type of activism but I am unsure what would be a good fit for me. At this point, it is a matter of time. Writing a thesis plus an internship, plus and assistantship, and my new dog is challenging.

But! Very happy to meet others here who are inspiring.

 

Not all cheeses have animal rennet, so you don't have to give them up. Is there a Trader Joe's near you? They sell cheeses made from microbial and vegetable rennet, in addition to animal. The type of rennet used is listed in the ingredients. Cabot brand cheese tends to be a bit pricier, but you can usually find it in a normal grocery, and they use microbial rennet, except in their processed American slices.

If you like fresh cheese, you can make your own paneer; it's easy to make, vegetarian, and usually curdled with lemon juice or vinegar.

http://www.traderjoes.com/guides/rennet-test.asp
http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/about_us/faqs.php
http://nishamadhulika.com/en/294-how-to-make-chhena-paneer.html

 

Here's an updated list of brands that are/aren't vegetarian:
http://cheese.joyousliving.com/CheeseListBrand.aspx

I know what you mean about dairy being such a disconnect. I also LOVE cheese, and the more I learned about the process of even the better dairy farms the more I knew I had to quit. You're right, focusing on the suffering can really mess you up, but there are other ways to wean yourself off- your own general well being is one of them! I'm not lactose intolerant in the usual sense, but have found it caused a lot of congestion.
Daiya is a great vegan sub for grilled cheeses. I swear it's the same as American cheese slices.
Mushrooms, olives, artichokes, marinated tofu, vegan mayo, and nutritional yeast things all have that fatty, salty, umani quality that cheese has.
I would put it right up there with quitting cigarettes. With cigs I thought of my kids. With dairy, I think of calves.
Actually when I rescued a pregnant cat that had 6 kittens was the most help.

Welcome!

 

I am aware that there is cheese that does not use animal rennet. Makes me feel happy to buy rennet free cheese. My concern is with going out to eat or eating at school. I can attempt to look it up, but by using the almighty power of google I have found that the answer is not always that clear. For example, I didn't find information about whether or not Starbucks cheddar cheese is rennet free. I think I would have to e-mail them. With my university...maybe they would have information on that...might take some digging.

Ultimately it comes down to how much energy I am willing to expend to research what places serve rennet free cheese I guess. Sigh.

Perhaps this weekend I will be adventurous and break my daiya virginity.

 

The cows suffer whether or not there is rennet in the cheese. You said it, it is an addiction. It was the hardest thing for me to give up also. I went cold turkey and now have no desire at all to eat it. I realised what a hold it had on me, I didn't want to live my life like that.
You either eat it or you don't , it is a decision that becomes natural.
I found it mentally as problematic as I did years ago when I gave up smoking.

 

When I was vegetarian I actually thought to myself I couldn't give up cheese. I loooved cheese! Now a vegan I don't miss cheese at all but if I did crave it I'd just get some vegan cheese. Job done. NOTHING, no peice of food is ever worth suffering of another person. Besides going cheese free actually will be easier for you as you won't need to find out what type of cheese they use when you are out etc.

Or just keep some rennet free cheese at home and go cheese free when you are out, it will probably help you to crack the addiction too that way.

It's great you are considering activism too.

Hi by the way

 

Activism is probably scarier to me, than saying no to food

But, you're in a good place to do it! I wish I'd gone veg while I was still at Uni. I think it's much easier to find those groups there,than once you're out and about in the "real world". So, please, take a chance I didn't get to and just see if there's a group on campus!

 

In a perfect world cows would produce milk, people would use it, and it wouldn't involve suffering. But, with the state of farming as is that is not the case. I don't purchase milk or eggs. However, I do eat food containing milk and eggs. As I have been learning more about food production, I have found there is a lot of "grey" areas. But, that is a very in-depth discussion that is a bit much to get into at the moment.

Something that is commonly overlooked is individual differences. I don't believe that decision making is purely logic alone. Decisions are influenced by many factors such as feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and traits. So, to say that making a decision to behave in one way is simple and logical oversimplifies things. An example of this could be someone's openness to change, feelings of empathy, or impulsivity. Everyone is different, and although I am emotionally attached to my ideals I can't expect everyone to act the same as me. However, I think that we can inspire others to make different positive changes in their life which as a group makes a positive impact. Over time, I do believe that it could become a cultural change which is nice to think about.

I doubt I would join a group on campus, although it could be worth a shot. My goal would be to find an organization that is strategic as to how they plan to educate others about animal welfare. I think that is more likely to happen after I graduate.

 

In a perfect world cows would produce milk, people would use it, and it wouldn't involve suffering. But, with the state of farming as is that is not the case. I don't purchase milk or eggs. However, I do eat food containing milk and eggs. As I have been learning more about food production, I have found there is a lot of "grey" areas. But, that is a very in-depth discussion that is a bit much to get into at the moment.

Something that is commonly overlooked is individual differences. I don't believe that decision making is purely logic alone. Decisions are influenced by many factors such as feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and traits. So, to say that making a decision to behave in one way is simple and logical oversimplifies things. An example of this could be someone's openness to change, feelings of empathy, or impulsivity. Everyone is different, and although I am emotionally attached to my ideals I can't expect everyone to act the same as me. However, I think that we can inspire others to make different positive changes in their life which as a group makes a positive impact. Over time, I do believe that it could become a cultural change which is nice to think about.

I doubt I would join a group on campus, although it could be worth a shot. My goal would be to find an organization that is strategic as to how they plan to educate others about animal welfare. I think that is more likely to happen after I graduate.

Or, you could find a group on campus and maybe show them how to be strategic about how they plan to educate people about animals?

I might have already recommended these books to you before, but Change of Heart and Veganomics are so wonderful. They've helped me in my personal interactions as an activist and I could definitely see myself employing those tools in an organisation as well.

If ever you're ready for the in depth discussions on here, I definitely recommend The Compost Heap. It gets heated there, but some wonderful discussions and insights are had.

 

I found a few Goat cheese items from Montclaire brand made with vigital enzymes for vegetarians.

 

Yeah, my past experience has been that groups on campus are not the most organized and are more focused on the social aspect which is fine. At the moment I am too time crunched to really be a part of something and I would prefer to be lead rather than be the leader. I am sure that when the right thing comes along I will know. I appreciate the feedback and book reccomendations.