Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Cheese Alternatives & Non-Dairy Yogurt
By Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.Walk into a natural foods restaurant today and you're likely to see a choice such as Veggie Burger with Cheddar or Soy Cheese on the menu. What is this soy cheese? Is it better for you than Cheddar cheese? Is it an acceptable alternative for vegans? What about substitutes for other dairy products like cream cheese and yogurt? How do they rate?
Actually, the name used on the package of these cheese substitutes is not soy cheese at all but cheese alternative. Cheese alternative is a loosely defined term. Most, but not all, are made from tofu. At least one brand, Almond Rella, uses almond milk to replace cow's milk.
At first glance, cheese alternatives would appear to be vegan products. However, careful label reading reveals that casein (or calcium caseinate) is on the ingredient list of many of these products. Casein is a protein derived from cow's milk. It is added to most cheese alternatives to make them stretchy when melted, like cheese. Since casein is derived from cow's milk, most cheese alternatives are not acceptable to vegans. The only product on the market today which appears to be casein-free is Soymage, made by Galaxy Foods.
It's hard to tell just whom these cheese alternatives were developed for. Most lacto-ovo vegetarians eat cheese made from cow's milk (perhaps made with vegetable rennet; for more information see Vegetarian Journal reprint "Rennetless Cheese" available in our catalog on page 34). Cheeses containing casein are not acceptable to vegans and, while some cheeses are kosher, they are still considered a dairy product. A company spokesperson for one manufacturer said they see their market as those who want to avoid cholesterol and lactose. Most cheeses are not that high in cholesterol (15-30 milligrams in an ounce) and the fat content of many cheese alternatives keeps them from being heart-healthy products. Many people who are lactose intolerant are able to eat hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss without any problems, since much of the lactose is removed in the cheese-making process. Perhaps people buy soy cheeses because they think soy products are healthier.
Are these products actually any healthier than cheese? Yes and no. Table 1 shows the nutrient content of some cheese alternatives compared to cheeses made of cow's milk. The American and Cheddar styles are lower in fat than Cheddar cheese made of cow's milk, and some are as low or lower in fat than reduced-fat American cheese. Mozzarella-style cheese alternatives do not fare as well. Only three, Lite'n' Free, Almond Rella and White Wave Fat Free Soy A Melt are lower in fat than part-skim mozzarella cheese. The cheese alternatives are lower in saturated fat than cheeses made from cow's milk. No cheese alternatives which we found contained any cholesterol. The sodium content of the mozzarella-style cheese alternatives was higher than that of mozzarella cheese made out of cow's milk. The American and Cheddar-style cheese alternatives were generally close to Cheddar cheese made of cow's milk in terms of sodium content.
Protein content of the cheese alternatives was similar to mozzarella and Cheddar cheese except for Soymage which was low in protein and high in fat. Many cheese alternatives are good sources of calcium; in some cases (Soymage, Lite'n'Less Mozzarella-style, Lite'n' Free, Almond Rella, White Wave Fat Free Soy A Melt, and Zero-Fat Rella) they are even higher in calcium than cheese made from cow's milk.
Taste-wise, the cheese alternatives which I tried were acceptable but not great. They tended to have a bland taste with a faintly sweet after-taste. The mozzarella-style cheese alternatives tasted more like mozzarella, while the Cheddar and American-styles bore little resemblance to Cheddar or American cheese. The cheese alternatives would probably be acceptable in a dish where the texture of cheese is needed but the taste is not that important. All the products I tried which contained casein melted like cheese. Soymage, which does not contain casein, did not melt well and formed an unappetizing rubbery puddle when melted. (Note: When grated and added, for example, to cooked beans, Soymage does melt.)
Cheese alternatives are not cheap. They cost $6 to $7 per pound at natural food stores in Baltimore. I examined only Cheddar, American, and mozzarella-style cheese alternatives. Other flavors include Monterey Jack, jalapeno, garlic herb, Swiss, and Parmesan.
Cream cheese, whether made from cow's milk or tofu, is a high-fat product. As Table 1 shows, only Nu Tofu's Cream Cheese Alternative is lower in fat than low-fat cream cheese made of cow's milk. The cream cheese alternatives are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than cream cheese made from cow's milk. All the cream cheese alternatives which we found, except for Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese, contained casein.
The only non-dairy yogurt which I found in Baltimore was White Wave's Dairyless Soy Yogurt. It comes in raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, peach, vanilla, lemon-kiwi, and apricot-mango flavors and is available plain in a quart-size package. All the flavored, dairyless soy yogurts are similar in fat to low-fat yogurt. The plain soy yogurt is closer to regular yogurt in terms of fat content. The soy yogurts are not very good sources of calcium (only 40 milligrams in a 6-ounce serving). All are sweetened with brown rice syrup; the fruit flavors also contain grape juice concentrate. None contain casein or any other animal-derived products. I think their taste is quite acceptable.
As the demand for alternatives to dairy products grows, we hope that a truly dairyless cheese will be developed that will melt well, taste good, be low in fat and sodium, and be competitively priced. In the meantime, if you choose to use one of the cheese alternatives, look for one which is low in fat and use it in limited amounts.
(Editors Note: Several companies have told us that they are trying to develop a good-tasting, healthier vegan cheese. As we go to press Sharon's Finest, after seven years of research, has just released a new vegan cheese called Vegan Rella. We had an opportunity to taste the cheese and found it to be a big improvement over Soymage. Vegan Rella contains organic Brazil nut milk, tapioca, rice, oats, canola oil, Irish moss, garlic, spices, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, citric acid, and salt. It is available in hard cheese form, as well as cream cheese. The hard cheese comes in two flavors: Mexican and Italian. The cream cheese is either plain or onion and dill flavor. Look for these products in your local health food store.)
A review of salad dressings will appear in the January/February, 1994, Vegetarian Journal.
Table 1. Cheese Alternatives
Mozzarella-Style (1 ounce) Calories Fat(g) Sodium(mg) Almond Rella* 50 1 170 Lite'n' Free* 30 0 140 Lite'n'Less* 93 7 185 Soya Kaas* 70 5 190 Soymage 80 7 140 White Wave Soy A Melt* 80 5 170 White Wave Fat Free* 50 <1 370 Cow's Milk Mozzarella* 80 6 106 Part Skim Cow's Milk Mozzarella* 72 4 132 American/Cheddar-Style (1 ounce) Calories Fat(g) Sodium(mg) Lite'n' Free Cheddar* 30 0 170 Lite'n'Less American* 80 5 190 Nu Tofu Low Sodium Cheddar* 70 4 55 Nu Tofu Cheddar* 70 4 160 Soya Kaas Mild American Cheddar* 80 4 250 Soymage Cheddar 80 7 170 White Wave Cheddar Soy A Melt* 80 5 170 White Wave Fat Free Cheddar* 40 <1 370 Zero-Fat Rella California Cheddar* 45 0 170 Cow's Milk Cheddar* 114 9 176 Low Fat Cow's Milk American* 73 4 411 Cream Cheese (2 tablespoons) Calories Fat(g) Sodium(mg) Lite'n'Less* 70 7 95 Nu Tofu* 50 4 45 Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese 80 8 135 Cow's Milk Cream Cheese* 99 10 84 Low Fat Cow's Milk Cream Cheese* 62 5 160*Contains casein, a cow's milk derivative
Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D., is a nutrition advisor for The Vegetarian Resource Group. She is also Chair Vegetarian Nutrition, a dietetic practice group of The American Dietetic Association.
