What's in Your Cheese?
By Michael Keevican
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It's getting easier to find vegetarian, even vegan,
alternatives to products like burgers, milks, and sausage, and now even cheeses
are available in vegetarian and vegan varieties. Many vegetarians don't
consider that some of the cheeses they are eating could actually contain
unfamiliar animal ingredients. That's right cheese, a common staple in many
vegetarian diets, is often made with rennet or rennin, which is used to
coagulate the dairy product.
According to the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and
Technology, rennin, which is an enzyme used in coagulating cheese, is obtained
from milk-fed calves. "After butchering, the fourth stomach...is removed
and freed of its food content." After this the stomach goes through
several steps including being dry-salted, washed, scraped to remove surface
fat, stretched onto racks where moisture is removed, then finally ground and
mixed with a salt solution until the rennin is extracted.
So what are your options if you want to continue eating
cheese and remain vegetarian? There are quite a few possibilities. The
companies listed below make either all or some of their cheeses with
alternatives to rennet or rennin. Microbial enzymes, or vegetable enzymes,
which are neither vegetable, nor animal, but are microbes, are now used by
several smaller cheese producers for many, if not all, of their cheeses. Most
of these companies are smaller and make gourmet-style cheeses, although some
larger companies do have vegetarian selections. At this time many of the larger
cheese producing companies we contacted cannot guarantee that their cheeses are
made without rennet. They often use a mixture of microbial enzymes and rennet.
One way to guarantee that you're getting a vegetarian
cheese is to choose one from the "Soy Cheeses/Cheese Alternatives"
section. Many of these cheeses are even vegan. Although it may seem like they
would all be vegan, since many are called "non-dairy," they are not.
In most soy cheeses on the market at this time you will find an ingredient
called casein or calcium caseinate, which is a milk
protein used to give texture to cheeses. Several of the companies listed that
make cheese alternatives, produce both vegan and vegetarian cheeses, and these
are clearly defined.
Are you getting enough calcium from cheese alternatives?
While a serving of many of the cheese alternatives supplies between 10 to 25
percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium, which is
currently 800 milligrams a day for adults 25 and over, you can add to your
calcium intake with several vegan foods. Four ounces of tofu processed with
calcium sulfate provides between 250 and 756 milligrams of calcium, thus almost
meeting the RDA. Other foods high in calcium include collard greens, spinach,
soybeans, tahini, almonds, and broccoli. As with
dairy products, some of these high calcium foods (nuts and nut butters) tend to
be higher in fat, so use sparingly.
Even in larger cities the selection of vegetarian cheeses
and cheese alternatives is limited, but you do have other options. Some
vegetarian cookbooks include recipes for "cheezes,"
commonly made from tofu, nuts, or milk alternatives. Two of the most
"famous" cheese alternative cookbooks are The New Farm Vegetarian
Cookbook, edited by Hagler and Bates, which includes
recipes like macaroni and "cheese" casserole and Richard's yogurt
"cheese" and The Uncheese Cookbook, by Stepaniak, with unusual creations like vegan Gouda and
Brie! Both of these books are available from The Vegetarian Resource Group.
Whether you want to continue to eat dairy products or are
looking for vegan cheeses, there is a wide selection. The key like many other
aspects of a vegetarian diet is to read labels and ask questions. If you are
not sure whether the cheese you enjoy is vegetarian, and it's not on our list,
try contacting the company and let us know the results so we can include your
information in updates.
Soy
Cheeses/Cheese Alternatives
Many of these cheese
alternatives are vegan. If looking for a vegan cheese, be sure it is free of
casein or calcium caseinate, a milk protein commonly
used in soy cheeses for texture.
Better Than Cream Cheese
and Better Than Sour Cream
Tofutti Brands, Inc.,
NuTofu
Cemac Foods Corp.,
Soy A
Melt
White Wave Soyfoods, Inc.,
Soya Kaas
American Natural Snacks,
Soyco and Soymage
Galaxy Foods, 2441 Viscount Row,
Tofu
Cream Chie
21st Century Foods, Inc.; (617) 522-7595.
They offer a non-dairy soy spread similar to cream cheese.
Vegan,
Tofu, Hemp, Zero-Fat and Almond Rellas
Sharon's Finest,
NUTRITIONAL
YEAST "CHEESE"
from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook
1/2 cup nutritional
yeast flakes*
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
1/4 cup margarine
1 tsp wet mustard
Mix dry ingredients in
saucepan. Whisk in water. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens
and bubbles. Cook 30 seconds, then remove from heat, whip in margarine and
mustard. It will thicken as it cools, but will thin when heated, or when water
is added. Makes 3 cups.
Note: If you'd like to
lower the fat content of this recipe, use a tablespoon of margarine. This works
just as well. It can also be prepared without using any margarine at all.
Variation: For a richer stretchier sauce that's good on pizza, substitute for the
flour: 1/4 cup cornstarch and 2 Tbsp Flour. Instead of margarine, whip in 1/2
cup of oil after it cooks, and add as much as 1 cup of water at the end, or as
needed to make a thick, smooth sauce that pours easily. Pour it on pizza and
for the last few minutes of baking, put pizza under broiler for a few minutes
to form a stretchy, golden brown speckled skin.
*Nutritional Yeast comes
in both flakes and powdered form. The information and recipes included here
pertain to nutritional yeast flakes. They have a yellow or gold color, and make
a tasty topping for vegetables, salads and popcorn, and can be used to make
many delicious gravies, casseroles and sauces. Nutritional yeast flakes can be
found in many health food stores or ordered through the mail. They are
available through the Mail Order Catalog, PO Box 180, Summertown, TN 38483,
800- 695-2241; or Walnut Acres, Penns Creek, PA
17862, 800-433- 3998.
Nutritional yeast is
often cited as containing vitamin B12, although there is some controversy as to
how much of it the body can use. We do know that at least one type, Red Star
T6635, has been tested and is shown to be a reliable source of active vitamin
B12. The nutritional yeast flakes available from both The Mail Order Catalog
and Walnut Acres are the Red Star T6635 type. Apparently, the powdered form
from Walnut Acres is Red Star NBC 600 which is not a good source of vitamin
B12.
MACARONI AND
"CHEESE" CASSEROLE
from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook
Cook 3-1/2 cups elbow
macaroni. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup margarine over low heat. Beat in 1/2 cup
flour with a wire whisk and continue to beat over a medium flame until the
mixture (called a roux) is smooth and bubbly. Whip in 3-1/2 cups boiling water,
1-1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of
turmeric, beating well. The sauce should cook until it thickens and bubbles.
Then whip in 1/4 cup oil and 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes.
Mix part of the sauce
with the noodles and put in casserole dish, and pour a generous amount of sauce
on top. Sprinkle top with paprika, and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree
oven. Put in broiler for a few minutes until "cheese" sauce gets
stretchy and crisp. Serves 5.
Total calories per
serving: 585
Percent of calories from fat: 46%
MAPLE CHEESECAKE
from Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler
Have your favorite
8-inch pie shell ready. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend in a food
processor or blender until smooth and creamy:
1-1/2 lbs. tofu
3 Tablespoons oil
1-1/3 cups maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Pour this mixture into
an unbaked pie shell. Bake for 1 hour until set. Serve cold. Serves
6.
Total calories per
serving: 445
Percent of calories from fat: 42%
This
article originally appeared in the Vegetarian Journal, published by:
The
Vegetarian Resource Group
Phone: (410) 366-8343
E-mail: [email protected]
About the Vegetarian
Resource Group (VRG).
Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthy changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, contributions, and book sales. Click here for more details on VRG.