Day 82 -- To Cheese Or Not To Cheese, That Is The Question . . .

Why am I so obsessed with cheese?  It's the one food that plagues my mind as a newly-minted vegan.  It's the most important ingredient in so many of the foods I love -- pizza, mac and cheese, numerous casseroles including my favorite hash brown potato casserole.  And it plays a valued role on the sub sandwich right alongside the meat.  The problem is, there's nothing to replace it on the vegan side of the aisle, at least I don't think there is.

When I was grocery shopping earlier in the week and happened upon vegan shredded "cheese".  As an impulse buy, I tossed it in my cart.  Now, it's sitting in my refrigerator, like a ticking time bomb, and I'm not sure what to do with it.  I've pretty much convinced myself that it isn't going to taste anything like real cheese, so why even bother trying it?  But I did waste almost five dollars on the bag, so I really should make an attempt, right?  But everything I've read warns me off -- vegan "cheese" is just not worth eating.

Added to the taste issue is the fat issue.  Vegan "cheese" doesn't mean low-fat cheese.  Yes, it is lower is cholesterol, but the fat content is still pretty high.  So that's another reason I shouldn't eat it.  And then there's the little label on the bag that says "Melts and stretches!"  Now, I'm smart enough to know that the reason cheese melts and stretches is because of its fat content.  Low-fat dairy cheese just kind of sits there like a blob.  So what have they had to do to soy to get it to melt and stretch???

One ounce of dairy cheddar cheese is 100 calories with 8.1 grams of fat and 21 mg of cholesterol.  The vegan substitute has 90 calories per ounce with 6 grams of fat and no cholesterol.   From a calorie standpoint, there really isn't a substantial difference.  And this is where the "why bother" attitude comes in.  My attitudes about my veganism are not rooted in moral and ethical beliefs, especially when it comes to dairy and honey.

For now, the cheese is going to sit in the fridge.  Luckily, it also freezes, so when I grow tired of seeing it in the fridge, I can move it to a dark corner of the freezer.  Maybe I'll just leave it there for the whole 365 days as a reminder to myself that there are things that I have to sacrifice for my health and well-being.  Cheese is one them, I guess.