This article looks at the nutritional value of vegan cheese
What’s the deal?
It’s January and many people will be looking to shed some festive weight by trying a vegan diet. Dairy cheese, however, is a common (and delicious) staple for many non-vegans. As such, there is now a demand for plant-based alternatives, but how nutritious are they?
What did they do?
Researchers assessed the nutritional content in a range of cheeses available in supermarkets by performing database and online searches. Generic dairy cheese was compared to a number of different plant-based cheese alternatives (either coconut oil-based, cashew nut-based, or tofu-based).
What happened?
Coconut oil-based alternatives were the most common type of vegan cheese, but were the least nutritious due to added sugar and almost zero protein compared to dairy cheese. Cashew nut-based alternatives also had added sugar and less protein than dairy cheese, but had less “unhealthy” saturated fats and less salt. Tofu-based alternatives had the least fats overall (both saturated and unsaturated), but were zero sugar and had a similar amount of protein to dairy cheese, making them a more nutritious alternative.
What can you tell me about the cheese?
All products were captured using search terms such as “plant-based cheese” and “vegan cheese”. There were 34 coconut oil-based alternatives, 4 cashew nut-based alternatives, and 2 tofu-based alternatives found.
What else should I know?
Tofu-based alternatives are uncommon and are only just emerging. New and better products are being launched constantly and it’s only a matter of time before vegan cheese is just as nutritious and healthy as dairy cheese, if not more so. It is important to remember that fats on the whole are not bad for you and are required as part of a healthy diet. It is saturated fats which give fats a bad name, since an excess can lead to elevated cholesterol and heart problems. Conversely, unsaturated fats e.g. from nuts and oily fish are regarded as “healthy” fats.
What will I do differently?
An intermittent low tolerance to lactose has led me to trying dairy alternatives in the past. I tried two brands of vegan cheese (as well as one time on a pizza) and was bitterly disappointed in terms of flavour and texture. I’ve since settled on lactose-free dairy cheese, which tastes delicious and is good friends with my gut!
Acknowledgements
This research was published in September 2021 by U Fresán from Instituto de Salud Global Barcelona, Spain and by nutritionist H Rippin from Cumbria, UK.
This article highlights our personal take on their research, but there is so much more information available! Check it out here and see what you think!
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