Veggie cheese

[Katia]

Hi Shelley,
Are those veggie cheeses healthy?

Thank you

[shelley]

sorry, but what exactly do you mean? Do you mean those spreadable cheeses with herbs and veggies for flavoring?

[Katia]

Sorry I didn't make my self clear
I'm talking about those vegan "cheeses." The ones that are not dairy.

[shelley]

OH! okay, you mean soy cheese. Soy is not really a vegetable so I got confused.

Well, there are worse things you can do to your body, but soy cheese is not a great idea. Some of the cheeses use canola oil because they bought into the propaganda that canola oil is healthy - which couldn't be more wrong.

Soy itself is not all that healthy, and if the cheese isn't made from a fermented soy product (tofu) rather than just regular soybeans, then it's even worse. Check the FAQ for a list of things you might think are healthy but are not. I think I put it in Diet Management.

They usually use carageenen as a thickener/stabilizer. It's a type of seaweed and people with IBS or Crohns really need to avoid it.

I found one version at the health food store that actually tasted okay, a pseudo pepper jack. Not bad, but not addictive!

[Katia]

Ouch! I didn't know they were made from soy. Glad I asked