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Does your favorite soy cheese contain dairy products? Many of them do.

Why do people buy soy cheese?  Some want a food that will help them lose weight or reduce their cholesterol levels. Some people have allergies. And of course vegans don't want to use any animal products.



We will compare a few brands to see which are the best for weight loss and over all health. Here is a short course in reading nutrition labels.

Soya Kaas
Soya Kaas soy cheese


From the front of the package, this soy cheese sounds good. It contains no lactose, cholesterol, or hydrogenated oil, It is low in saturated fat. Ignore these advertisements and read the nutrition label on the back.
 


Soya Kaas label
  • This soy cheese contains 25 fat calories in a 40-calorie serving. That is 25/40 or 62% fat: definitely not good for weight loss.


  • Check the sodium content. The 40-calorie serving contains 185 mg of sodium. That is way too high. It should be 40 mg or less.

  • What about the the calorie density? It is 40/19 or 2.1 calories per gram. That is the same as 60 calories per ounce. The calorie density is too high for our weight loss program. Read this to learn more about calorie density and the best low calorie foods.

  • The fine print at the bottom of the label says it is not a significant source of dietary fiber. So there is less than 1/2 gram of fiber.
Soya Kaas ingredients
Even though we have basically rejected this as a weight loss food, let's review the list of ingredients:

  • The second ingredient is caseinate, a milk protein. In fact, 87% of the protein in milk is casein. This cheese is definitely not vegan.

    • Casein is the main protein in cows' milk. It accounts for 87% of milk protein. Many companies put casein in soy cheese to make the cheese melt. Casein is not healthful. In the landmark nutrition book The China Study, T. Colin Campbell describes his research linking casein with liver cancer. Casein also raises cholesterol levels.

  • This product also contains soy oil. Like all other oils, soy oil is a processed food with an extremely high calorie density. Click here to learn why all oils are unhealthy foods.

  • Natural flavors are always suspicious. Soy lecithin is basically another type of added fat. The other ingredients may be harmless, but we have enough reasons to look for a better product.

Galaxy Vegan Cheddar
Vegan soy cheese

This cheese says "vegan" in big letters, so there shouldn't be any casein in it. 




vegan soy cheese label

  • There are 20 fat calories in a 45-calorie serving. That means 20/45 or 44% fat. It is not a good product for weight loss.

  • There are 160 mg sodium in a 45-calorie serving. That is too much sodium. We want to see 45 mg or less.

  • The calorie density is 45/1, or 45 calories per ounce. That is more than our weight loss goal of 35 but not that bad for "cheese."

  • A serving contains no fiber.






soy cheese ingredientsWhat about the ingredients?
  • Isolated soy protein, also known as soy protein isolate, is a highly processed food. You will find it in many vegetarian mock cheeses and mock meats. We avoid it.

  • The product also contains soybean oil, carrageenan, and several chemicals. There are no whole plant foods in this product at all.

Maybe we can find a vegan soy cheese with better ingredients.

Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet
Vegan Gourmet2020


Many vegans love Vegan Gourmet soy cheese. It tastes good and it melts. Maybe we can use it for our weight loss program.







Vegan Gourmet label
  • It contains 60 fat calories out of 70 calories. That means it is 85% fat. Wow. Pretty fattening.

  • There are 110 mg of sodium in 70 calories. We hoped to see no more than 70 mg.

  • The calorie density is 70/1, or 70 calories per ounce. If you eat much of this soy cheese it will surely help you gain weight.

  • The good news is, a serving contains 2 grams of fiber.

Vegan Gourmet ingredientsAre the ingredients good?
  • We aren't surprised to see that the first ingredient after water is soy oil. 

  • Tofu is fine.

  • Soy protein is just shorthand for isolated soy protein.

  • This cheese also contains carrageenan and "natural flavors". Oh well, it was too high in fat anyway.

The problem with soy cheese

Cheese is an addictive flavor. Many people switch to soy cheese to enjoy that flavor and texture without eating saturated fat and cholesterol. Vegan food companies mimic unhealthy animal foods by combining isolated plant components and chemicals. Cheese is fatty and salty and has no fiber, so they make vegan cheeses that are fatty, salty, and low in fiber.

New brands of non-dairy cheese appear from time to time. Read labels carefully and make the best decision for your weight loss program and your health. Instead of eating a highly-processed cheese substitute, try to reeducate your taste buds. Maybe some day these companies will produce a "cheese" made of onions, carrots, potatoes, and tofu.....

Until that day, eat simple whole plant foods. Or try making your own mock cheeses from The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak. The author is a creative cook and we have tried many of her recipes. She does use some high fat plant foods and sometimes a bit of oil, but she offers some good low fat recipes too.






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