Let’s Talk Vegan Milks & Cheeses

Did you know that the first week of June hosts both World Milk Day & National Cheese Day? That’s ok if you didn’t because I didn’t either 🤪

I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate these days if I showcased some of the vegan/plant based milks and cheeses that I’ve tried & share some of my thoughts on them. 

Having been vegan for so long (over 20 years) I think I have tried nearly every different type of vegan dairy products. That means, I know which ones are good and which ones are not so good. And I think it’s important to remember, like any product out there, some are good and some aren’t, it’s not just because they’re plant based. 🙃

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Vegan Milks

More and more people are switching to plant milks for so many reasons. Many of my non-vegan friends & colleagues will choose plant milks for their coffees & cereals just because they like the taste of it better or they find it digests better & lowers their body’s inflammation. 

“Many people don’t realize (that) a significant number of children are lactose intolerant. And the inability to digest dairy products overwhelmingly affects people of colour, including 70% of African Americans, 90% of Asian Americans, 53% of Mexican Americans, and 74% of Native Americans.”

“Animal agriculture is a top contributor to the climate crisis, and cows produce more greenhouse gas emissions than any other livestock. Dairy farms are also a major source of water pollution, and they have a huge water footprint. It takes 638 gallons of water to produce a single gallon of milk, compared to 300 gallons of water to produce a pound of tofu.”

Whatever your reasons for wanting to switch and try out vegan milks, I have you covered.

My Fav Vegan Milks:

1. Oatly – One of the most popular vegan milks because it’s so creamy & froths beautifully
2. Silk – Easily accessible as it can be found in many grocery stores across North America. Comes in so many varieties; soy, coconut, oat, almond, cashew. Tastes great too. 
3. Califia Farms – Very popular in the USA. Easily Accessible. Lots of flavours & options.
4. Ripple – This plant based milk is cool because it’s made from peas & has the most amount of protein. 
5. Earth’s Own – Delicious gluten free Oat milk & they have a Barista Blend that my husband is obsessed with.

Honourable Mentions:

1. So Delicious
2. Almond Breeze 
3. Rice Dream

To note: The dairy industry is also very cruel. Mother cows have their babies ripped away from them right at birth so that we can consume the milk of their offspring. I understand it’s uncomfortable to think of it in this manner but I assure you, it is much more uncomfortable for them. 

Male calves are immediately taken away for veal, barely days old 😥

Vegan Cheeses

Vegan cheeses have come a very long way my friends. 20 years ago, there really wasn’t any vegan cheese options unless you wanted to make your own at home. Nutritional Yeast was pretty much our only main option, still a big staple in the vegan community (also provides a ton of B12) but now we have soooooooo many amazing options.

Did you know that dairy cheese is just as addictive as drugs? During cheese making there is a block of fat & casein that is left behind, your body converts that into casomorphins which attaches to opioid receptors & triggers cravings. 

True story, I was obsessed with cheese. I put cheese on everything! And that also played a huge factor into why I first went vegan. My main purpose for going vegan was to stop harming animals and my second was to kick that nasty dairy addiction. 

And I did! And that was before we had all of these delicious vegan cheeses.

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My Fav Vegan Cheeses:

1. Miyoko’s – Some of the best vegan cheeses & they even make vegan butter. 👌
2. Kite Hill – The 1st time I tried Kite Hill was in my fav vegan restaurant in LA, Crossroads, & I was shocked at how amazing their vegan brie was. 
3. Violife – A bit of a newer brand but with a large range of cheeses. Melts nicely. 
4. Nuts For Cheese – Their Red Rind is so good on crackers & in pasta bake recipes.
5. Earth Island – They have such a large line of vegan dairy products. My fav is their parmesan. 
6. Follow Your Heart – Makes some super yummy cheese shreds for pizzas, nachos, chilis & more. 

Honourable Mentions:

1. Daiya – Daiya is an OG to vegan cheeses so I don’t want to harp on them too bad but I do not like their cheeses at all. They have some other great products like salad dressings, Mac and Cheese, & their cheese sticks are all quite yummy. 
2. Chao
3. Artisanal Vegan Cheeses are also found everywhere nowadays which like any product can be hit or miss. I’ve tried some super tasty ones though.

I hope you get out there and be a little adventurous and try some vegan milks & cheeses. I think you’ll really be surprised with how tasty they are, how much better you feel, and you’ll feel good knowing that no animals were hurt.

Give it a try for these sweet angels because I don’t know about you but I don’t think this is anyway for a baby to be treated. 

If you know of any other great vegan cheese and milk brands let me know in the comments down below. Always love trying out new vegan products. You should see how excited I am in vegan restaurants, I want to order the entire menu 🤪

If you’d like to checkout my latest post on The BEST Vegan Sunscreens just click here.

Let’s Talk Vegan Milks & Cheeses for World Milk Day and National Cheese Day – A Blog About Stuff