Dealing with Dairy, Part 2 : Cheese
For a short intro to “dairy”, check out the first installment of this series here.
What is cheese? Stay with us here folks! Cheese is a product derived from milk, typically from a process in which milk is acidified (or inoculated with a bacteria/mold) and the fats and proteins coagulate to form solids. These solids are then mixed and combined, after which a variety of different processes, be it stretching, aging, or smoking work to further define the cheese’s flavor profile, consistency, and even shelf life! Speaking of shelf life, one of the great values of cheese, now and throughout its long history (estimates go back as far as 10,000 years), is its ability to lengthen the shelf life of dairy.
Human’s consumption of dairy products (including milk, yogurt, and cheese) is estimated to have begun over 10,000 years ago, however its global ubiquity as an industrial product began in the late 19th century as pasteurization, production infrastructure, and promotion from dairy industry and supporting governments (regarding versatility and supposed health benefits) gained significant traction.
Dairy products have been an important asset to many communities/cultures/civilizations for millennia, both as a dietetic resource and an economic one. However, as is often the case, the most significant issues with dairy and the dairy industry are in relation to the current scales of production and consumption. As dairy production has scaled up, issues arise with regard to environmental impact and personal health.
In recent decades, dairy alternatives have risen in popularity and there are more options in many markets than ever before. In most cases, these are products derived from nuts, legumes, or grains, which have been processed and manipulated in ways that allow it to mimic the consistency/form (milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, butter) and flavor of dairy products. For people who consume dairy frequently, these alternatives can act as a way to mitigate health concerns associated with dairy products, reduce the impact their consumption may have on the environment, or simply provide a lactose-free product that still satisfied their needs/desires. Additionally, for those concerned with the morality of using animal products, these alternatives provide an opportunity to use/consume dairy products without having to use animals as an industrial resource. However, not all dairy alternatives are created equal, and its important to understand how all of these alternatives as well as traditional dairy actually compare in terms of environmental impact, health, effectiveness as a food or culinary ingredient, affordability, and accessibility. In this article we seek to outline the different aspects and issues associated with dairy production, and work through different alternative options and how they compare to help you make the most informed decision you can.
With so many different metrics through which you can compare dairy products, we’ve decided to separate the discussion into 5 key topics. While we encourage you to read and assess all of the information (in addition to going out and learning more on your own), now is a good time to begin thinking about what kinds of metrics you place the most value on!
Environment
Environmental issues regarding the dairy industry are primarily based around resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). In terms of resources, it takes on average, nearly 144 gallons of water to “produce” one gallon of consumer-ready milk. Additionally, in the US, we allocate nearly 10% of our available agricultural land solely to produce crops intended to feed our cattle. To put that into perspective, that’s enough land to feed our nearly 10 million cattle 100 pounds of food per day (while the average person eats only 3-5 pounds per day). In terms of GHGs, livestock account for roughly 14.5% (of which, Cattle contribute approximately 65%) of the global GHG emissions annually. To put that into perspective, that’s approximately the same as the amount emitted by all of the cars, trucks, airplanes, and ships on our earth combined. It’s important to note that these statistics vary across countries, depending on which country you’re assessing (however, the above statistics regarding the US dairy industry are of lower impact than the global average).
Dairy-free cheese alternatives are composed of a wide-variety of ingredients. Cheese alternatives (of every variety) often include nuts, oils, as well as various types of starches. These ingredients add flavor, texture, and offer various degrees of stabilization (by that we mean they help hold the product together in a way that mimics the structure of dairy cheeses). However, these nuts, oils, and starches are not all created equal, and understanding which of these ingredients may be more impactful to the environment can help you make a more informed choice while shopping. Here’s a rundown of some common ingredients:
Palm oil
Considerable environmental impact in its current state due to mass deforestation, rampant monoculture farming, water pollution, and damage to the peatland environments that they are often grown on (which can thus release considerable amounts of CO2). While more environmentally friendly methods of farming and harvesting are being explored and practiced, the majority of palm oil found on the market is made under these conditions. However, reports regarding palm oil’s potential benevolence in the market overall indicate that with the particularly high yield for the crop, making up for its market share with other oils would result in an even greater level of deforestation. Our recommendation is to avoid its use (along with other impactful oils like Soybean oil and canola oil) if possible.
Coconut Oil
As one of the more environmentally friendly oils at face value (in terms of resources needed for production and processing), this is on which your diligence in seeking out the best producers can make a big difference! While some of the more environmentally conscious producers are farming with sustainable practices and paying their workers a living wage, many producers are clearing large areas of forest, using huge amounts of pesticides, and shortchanging the communities who rely on their businesses. So, we encourage you to buy organic, and buy fair-trade! It may be a couple of dollars more expensive than the alternatives, but those couple of dollars can make a big difference.
Canola Oil
Canola Oil, like Palm Oil, can have considerable negative impacts on the environment, however, like Coconut Oil, there are many producers that engage in highly sustainable practices, meaning that again, your diligence in seeking out the best producers can make a big difference!
Tapioca Flour
While tapioca does require a considerable amount of water and energy in its production (growth and processing of the cassava plant, drying of the fibers and further processing into a flour), the impacts pale in comparison to that of cheese.
Almonds
As shown in our last article, almonds requires a considerable amount of water in their production, and should be avoided when choosing alternative products if possible!
Cashews
These are a very commonly used nut in the production of alternative cheeses, and their environmental impact is on the lower-side with respect to all nuts, with regard to water and land usage, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
So, with all of that in mind, our overall recommendation with regard to the environmental impact of your choice is as follows: If you consume cheese products regularly, we recommend choosing dairy-free products that exclude palm and canola oils, as well as almonds; If you consume cheese only on occasion, we encourage you to explore both dairy and dairy-free products!
It is important to remember that these metrics are all relative. This article is about cheese, and comparing every food to every other food can be futile, but to put some of this in perspective, the avocado used to make your avocado toast this morning required nearly twice as much water to make than one glass of dairy milk. We only mention this to say that if you understand that everything we consume every day has SOME impact, then you should focus more on trying to make a difference on the most impactful part of your diet. If you rarely consume dairy products, maybe this article won’t change your personal impact substantially, but if you eat cheese every day, considering your options is an opportunity to significantly reduce the impact of your food choices.
Health
Prior to the industrialization of food, small-scale dairy operations served an important role in providing communities with proteins, fats, calories, and nutrients that may have been otherwise difficult to fully satisfy. However, as industrialization spread throughout all factions of our global food system, our need for dairy as a dietary staple decreased, but our ability to find and consume it sharply increased. As with the environmental impacts, health-related issues regarding dairy consumption are exacerbated by overconsumption. Frequent consumption of dairy products may offer an excess of calories, saturated fats, and undesirable hormones. Additionally, with over 60% of the world population possessing some degree of lactose intolerance, frequent consumption of dairy can cause mild or significant bodily inflammation and digestive issues.
Dairy alternatives offer avenues through which you can avoid some or all of these potential health-related risks of traditional dairy. That being said, they are certainly not all created equal.
As we previously stated, the wealth of cheese replacement products typically include a large number of ingredients, so, first a foremost, we recommend looking at the ingredients and nutritional information on the back of the product. While individual needs may vary with regard to fats, sodium, carbohydrates, and protein intake, avoiding added sugars as well as saturated fats when possible is commonly regarded as best practice. That being said, in the absence of nutritional information, here are some quick comparisons between common ingredients:
When choosing between almond and cashew based products, from a health perspective, almonds are typically preferred due to their higher protein content, lower saturated fat content, and higher content of fiber (all per unit weight). When choosing between canola oil, coconut oil, and palm oil, canola oil is typically preferred. While each oil contains a variety of different nutrients, what really sets them apart is their composition with regard to saturated and unsaturated fats. canola oil is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, while palm oil and coconut oil are almost entirely composed of saturated fats. While coconut oil has had a resurgence in the health world due to the specific type of saturated fat it is composed of (MCTs, which are harder to break down into stored fats in the body), popular science still considers it a risk to individuals with high cholesterol.
How does this compare to dairy cheese? In actuality, due to the high content of fatty oils and nuts, as well as sodium, sugar, and other additives to improve flavor, most alternative cheese products are not significantly healthier (if at all) than most dairy cheeses. We emphasize the word “significantly” here, many cheese alternatives are lower in calories and fat than their dairy alternatives, but this difference must be considered on a case by case basis and is amplified by the role of cheese in your day to day diet. Similarly to our statement earlier : If you consume cheese products regularly, we recommend choosing dairy-free products that exclude palm and coconut oils; If you consume cheese only on occasion, we encourage you to explore both dairy and dairy-free products!
Quality of Product
As with most “replacement” products, what one product might get right, another might get completely wrong. Some stigmas in the “fake cheese” world, which, I might add, are fairly imposed, include the strangeness in which many of them melt (if you’ve ever seen it ‘crack’ or coagulate into unsettling chunks, its fuel for nightmares), the unconvincing flavor (or lack thereof), and the often ‘stiff consistency’. While many (and I mean many), alternative cheese products get many things wrong, as the industry has grown, there are so many products out there now that are not just “passable,” but actually incredibly delicious and versatile in all realms of eating and cooking. So, based on our experience and common reviews, here are a couple of products we recommend if you’re looking for a particular attribute in your alternative cheese!
Melt
Oh the melt. The sacred melt. Nachos, grilled cheese, macaroni, risotto, melty cheese isn’t just a brick in the wall, it’s the keystone. Cheese that melts into silky bliss is a must-have, and as we mentioned earlier, some cheese alternatives can offer...disastrous results. However, there are many products now that were made to not only taste great, but melt perfectly. If you’re in the market, here’s some of our recommendations:
Daiya mozzarella shreds
Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan
Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheddar
Field Roast Chao Creamery Slices
Flavor
Sometimes cheese is just an addition, whether it’s a loaded sandwich or a little garnish to saucy pasta, but sometimes, cheese is the star. A cheese board with crackers and the accoutrements needs a cheese that can hold its own! If you're in the market for a cheese replacement that speaks for itself a needs no accompaniment, here’s some of our recommendations:
Go Veggie Parmesan Grated Topping
Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan
365 Plant Based Cheese Slices (the Smoke Gouda is great)
Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheddar
Field Roast Chao Creamery Slices
Violife Just Like Cheese Slices
Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheeses
Miyoko’s Vegan Cheese Wheels
Consistency
A big issue with most alternative cheeses is the consistency. Parmesan shreds like wood chips, cheddar slices that crack in half, cream cheese that could snap your knife in two. But, as we said before, oh the times they are a changin’. If you’re in the market for an alternative cheese that feels just right on your sandwich, salad, or pizza, here’s some of our recommendations:
Daiya mozzarella shreds
Go Veggie Paremsan Grated Topping
Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan
365 Plant Based Cheese Slices (the Smoke Gouda is great)
Field Roast Chao Creamery Slices
Violife Just Like Cheese Slices
Miyoko’s Vegan Cheese Wheels
Price
How old were you when you realized cheese is freakin’ expensive! Well if you’re looking at alternative cheeses, you might be happily surprised! This of course varies company to company, product to product, cheese type to cheese type. If you’re in the market for things shredded cheeses, cheese slices, or cream cheese, you’ll often be greeted by prices that are comparable if not cheaper than their dairy alternatives! And if you’re shopping for a block of cheese to cut up for your next charcuterie board, prices will often be significantly lower than the dairy counterpart. Now, in many ways, especially with blocks of cheese, you get what you pay for. A block of vegan sharp cheddar, while delicious and possibly cheap in comparison to its standard dairy counterpart, will certainly lack the complexity of an aged and correspondingly more expensive dairy counterpart. But if you’re shopping for standard staples for the day-to-day, as we said before, prices will often be in your favor.
Availability
Most grocery stores these days will have at least a handful of alternative options. That being said, as we mentioned earlier, not all replacements are made equal, and finding a truly delicious and versatile product might require a trip to a local health-foods market, or a larger health-food grocery chain like WholeFoods or Trader Joes.
As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, there are a number of metrics that each individual can use to weigh their options before making a decision, based on what is most important to them and what fits into their lifestyle. We’ve tried to shed some light on a handful of notable comparisons between traditional dairy milk and a variety of common alternatives. While comparisons regarding environmental impact, health, culinary use, price, and availability may be important to you, we encourage you to follow your curiosity and explore more information about the food you eat, where it comes from, and how it plays into the larger picture of our food systems. In this same vein of curiosity, we encourage you to actually go out and experiment with different products! Topics regarding health and environmental impact are difficult to understand without pursuing outside resources like this article, but understanding prices and how these products work for you on an individual level in your own kitchen are factors that you will largely have to explore on your own!
Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, we encourage you to factor in your frequency of use when considering what option is best for you. Impacts are all relative, and should be considered as such.
Finally, we hope that rather than adding any complication or anxiety to your navigation through our food systems and your food choices, this article can be used as a tool to help you comfortably make decisions that are right for you on a daily basis.