cheese

[littlelush]

hi,

have a 13 year old son who has to go on a dairy free diet, does anyone know of a really good strong cheese thats dairy free that is a good alternative, have found spreads,milk,deserts but having trouble with cheese. <_<

[Pam]

I think cheese has got to be the hardest thing to find a good substitute for. I haven't found one that I really like eating yet.

If you're looking for something to eat cold then I think Cheezly or Scheese are probably the nearest thing that I've found so far. They are similar in texture to a crumbly cheshire or lancashire cheese (if I've remembered the names right) but they don't melt and they don't smell very nice. If I'm cooking, I use Tofutti slices, on pizzas and lasagnes they are bearable but not particularly cheesy tasting on their own, they are a bit pastey in texture so I'm not struck on them on their own.

At the end of the day it all comes down to taste and different people prefer different things. I think there is a page for cheeses in the Non Dairy Foods section of the site with recommendations from Lan. Some people find that they can tolerate cheese made with goat's or sheep's milk but these are still considered 'dairy' and it might be a risk to try them if your son has bad allergic reactions.

Please let me know if you find anything that is worth using, all the ones I have tried have been a major disappointment and they are far too expensive to experiment with.

[littlelush]

thanks pam, have been having a look around but have only found cheezly in our local super markets or health food shop and have to admit its pretty awful, have been looking on line so might have to order a few to try, you would think there would be a market for a grated substitute for cooking etc, there are plenty of people who would use it. :)

[Pam]

A friend of mine recently got a parmesan substitute called Parmesano from Asda but I've never found any yet.

I'm told that you can blend cheezly or scheese into a sauce for cooking. Vegie Kaas is supposed to melt and can be grated but I just use Tofutti slices which also melt if cooked for long enough.

And yes you would have thought that there was enough demand for a good substitute but I don't know if it is a case of the manufacturers can't or won't make one.

[littlelush]

thanks again for the info pam, have been trying to find toffuti slices but no luck from tesco/sainsburys/co-op/ where do you get yours from

[Pam]

I buy mine directly from the wholesaler but I have seen them for sale in smaller health food shops. I have found that the staff in smaller, independent shops are much more willing to help than those in chain store shops and will often order goods in for you if you ask (but they might need a week's notice to put their order in). I'm not sure if larger Tesco and Sainsbury stores stock them too.

The supermarkets are really starting to take notice these days of the need for special foods so they are slowly improving their product ranges. My hubby has been to Morrisons today and discovered that they now have a 'free from' section and have increased their range. Asda has also started 'free from' shelves to join Sainsburys and Tesco. We need to keep asking for things and they might eventually meet our needs.

[valeriell]

I have not found any hard cheese substitutes I likebut Sainsbury's sell
Parmesano in tubs near the spaghetti and in their Freefrom Section.
Also try their Freefrom `cheese` spread and garlic and herb spread, both are lovely. They also do `cheese` slices that are made from rice, they look like red leicester and taste quite nice in sandwiches or in a burger.
Hope this info is helpful. Val

[littlelush]

thanks for all the input on 'cheese' , these slices from sainsburys? what are they called as i have been looking for them but still no luck any help would be great , have to say that my son has improved rapidly on this dairy free diet.

[Lan]

Hi there all,

How is the hunt for cheeses going. The one I recommend, especially for sauces is Parmasano, it can get a little lumpy though if not whisked in constantly. They also have a website which details all the products they stock and has a list of Parmazano recipies. Well worth a look.

Kind Regards,

Lan.

:D

[floliketheriver]

shop in leeds does a hard cheese substitute i am still waitin 4 it 2 come in, although i keep 4gettin 2 ring them.

i will keep you all informed when i get it..price, taste etc

irmgard :ph34r:

[floliketheriver]

found cheezly in health food shops, after reading all your replies on taste im beginnning to feel like i wish i hadnt bought it lol. there was 2 identical names etc but was different in colour.

i asked the lady about other hard cheeses and she said she can order anything in but didnt seem to give any names out.

i think that cheezly now may be the one which is in leeds but will ring them this week after work, i work sat and sun so may ring mon am.

Also, asda do a soft cheese now and its called "swedish" but ypou can find this in the cheese section. its cheese spread like the tofutti range but cheaper and its very nice. :D

[Lan]

Forgot to mention that Sainsbury's have a new dairy free cheese out in their'Free From' range. It is a soft cheese and reminds me of goats cheese, it is flavoured with herb and chives. The price of £1.29 I feel is reasonable, however when cooking it only melts slightly.

Lan.

:D

[floliketheriver]

cheezly is nice i got a lighter col one. i froze it and it was ok, also melted in brevilles. .. asda do a cream cream called swedish too that is nice also....

will try cheese n onion pasties soon.. £1-69 and cut into 6 small pieces and froze them so only use what i need..

cats gave it 0/10 lol...wasn't worth a 2nd sniff, but then hey..more 4 me.. :D

[Lan]

My cat loved the cheesley and couldn't get enough of it. Prefers the normal dairy cheese though.

Lan.

[Copper]

Hey did you know that cats can't cope with lactose? Is this why we all have cats :P ? I have 2 cats, one drinks water and the other drinks cat milk. The cat milk has been treated so it contains no lactose. Somebody suggested that if I was desperate maybe I should drink the special cat milk LOL

[Lan]

Hi Copper,

I have 4 cats in all and have not tried the 2 smallest on much dairy yet, however they can drink the normal low lactose cat milk. My oldest cat however had a bad reaction and was soiling herself (on my carpet!!) constantly.

Maybe I should open a forum for dairy free pets (LOL), and we can all post photos. Could do with a bit of oohing and arrghing.

Please find attached to this post a quickly produced photo of all 4 puddings at their best behaviour. Please note this is not often. :unsure:

Kind Regards,

Lan.