I used to think I could never give up cheese. After all, it was my very favorite food. When my husband and I would eat out at fancy restaurants, I wouldn’t even look at the entrées or desserts; I’d just order the cheese plate. Brie, havarti, gouda, goat, stilton, gorgonzola, feta…I loved them all. I remember one time (before I knew the truth about animal agriculture) I went to a local bookstore and was flipping through a copy of Joel Fuhrman’s Eat To Live. I was reading along, nodding in agreement as he described a diet which contained no meat, no fish, no eggs, no oil…and then I saw it: no cheese. Huh? Say again? What kind of joyless doctrine of abstention is this? Fuuuhggit about it.
I quickly slammed the book shut and returned it to the shelf.
But then, soon after, three things happened:
#1 I learned that the dairy industry drives the veal industry. Just like humans, female cows need to give birth in order to produce milk. So the dairy industry is, by necessity, a baby-making industry. But only female calves are useful to dairy farmers. The males are considered unwanted byproducts, and are typically killed on site or sold at auction to veal producers. The mothers mourn and bellow for their stolen babies. I’ve seen footage of terrified, days-old calves with wobbly knees and their umbilical cords still attached being dragged by their ears onto the auction floor and it’s something I’ll never forget.
Once sold, they are confined to tiny crates designed to restrict their movement and fed an intentionally iron deficient diet of artificial milk supplements so their muscles won’t develop and their flesh will retain the pale, soft quality preferred by “gourmands.” For a basic (non-graphic) overview of veal farming, click here.
At first, I believed this must only happen on large factory farms. My initial thought was that I might be able to avoid these cruel practices by buying “local” or “organic.” I did lots of research and even spoke in person with a couple dairy farmers in my community (hoping for reassurance). One told me that yes, they sold the calves for veal and acknowledged that it “upsets a lot of people.” Another told me she couldn’t bear to do it, so she bought an extra lot to allow the calves to just live there. I asked her how long she thought she’d be able to financially support those calves, since they consume a lot of resources and she would keep adding new calves every year. And since cows can live for 20 years or more, I wondered how many “extra lots” was she prepared to buy in order to provide space for them all? She had no answers, and it was clear that her “solution” to this problem was unviable and unrealistic.
A friend in a more rural part of the country even told me about ads for “free calves” posted by local dairy farmers on craigslist. That’s what it’s come to. I’ve learned that there’s just no getting around it: when we’ve “got milk,” we’ve got dead baby cows. And dead mothers, too… eventually.
#2 I discovered that many cheeses are not even vegetarian since they contain rennet. Rennet is extracted from the stomach chambers of slaughtered young, unweaned calves. Ironically, the stomachs are a by-product of the veal industry. (Although there are vegetarian forms of rennet, it is more commonly sourced from animals.) So basically, cheese is made by mixing mothers’ milk with pieces of their dead babies’ stomachs. If that’s not enough to turn someone off cheese, I don’t know what is.
#3 I learned how dairy cows are impregnated, and what happens to them once they’re “spent.” Their bodies are often so ravaged by the time they are slaughtered that their meat is only “good enough” for dog food, cheap tv dinners and stews. Many are lame with illness and disease, and have to be dragged or pushed to slaughter with forklifts. These animals are known as downers.
Once I learned all of this, I decided that as much as I loved cheese, I hated animal abuse even more. For me, it was a no-brainer and after a few initial cravings, I have never again desired animal cheese. Of course, it helps that there are lots of vegan cheeses on the market now (many more than when I first went vegan). Here are a few of my favorites:
1) Dr. Cow Nut Cheese – raw, gourmet cheese made from nuts. Expensive, but worth it for special occasions.
2) Daiya – wonderful for grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza and nachos. And I’ve been loving their new “wedges.” The pepper jack is particularly yummy on crackers.
3) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese – My husband recently brought a tub to work and his coworkers chose it over the Philly that was in the fridge. It’s remarkably close in flavor and texture to animal-based cream cheese.
4) Sheese – this has to be ordered online, but it’s well worth the extra wait and expense. It’s wonderful on crackers and in salads or with a side of grapes. My favorite flavors are Blue Cheese and Smoked Gouda. I use the blue cheese to make an awesome homemade blue cheese dressing (which goes great with a side of buffalo seitan, btw!)
5) Homemade Cheese. Yep, that’s right. I think the very best vegan cheese can be made right in your own kitchen. Check out this delightful recipe for almond feta, this one for cheesy alfredo sauce, this one for peppered-cashew “goat cheese”, and be sure to try the raw nut cheeses from Mimi Kirk’s Live Raw. You’ll love them! There are even cookbooks dedicated solely to the craft of making artisan vegan cheese. Check out this one and this one.
There are lots of different vegan cheeses out there, so if you find that you don’t like one, don’t give up…just keep on trying until you discover ones you do enjoy.
I recognize that cheese is addictive and for many people, giving it up can be difficult. If you find yourself craving animal cheese, remember that it’s just temporary and it will pass. In time, you’ll likely find that you don’t miss it in the least. For me, what ultimately helped was changing my way of thinking. I didn’t think of “giving up cheese,” rather, I thought of “giving up animal cruelty.” And that made all the difference.
If a former certifiable cheese-junkie like me can go vegan, there’s hope for you, too.
Further resources:
The Bizarre and Outrageous Cruelty Behind Every “Milk Moustache” (no graphics)
Dairy, Pregnancy, Leather and Newborns: What Are You Funding?
Great blogpost. Vegan now since about 2 yrs. Looking back at me being vegetarian for >10yrs (eating cheese), I now wonder, what took me so long to go vegan! It now seems so obvious!
People are so indoctrinated into ‘drinking milk is natural’, while it is far from. The other day, a friend said to me (as I explained I use no dairy for baking cookies and muffins etc): but cows just ‘give’ milk, it is natural! No they don’t just give milk! They have to give birth first, and the milk is normally for their calves, just as the milk of a human mother is for her baby.
Great article; I’m sharing it widely! I’ve been veg for over 25 yrs. Cheese was my one failing. I fell off that wagon a number of times, but it’s finally a thing of the past. Been vegan now for about a year.
Great post. I’ll be sharing this for sure!
This is a wonderful post. I’ve been vegan for over 2 years now (though I had gone vegetarian like 4 times before that and always reverted). I think it was the milk-veal industry connection that “sealed the deal” for me, as one would say. One day, my husband and I drove past a field of cows (it’s Kansas…), and he asked me if I knew what veal was. Having grown up in like the “veal capital” of Kansas, I still didn’t even know what kind of animal/part of animal, so he told me. And I bawled the rest of the long drive home. Sold.
Very inspiring post. I’ve been vegetarian for a couple years now and have really struggled with giving up cheese. I like your idea, giving up animal abuse. I’m passionate about that so it will be my motivation. Thanks!
Thanks for this wonderful article. I am relieved to see the part about cheese being addictive. When I started reading this, I thought, “But I CRAVE IT! By god what’s wrong with me?” I followed the link to the article and it’s really informative. Thanks so much!
Shared on my twitter.
I’ve been mostly vegan for over twenty years, with a few minor setbacks in the early ones! (the odd ‘cheese lapse’ springs to mind!) Without getting into the fact that cheese and other dairy products are indeed the byproducts of an industry that is predicated on exploitation of the female body (ex., the less commonly used term today for the restraining device used for artificial insemination is the ‘rape rack’), this is one of the best blogposts I’ve seen in terms of accessibility to non-vegan readers. Great job! I look forward to reading, and sharing, more of your writing!
Yep… Looking back from the perspective of being raised in a European household I think it was the havarti, camenbert, Gjetost and Gouda that kept me from questioning my vegetarian “ethics” for many years. How could something so damn yummy have anything bad connected to it?
I also worked at Hickory Farms for a few years… The pure, “wholesome” goodness of it all was nearly sealed. It was reinforced by droves of folks just like me, who never gave the origin of mammal milk a second thought. The most “icky” thing I remember working there was the daily routine of checking for and eliminating the mold on the huge wheels we cut from. Aside from that being extremely gross – It becomes even more deplorable when you factor in the waste. Lots of it.
But in spite of decades of “fromage-love”, even without going to vegan cheeses, I didn’t miss the stuff quite so much as I missed the milk. That was (for whatever reason) more difficult for me to adjust to… A series of experiments with soy, rice and then the different flavors of almond eventually satisfied my hankerings – quite nicely!
It’s interesting how the advocacy directed to “anti-veal” campaigns in the 80′s eventually lead to this movement of veganism today. I credit much of what we’ve come to know, on those (half way) measures decades ago. Perhaps that is further proof that things take their necessary course to be changed? But I do believe we’re picking up the pace!
I won’t labor the points of the horrors of dairy as was so eloquently covered in the post, in the links and in all the comments that followed. But I’d like to contribute my favorite quote that sums up my motivation to “give up animal cruelty”: “If you’re eating/drinking something made from cow’s milk, it’s because a calf, chained in a box somewhere, isn’t.” — Dan Piraro
Thanks for this important message – And for allowing me to share my thoughts.
I didn’t think of “giving up cheese,” rather, I thought of “giving up animal cruelty.”
Love that!
And making your own nut cheeses isn’t too hard either! Give it a try!
Nodding along. Yep. Thank you!
Great post! I love your blog! I remember learning about all this about a year ago and being stunned. You can’t go back to dairy after learning the truth.
Interestingly, after I knew about cheese, I just didn’t miss it. I thought it would be very hard, because I LOVED cheese, but it simply wasn’t a problem. I think we give a lot more power to cheese than it deserves.
Keep blogging!
Very nicely written. I’m gonna translate it and post it on my blog.
I love the title to this blog post so much–such a great way to turn things around. I also never thought I could give up cheese but did. Wouldn’t change things for anything! Being vegan just feels so good.
Great title and post! Enjoyed reading it, so thanks for writing it.
Well, I finally translated it. Her’s the link http://www.mokysblog.com/2012/03/non-potevo-rinunciare-al-formaggio-cosi.html
I think the voice of the reason should be heard across the oceans!!
Thank you!
Thank you Moky!
No problem, Jo. I had a reader who commented she wasn’t aware of the suffering behind the dairy industry and she’s gonna review her diet and that of her family.
Thank you for writing a post that is easily share-able!
Great post! I’ve been a committed vegan for almost 2 months now, although playing at it for a few months before that. I always said I “couldn’t” give up cheese too, and then I couldn’t ignore what it meant to eat it any longer. I am sad to think of all the animal abuse that occurred as a direct result of my cheese habit. I really hope your post inspires more people to go vegan!
We don’t have quite as much choice for decent vegan cheese in the UK, but Vegusto (which can be bought online) is excellent.
Well done! I have been vegan for 10 years now and just the smell of a cheese pizza makes me crazy. Part of me wants to eat it and the smart part of me stops me from eating it. Not only because its contents are addictive, but because the aftermath cheese causes. All animal mothers should have the right to keep their babies. I couldn’t imagine having my son taken away simply because he was a boy. Just as in certain countries, female babies are not considered as smart as males and are doomed to death. Once we take a look at how we treat the animals on this planet, will we as a human race begin to look at how we treat ourselves.
I am a vegetarian ‘working towards’ veganism. I agree, letting go of cheese is hard! I love all these recommendations, very helpful. I can say that although I have not completely quit cheese yet, I have dramatically reduced the amount of dairy that I’ve consumed. Thanks for your post.
Aweaome x
Wonderful post about a topic that most people want to ignore. The truth is too painful to face. Thank you for reinforcing why I am (trying to be) vegan. I do occasionally falter and buy that piece of parmesan cheese I love so much, but reading this reminds me why that is not such a good idea.
Thank you so much for this post! I was raised vegetarian but my family and I never thought about going vegan. This post is different from others because you addressed the problems with the food industry and it was inspirational to hear a success story from a former cheese junkie. We really appreciate the cheese alternative recommendations and can’t wait to try them. I am so excited to begin my journey to being vegan!
Fantastic post, thank you! Every aspiring vegan should read this!
I am one of these former cheese addicts. Being a vegetarian for 10 years, I decided to go vegan a year ago. I did miss the cheese in the beginning, but I don’t anymore. I have learned to substitute it with homemade vegetable spreads, such as cucumber-cashew spread or carrot-ginger spread. I usually create a batch of 2-3 spreads in the weekend, and they keep in the fridge for the week to come. If I had known it’s that easy, I wouldn’t have waited so long to go plant-based all the way!
Thank you so much for this article – it’s so important. I recently came to the same conclusion myself. There is no excuse for this animal cruelty and I don’t want to be part of contributing to it. Seeing it from this perspective it’s easy to give up dairy and become 100% vegan….
I had a hard time reading this article. I am trying to give up cheese as well, this post may have done it.
Well done, I went on a similar journey discovering the truth about dairy, ignorantly hoping that my research would prove that ‘organic’ or ‘local’ would be kind. Two years vegan now and I don’t miss anything at all. But best of all, knowing the truth about dairy means I can inform others! Many people around me have ditched the dairy now. Thanks for this post, it’s great.
I used to think the same thing! Cheese: so overrated hahaha! Do love my veggie-cheese now…
I’d love to translate this into Spanish to share with our readers (I work at a free monthly health publication). It’s wonderfully written, and I think it would be very accesible to non-vegans.
That would be wonderful – thank you Elisa!
Thank you so much for this blog post! As a recent vegetarian turned vegan, I have been fighting overwhelming cheese cravings. Just reading about the ways in which giving up animal cruelty are beneficial has really helped me become more resolute in my decision to be vegan. I’m going to try those homemade vegan cheese recipes!