When you are pregnant it is best to stay away from soft cheeses, but does that count for vegan cheese as well? Can you eat vegan cheese during pregnancy?
In short: yes you can eat all vegan cheese during your pregnancy. It is safe to eat vegan cheese when pregnant because vegan cheese does NOT contain dairy. Dairy should be pasteurized in order to be safe to consume for pregnant women. Soft cheeses, like Camembert or Brie are not pasteurized. Vegan cheese is safe because it does not contain any dairy; therefore it is not necessary to pasteurize vegan cheese. Vegan cheese is often made of cashews, coconut oil or soya.
What is Vegan Cheese?
Vegan cheese is a plant-based, non-dairy alternative to dairy cheese. Dairy cheese is, like it says made of dairy. Vegan cheese does not contain any animal products, dairy does.
It is thought that vegan cheese goes way back to 16th century China. It was made with fermented tofu or whole soy. Soy is high in protein and creates a spreadable consistence.
Vegan cheese began hitting the Western market around 1980, although it came with scepticism. Its flavour did not at all resemble dairy cheese. It was then mostly made of tofu.
With the years, vegan cheese was made with different ingredients creating different kinds of cheese. Such as Mozzarella or Parmesan, often made with nuts. Nuts have proven their functionality and are now often used to create different kinds of cheese.
The benefits of nuts are that they do not contain cholesterol and it creates a spreadable consistence. Nuts are also high in fiber and are a good source of various minerals such as magnesium.
Can You Eat Vegan Cheese During Pregnancy?
You can eat vegan cheese during your pregnancy. Vegan cheese does not contain any dairy. It is therefore not necessary to pasteurize any ingredients in vegan cheese. Because it lacks any animal products, it is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Which Cheese Do You Have to Avoid During Pregnancy?
You better avoid all unpasteurized cheese made with animal dairy during your pregnancy. This is often mould-ripened soft cheese. This contains the following dairy cheese:
- Camembert
- Roquefort
- Brie
- Queso fresco
- Queso blanco
- Chevre (type of goat cheese)
- Panela
- Feta (if unpasteurized, check label)
What different kinds of vegan cheese exist?
The good news is you can eat all vegan cheese. There are different kinds of vegan cheese and more are entering the market each year as the demand increases. Here is an overview of different vegan cheese, and what they are usually made of.
| Vegan Cheese | Description | Common Ingredients |
| Parmesan | Shredded or grated, complements pasta dishes or salads | Palm fruit oil, Modified potato starch, Canola oil, Nutritional yeast, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds |
| Cheddar | Use on burger, sandwich or toast | Coconut oil, Modified starch, Starch, Cheddar flavour |
| Ricotta | Ideal for lasagna | Vegetable oils, Tofu, Almond milk, Enzymes, Cultures |
| Queso (cheese sauce) | Use to make Nacho Cheese or Mac and Cheese | Olive oil, Nutritional yeast, Apple cider vinegar, Cauliflower, Red bell pepper, Almonds, Red onion, Lemon juice etc |
| Mozzarella | Ideal for pizza or salad | Coconut oil, Modified starch, Corn starch, Mozzarella flavour |
| Feta | Creamy, crumbly- ideal for Mediterranean dishes | Coconut oil, Modified potato starch, Potato starch |
| Cream Cheese | Use on toast or on a baguette | Coconut oil, Modified starch, Canola oil, Cashew milk, Rice miso |
| Artisan Blue Cheese | Use on a platter | Coconut oil, Modified potato starch, Maize starch |
| Slices | E.g. Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda, Parmesan | Check above |
| Shredded | E.g. Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar, Pizza blend | Check above |
Can you eat Vegan Cheesecake?
Yes you can eat vegan cheesecake! And you can easily make vegan cheesecake yourself. You don’t have to be a chef. Follow this recipe. It’s really easy!
Sources
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/vegetarian-and-vegan-mums-to-be/