Never say Cheese!!

Look at this!!

http://us.daiyafoods.com/
They have so many neat products. Look here too!! http://us.daiyafoods.com/our-products

I was talking to a woman that I admire very much- and who has been a massive resource for me since I changed my diet. She was a key point of change for me. She talked to me for a while about what I could and couldn't have, then pulled out a notepad and started making a list of what ready-made products were available for sale in my area and which stores to look for them in.

I made some pretty significant discoveries. Veganase has a Soy Free. I don't really love mayonase, but it does help increase the number of recipes that I can try. This can only be found at the near-ish health food specialty store (Sprouts Farmers Market). She also told me about something that changed a lot of things for me. Cheese that isn't anything like cheese, but tastes pretty similar, and has a good texture. She told me that I needed to look at the Daiya brand cheeses that they had in the Health Food section of my local Harmons Grocer. As I have shopped there I have slowly gained an appreciation for their selection of allergy free foods, not only in that corner of the store, but also just next to their full-allergy counterparts. Yogurt made from Coconut or Almond Milks. Yum. Great fake ice cream that tastes awesome! Crackers and granola that I can have, despite everything. Believe it or not, all these things blew my mind.

I'm so in love with Daiya, just because I can't think of anything that makes quick meals more accessable than a little cheese. It feels like I am making a real meal! I am also more likely to look forward to eating, instead of turning to a binge for something I know will make me feel icky, and always followed by a fear-of-food-reactions-purge-session. I am also less likely to skip a meal when I know something as quick and easy as a microwave potato and beans with shredded carrots, perhaps something green and leafy that can take a little heat, and (yay!) Cheese! The whole thing takes about 10 minutes. I can hardly get enough.

plus, Harmons has all of the kinds, the wedges, the slices, and the grated selections. They also have all the flavors of cream cheese spread, which I don't really need. But I like the idea that I could still make cheesecake or cream cheese icing if occasion... you know...occurred.

There are always setbacks with foods like this. It is not made from milk, and thus does NOT substitute for the proteins gained there. Also, while the fat used is a organic, natural form... it's still fatty (I don't know if it would make very good cheese if it wasn't). It's not really more virtuous than full-fat cheese, it just avoids a lot of the common allergies.

And it's yummy.


Love love love love.
Try it.

Jo Aich.