Cheese is probably one of the most loved foods around or at least one of the most loved dairy products around. It is great for eating on its own, or as part of a dish. However, there are plenty of lactose-intolerant people out there who do not get to enjoy cheese.
Vegans also do not get to enjoy the majority of cheeses on the shelves.
Thanks to the growing awareness of climate change, how dairy is impactful, and with more demand for plant-based products to be commonplace, cheese substitutes are growing in number, and now there are plenty of plant-based options available on the market.
Many grocers will carry vegan foods, and Walmart is rife with options now. So, if you are in the U.S. and are in search of a vegan cheese that will hit the spot, boy, have I got the list to make you lick your lips, get in the car, and grab some vegan cheese!
photo credit @thehiddenveggies
What Is Vegan Cheese Exactly?
Okay, but what is vegan cheese? I am glad you asked. Vegan cheese is an alternative option to dairy food products. It is made from plant-based ingredients, often coconut, cashews, soybeans, almonds, or peas.
Most common vegan cheeses include gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese, and parmesan!
Vegan Cheese In Walmart
Hungry? I am.
Let’s take a look at what vegan cheeses you can get in Walmart!
Daiya Dairy-Free Slices
Daiya has quite the claim to fame, stating their cheese will melt and stretch. They have a cheddar square slice which is meant to be cold or hot and totally delicious with a creamy, smooth taste and texture.
Their slices are free of common allergens, even soy, eggs, peanuts, dairy, and gluten! As well as being non-GMO, Halal-certified, and having certification from the Plant-based Foods Association too!
These slices are available in Walmart in 6 flavors:
- Rich cheddar,
- Creamy American.
- Tandy Provolone.
- Fresh Mozzarella.
- Buttery smoked gouda.
- Nutty Swiss.
What’s in it?: Potato starch, salt, lactic acid, expeller pressed canola and sunflower oil, fruit and vegetable juice color, vegan enzyme, vitamin B12, coconut oil, filtered water, pea protein, vegan natural flavors, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, annatto color, konjac gum, annatto color.
Follow Your Heart dairy-Free Smoked Vegan Gouda
This company is based in Southern California and has a 4.5/5 star rating on Walmart’s site. The company claims their slices can melt but it won’t look all that great, so it is better to put them between foods as a layer, perhaps in a sandwich.
What’s in it?: Coconut oil, natural smoke flavor, filtered water, beta carotene, modified food starch, sea salt, potato starch, olive extract.
Field Roast Chao Creamery Vegan
This cheese is a non-dairy cheese shred that is made from fermenting tofu. It is great for melting into a sandwich or putting on a pizza.
This parent company has been offering plant-based alternatives since 1997.
They are sadly not gluten-free though, as the shreds are made from soy.
What’s in it?: Coconut oil, sea salt, beta carotene, olive extract, fermented chao tofu, corn and potato starch, filtered water, powdered cellulose, natural flavor, modified potato scratch.
Nooch It Vegan Dairy-Free Cashew Grated ‘Cheeze’
Nooch has a product from the manufacturer known as Uprise Foods. Nooch uses fair trade cashews and organic seasonings for their cheese with no artificial flavoring or colors, no additives, and no preservatives.
All their products are soy-free, gluten-free, and vegan!
What’s in it?: Nutritional yeast, sea salt, organic garlic powder, organic fair-trade cashews, organic hemp seeds, organic brown rice four.
Good Planet Packed Vegan Cheeze
photo credit @vegnews
This vegan cheese is made from chickpea protein with 30% less fat than traditional cheese and absolutely no cholesterol… That’s what I like to hear!
You can get this cheese in many flavors as well:
- Americano.
- Parmesan.
- Smoked Provolone.
- Hot Pepper.
- Garlic & herb.
- Mozzarella.
- Smoked Mozzarella.
You can get all these in chunks, shreds, or slices too! What’s better, they are non-GMO, dairy-free, and gluten, soy, peanut, fish, and egg free as well, while being certified vegan!
What’s in it?: Coconut oil, sunflower oil, chickpea protein, filtered water, xanthan gum, calcium citrate, natural vegan flavors, food starch, coconut oil, konjac, powdered cellulose, sea salt, annatto, and turmeric extract.
Go Veggie Parmesan
This is a plant-based parmesan cheese that is made with rice flour, soy, and coconut oil. It is the perfect vegan parmesan for sprinkling on your spaghetti or any dish that feels like it needs parmesan to be as magical as it should be.
This parmesan alternative is lactose, casein, and preservative free, and is also non-GMO.
What’s in it?: Rice flour, sea salt, rice maltodextrin, lactic acid (non-dairy), soy lecithin, Vitamin A acetate, coconut oil, soy base, natural vegan flavors, rice meal, phosphate, vegetable glycerin, tricalcium.
Kappa Carrageenan Powder (Ingredient)
Maybe you want to make your own vegan cheese… I wouldn’t blame you, I’ve done that and it was awesome!
If you fancy trying this, you want to get some Kappa Carrageenan to give your vegan cheese its texture and make it ‘feel’ like it is a dairy cheese.
This is based on Carrageenan seaweed which is known to combine chicken or gel various processed foods together.
What’s in it?: Pure carrageenan powder.
Walmart Plant-Based Grocery Shopping
photo credit @lorisplantbasedlife
Grocery shopping for plant-based cheese options is easier now than ever, with so many options you are spoiled for choice. We once went from having little on offer, basically eating a salad for every meal, to having so many options we are sealing away whole aisles at Walmart.
No matter what you have a hankering for, there will be a plant-based option!
Go to Walmart now, and check out what they have. There is plenty!
FAQs
Is Vegan Cheeses Healthy?
I can’t say that vegan cheese is healthy, but it is better for you than dairy cheese. It has less saturated fat and will often have added B12 in it as well.
Does Vegan Cheese Taste like Real Cheese?
Honestly, it depends on which brand you get and what cheese you get. However, for the most part, vegan cheeses will taste the same as if not at least similar, to ‘real’ cheese.
Do Any Of These Vegan Cheeses In Walmart Melt?
Most of Walmart’s cheeses do not melt, or they do but they don’t exactly look great when they do.
However, Daiya dairy-free cheese does melt and does so famously well. It melts and stretches like typical mozzarella.
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