Are Non-Dairy Cheeses Really Healthier?
According to a recent Nielsen survey, 39% of Americans are intentionally trying to eat a more plant-based diet. Additionally, consumers adhering to a partial or total plant-based diet (vegan) is on the rise. With that interest there has been an explosion of processed plant-based foods, including non-dairy cheese alternatives, which have seen a hefty 45% growth in sales.(1) Are these non-dairy cheeses actually healthier than their dairy counterparts?
Dairy vs Non-Dairy Shredded Cheese
Although there are many different forms of cheese, shredded cheese is one of the most popular ways to eat cheese. So for the sake of simplicity and brevity, in the table below we compare the leading brand of commercial shredded dairy cheese, Kraft,(2) with three different brands of vegan shredded cheese: Daiya, Follow Your Heart and Parmela Creamery.(3)
| Brand | Serving size | Calories | Sodium (mg) | Fiber (g) | Dietary cholesterol (mg) | Saturated fat (g) | Trans fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar | ¼ cup (28g) | 110 | 170 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 0 |
| Kraft Shredded 2% Milk Sharp Cheddar | ¼ cup (28g) | 90 | 230 | 0 | 20 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Kraft Shredded Fat-Free Cheddar | ¼ cup (28g) | 45 | 280 | 0 | <5 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds | ¼ cup (28g) | 90 | 250 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds | ¼ cup (28g) | 80 | 270 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Parmela Creamery Sharp Cheddar Shreds | ¼ cup (28g) | 80 | 280 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Observations for consideration when choosing a “cheese”:
A growing body of research indicates that diets comprised largely of whole unprocessed foods are consistently associated with better health.(4) Since all cheeses, whether dairy or non-dairy, are highly processed foods (read their ingredient list), it would seem wise to eat them infrequently for optimum health.
All brands of cheese considered here are free of trans fat and contain no amount of any hydrogenated oil. This is good news since a considerable body of research and the American Heart Association recommend we “lose” all trans fat.(5)
If limiting dietary cholesterol is a health objective, then fat-free dairy shredded cheese and the vegan shreds would be better choices.
Strong and consistent evidence has shown that eating too much saturated fat can significantly raise LDL cholesterol, which not only increases risk of heart disease and stroke, but also peripheral artery disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.(7)
Cheese is a major source of saturated fat in the typical American diet,(8) so if decreasing saturated fat intake is a health goal, choosing reduced-fat and fat-free dairy shredded options and shreds like Daiya that are lower in saturated fat would be the best choices.
Recommendations
To optimize your health in regard to eating any kind of shredded cheese:
1) Don’t exceed the recommended daily amount of 1.5 ounces, which is ⅓ cup of
shredded cheese.(6)
2) Enjoy that ⅓ cup infrequently, as cheese is a highly processed food.
3) The best choice is ⅓ cup of dairy-free shreds, like Daiya, because they provide
the least amount of saturated fat, while being free of dietary cholesterol and trans fat.
If you are under medical supervision for any reason, please check with your doctor before following these recommendations.
References:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/186191/top-natural-shredded-cheese-brands-in-the-us/
All nutrition information taken from product labels.
Zinöcker MK, Lindseth IA. The Western Diet-Microbiome-Host Interaction and Its Role in Metabolic Disease. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):365. Published 2018 Mar 17. doi:10.3390/nu10030365
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/the-facts-on-fats
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases
