Cheese-Friend or Foe?

Since I worked at Whole Foods in the Cheese Department for four months, I now know more than I ever thought there was to know about cheese so I have appointed myself, "Cheese Guru".  So come, read, become enlightenedly cheesy.

Cheese can be a mixed bag for families with food allergies.  It's a kid-friendly food, dense in calories and fat, and easy to transport and prepare.  It's also loaded with cholesterol, the protein casein and lactose.  Before you speed past the cheese aisle there is hope.

Let's start with Lactose.  If you have lactose intolerance then your body is one of the many not equipped to digest the carb lactose.  This is because we weren't meant to nurse after the age of four.  Not a problem.  You have many, many options.

1.  Finlandia Cheese--www.finlandiacheese.com/healthy_lactose.html

This amazing cheese contains no lactose.  While they are making the cheese they introduce probiotics that eat the lactose creating a lactose-free cheese that is exactly like "regular" cheese.  Ask your favorite deli to carry it or contact the Finlandia people directly for a store closest to you.

2.  Yogurt Cheese--Wagon Wheel Creamery(local dairy in Oklahoma)

You can usually find some brand of yogurt cheese at your Whole Foods or similar type store. This cheese has the consistency of cream cheese without the sweet flavor.  Yogurt cheese is great for lactose intolerance again, because of the probiotics.  These magic munchers eat up all the lactose so you don't have to try and digest it.  

3.  Goat's milk cheese--So very many brands

A common but goodie is Carr Valley--www4mailordercentral.com/carrvalleycheeseco/searchprods.asp

I love goat's cheese.  LOVE IT!  And I don't have lactose issues.   My favorite is a Spanish chevre.  Anyway.  You want to ask for an ungoaty goat cheese.  This means it will have a mild flavor instead of a very strong goat flavor.  It comes in every kind of cheese imaginable, from mozzerella's to cheddar's.  I have even found a soft goat cheese at Sam's.  Goat's milk is lower in lactose than cow and can be easier to digest.

4. Yogurt--crockpot365.blogspot.com/search?q=yogurt

To ensure that the yogurt is either reduced lactose or lactose free you have a couple options. You can find soy, rice, goat and even coconut milk yogurts.  Or you can make your own.  This recipe is amazing.  I love it so much I will feature it alone in a post about making your own coconut milk yogurt. It is soooooooo easy and cheap!  But by making it yourself you ensure that those little probiotics get the time they need to eat up the lactose for you.

Casein Allergies

Ahhh, casein such a tiny protein that causes so many problems.  Here's the deal.  We all know that cheese starts from milk.  Milk's casein protein hides mostly in the whey part of the cheese. When cheese maker's are producing a firmer cheese like a cheddar, they drain the whey from the cheese.  This is why many people with casein allergies can eat hard cheeses like parmesan but not fresh mozzerella or cream cheese.  Options:

1.  Who needs cows?--www.galaxyfoods.com/ourbrands/usa/rice.asp

Try soy or rice cheese.  I have had really good luck with rice cheese.  You can find it already shredded which is nice or even in slices.  Hard vegen soy or almond cheese freak me out a little bit as they tend to be rubbery and advertise on the package, "Actually Melts".  Never a good sign.  But soy soft cheese are great.  

2.  Yogurt

Coconut and Soy--www.purelydecadent.com/products/coconut_yogurt.html

Rice--www.ricerafoods.com

In every flavor under the sun, you can find soy, rice, coconut and goat's milk yogurt.  

3.  Nutritional Yeast

Check out yesterday's post for a very "cheesy" sauce that could be used on anything from pasta to nacho's.  Sprinkle it on your popcorn for a cheesy snack and a boost in B Vitamins.

Having lactose intolerance or casein allergies is not the death of cheese for your family.  Just like every other aspect of this food journey it's about getting creative.  Although sad, we are not alone in this endeavor, so many other families have gone through this before.  So we must make use of their collective knowledge.  Plus our kids are going to have the coolest palate's by the time they reach adulthood.  Could you pass the soy yogurt and Drunken Goat Cheddar?

Visit your favorite cheese department, or get a favorite cheese department.  At Whole Foods as to speak to the cheese specialist, and ask to see the list of cheeses that fit your needs.  They will help you find and sample anything within their domain.