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I could never do that.

Those are words I hear almost every time someone finds out I’m vegan.

The funny thing is, I said those exact same words not too very long ago. Veganism seemed absolutely Impossible with a capital I.

And the reason for that Impossibility? Cheese.

I had those same crazy cheese eyes.

You see, I had a spectacular love for cheese before I became vegan. If there were a cheese pageant (which there very well may be in Wisconsin), I would have been crowned “Miss Cheese,” been given a Swiss scepter and a cheddar throne, and I would have ruled my happy kingdom where it rains Parmesan and snows Buffalo mozzarella.

When filling out a form for camp at 12 years old, I listed cheese pizza, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese as my favorite foods. I ate giant spoonfuls of straight cream cheese for snacks at all times of day. I was crazy about cheese.

Then, at age 23, I found out about the reality of the dairy industry and realized that it was not in any way in line with my values. I had a big problem.

How could I possibly give up cheese? But how could I possibly support an industry that abuses animals? Or continue to eat something that is so unhealthy for me? I had to do something.

But I also had to be realistic with myself – I couldn’t break up with cheese at the drop of a hat. Other dairy products I could switch out for alternatives easily, but cheese, I needed to wean myself off of. This happened slowly but surely.

This is where you come in. You might be on this blog because you’re curious about what in the world a vegan can eat, and maybe a little curious if you could incorporate some healthy vegan food into your own diet.

And I will tell you truthfully that if Miss Cheese – a dairy-addicted, non-chef, non-expert, regular person – could do it, you most certainly can.

You can do anything you decide you want to do.

It’s a choice, and you have complete power in that choice! Isn’t that great!?

Going veg or even just incorporating vegan food into your life is a journey. It took me a long time, and I started it all by saying “I can remove all animal products from my diet except cheese,” and that’s what I did for a while. And then I ate a little less, and a little less, and then…how did it go?

Before I knew it, I realized I didn’t need or miss cheese (see my picture in the postscript below for proof!); in fact, breaking my addiction to cheese opened up all sorts of new culinary delights for me.

I tried Indian food for the first time, and guess what? I loved it! I tried different cuisines, and not only expanded my palate, but my horizons too. I realized I enjoy cooking and baking (who knew?!), had fun trying new recipes, became a more active advocate for animals, met awesome new veggie friends, and more. All from that first step.

So why not let your own journey begin? Decide to take that first easy step of finding a vegan substitute for something you’re addicted to.

If your addiction is cheese like mine was, challenge yourself to try a vegan cheese recipe or store-bought alternative. (Try Daiya for shredded cheese or Follow Your Heart for cream cheese!) See how you like it and try something new!

Or try an alternative to whatever your meat/dairy addiction might be. You can click here for alternatives to try for any craving!

Here’s an easy recipe for melty, tasty vegan cheese sauce (think nachos) that helped me transition.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

My homemade nachos smothered in vegan cheese sauce, spiced black beans, salsa, avocado, vegan sour cream and Cholula sauce…Ole!

– 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (A cheesy, nutty substance that is healthy and delish! Find it in the bulk section of Earthfare, Whole Foods, or any natural foods store.)

– 1/4 cup flour (regular or gluten free)

– dash of cumin

– 3/4 cup water

– 1 tbsp. yellow mustard

-1 tbsp. Earth Balance buttery spread

Mix the nutritional yeast, flour and cumin in a sauce pan. Pour the water in and stir until there aren’t any big lumps. Turn the heat on to medium, stirring constantly. When it gets a little thick on the bottom, turn the heat down to low and keep stirring. When it gets to the consistency of nacho cheese, add mustard and butter and stir off the heat. Pour over nachos or whatever you want!

To taking that first step!

Sarah

P.S. Here’s the proof that there’s (a really delicious) life after cheese! This is me having a mini excited freak out at L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Naples, Italy a couple of months ago. They only have two kinds of pizza there, and one of them is vegan! It was insanely amazing.

Having a mini-freak-out-about-how-amazing-this-is over my vegan pizza!