A Tribute to Daiya Brand Cheeses

A Tribute to Daiya Brand Cheeses 

As the mother of an allergy laden munchkin I’ve had to come up with some pretty creative ways to make dairy free foods appealing to a little one. A trek through the local “we’ve tripled the price of everything because it is supposed to be good for you” grocery story led me to probably one of the best discoveries I’ve made yet: Daiya “cheese”. 

This stuff has been a real lifesaver because, unbeknownst to those not gifted the burden of allergen free cooking, most non-dairy cheeses actually still contain casein and/or whey. (I’m looking at you soy cheese!) Oh, and the majority of the non-dairy stuff available tastes awful which is reason enough to rave about one that doesn't.  

More and more run-of-the-mill grocery stores have started carrying at least some Daiya brand products and the product selection has grown too so finding it is becoming easier by the day.

This stuff is a major win and here’s why:

• ·         Their cheeses are actually decent for those of us that love our dairy! No, you probably can’t swap the non-dairy version with the real thing without us dairy eaters noticing, but that doesn’t mean they don’t taste good! My favorite: mozzarella shreds.

• ·         They really can be used in place of cheese! This may sound like a silly statement because you’d think that a faux cheese should automatically be something you can substitute in recipes calling for diary cheese but that simply isn’t the case. Most just do not work, they taste like plastic, they burn, don't stretch, etc. We’ve made pizza, nachos, mac & cheese, grilled cheese, flautas, topped pasta, etc. with the Diaya stuff.

• ·         There are a variety of flavors and forms to go with what you’re cooking! Flavors like cheddar, mozzarella, havarti, jack cheese, etc. are available and they can also be found in slices, wedges, and shreds. Having variety in flavor is especially nice.

• ·         They pass the kid test! Anything kid approved makes life easier for moms and dads.

• ·         They actually melt and stretch!  This doesn’t sound like it is important until you realize that grilled cheese and pizza are nothing without melty goodness.

• ·         They even have a cream cheese! Until now the only non-dairy cream cheese I’ve ever come across looked and tasted like putty. (*Note to self: No-bake cheesecake needs to happen soon.)

• ·         They freeze well! We keep ours in the freezer since they do not contain preservatives, and thus far no taste/texture difference in the shreds. The brick/wedges still freeze but it may somewhat alter the texture if you plan to use it as is on a sandwich, but if you intend to melt the stuff freezing won't affect it.

……and before anyone suggests I’ve written this because I somehow managed a Daiya sponsorship, I wish but no I haven’t, and we legitimately use/love the stuff because every kid should be able to indulge in some mac & cheese, grilled cheese, nachos, and pizza from time to time.

Note: If you cannot find the stuff locally you can buy some in bulk here: Mozzarella Cheddar Cream Cheese