Vegan Cheese Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

Nutritional summary

Vegan cheese nutritional profiles vary significantly by their base ingredient, with coconut oil-based versions often containing up to 50% more saturated fat than traditional dairy cheese .
Most mass-market vegan cheeses are substantially lower in protein and calcium than dairy cheese, with some studies finding that only about 10% to 26% of products are fortified with calcium .
Nut- and seed-based varieties typically offer a different nutrient profile than oil-based alternatives, providing higher energy density (calories) but also containing small amounts of fiber, which is absent in dairy cheese .
Sodium levels in vegan cheese are inconsistent across the market; while some European systematic reviews found them to be lower in salt than dairy, other research indicates they can be twice as likely to have high sodium levels depending on the brand and region .

Interesting fact

The first commercially available vegan cheese was likely 'Li-Yu', a fermented tofu-based product developed in China during the 16th century.

Standout nutrients

SUPER

SOURCE

Magnesium

ELITE

SOURCE

Copper

ELITE

SOURCE

Iron

GREAT

SOURCE

Chloride

288

kcal per 100g

Protein9.17g

Fat21.2g

Carbs13.7g

Fiber1.63g

Sugar0.73g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat4.46g

Monounsat7.60g

Saturated8.12g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

VeganVegetarianPescatarianDairy FreeGluten Free

Sustainability

Lighter footprint

Plant-based cheeses generally produce significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than dairy cheese.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

1–2 weeks

Keep in original packaging or airtight container

Refrigerate After Opening

5–7 days

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 3 validated sources

Phenol-Explorer

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

2 contributing source foods

USDA

USDA FoodData Central

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: a systematic review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high-income countries - PMC

[2]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nutritional Profiles of Non-Dairy Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives - PMC

[3]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparison of the nutritional content and price between dairy and non-dairy milks and cheeses in UK supermarkets: A cross sectional analysis - PMC

[12]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

36.9

Version

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