One of my favorite things EVER is cheese. In fact I have a whole shelf in my fridge devoted to it.

Well, I have been having massive tummy troubles and my husband thinks I should see about laying low with the cheese for a bit. I agree and am going to get some soy milk and yogurt today at the store.

I was wondering if any lactose or not people had any great simple ideas for meals and snacks. Who knew cheese played such a role in my life.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy:

I love, love, love cheese. In fact, I would so much rather eat some great cheese and skip cake or chocolate.

I feel exactly the same way about cheese. I don't stress too much about it though, since I'm not that much of a dairy eater otherwise. But I do watch how much I eat a day.

I can vouch for going cheese-free being easier than you think. It helps to go cold-turkey for a bit and then add some rich tastes - say a good parmesan or a blue cheese - back in where they really make a dent.

Let me know if you ever want any recipe ideas.

Also, I just love vanilla almond milk for my cereal/oatmeal needs and use plain unsweetened soy in savory recipes - soups, sauces etc. Make sure to get the enriched varieties so you don't lose out on the nutrients that are in dairy milk.

If you had told me 5 years that I'd now be eating pizza with almost no cheese on it (and with no mozzarella cheese at all), I would have told you that you were nuts! But, once I started eating healthy and looking for ways to cut back on fat/sat. fat, I cut back and back on the mozzarella until I wasn't using any at all. Now all I do is sprinkle a little shredded parm on my pizza. It's just enough to get a hint of cheese taste but, like Lynne mentioned, it allows the other flavors to shine now that everything isn't drowning in cheese!

One more thing, Steph. If you are going to begin making more things without cheese, you will find that other flavors begin to take center stage which once were just cheesed for your palate. This is what happened to me: I was shocked to learn that I was cheesing so much of my food that everything tasted cheesy, as opposed to lending it's own flavor to dishes. Without all that cheese, you get to enjoy the true flavors of things - and this is fun too. Frankly, the way I used to eat was based on just a few beloved flavors: butter, cheese, salt, and anything creamy. Now I really taste what I'm eating because it isn't covered by other stronger flavors.

Lynne

Cheese, glorious cheese I too have had to ween myself off of the stuff, and now I only have it in powerful doses. Like chocolate, I settle for nothing less than the best, because it has to pack a powerful punch if I'm only going to have a little. Last night I had sirloin strip steak with a blend of bleu cheese and yogurt spread(brummel $ brown butter substitute) broiled on top of it. Wow, was it worth it. Less than a tablespoon of the blend was plenty spread over a strip. (Cook the steak first, spread blend over strips, broil 30 seconds)

I wanted to add that it isn't uncommon to discover you have become lactose intollerant. I can't tell you why it happens, but I know several people who found themselves in this situation, including my hubby. He was an icecream every night guy until his twenties, when it started biting back!

Lynne

P.S. Now he has to take lactaid pills, or the equivalent in order to eat cheesy things. Which is good, since I hardly make anything cheesy anymore!

well this idea came off the back of the soymilk carton...but a smoothie.

It's just 8oz of soy milk and 3/4 cup of frozen fruit blended. That's it... I think they are just yummy. I have done mixed berry, dark red cherries, banana w/some frozen fruit and strawberries.

I think the milk with the cherries is probably my fav.

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:

quote:

Originally posted by Steph:
One of my favorite things EVER is cheese. In fact I have a whole shelf in my fridge devoted to it. .

Wow! Who knew that you were that addicted? I only thought Sandy (who lives in Wisconson) loved cheese more than me!

The other day dd was rumaging though a kitchen drawer. I own 5 cheese slicers, 2 marble cheese platters and many wooded cheese/cracker boards.

I love, love, love cheese. In fact, I would so much rather eat some great cheese and skip cake or chocolate.
Giving up most of my cheese has been a SLOW process.
I weigh cheese now. I often buy part skim farmers cheese for pizza and I have found that I am able to enjoy the taste more as I eat less cheese. Stange how that goes, but it is true.

Pizza growing up was topped with mounds (pounds, literally) of full fat mozarella. I now use 1 oz of part skim on my individual pizza. I like my pizza now- in fact it is one of my favorite at home meals. Two years ago I would have never even called it pizza without at least 4-6 oz cheese per serving.
I have changed. My tastes have changed.

I use cheese more like a condiment now. Before cheese was a main attraction.

I made a great blue cheese dressing with yogurt, lf sour cream and 1.5 oz Maytag Blue. We made this into 5 servings. Each serving was only about .3 oz of cheese, but we got great cheese flavor.

Buying the best cheese helps. In small quantities. Whole Foods will generally sell me half of a 4-6 oz chunk.

Denise has helped me get off excess cheese. She says things like, "I don't need the saturated fat grams." and talks about eating food with little or no cheese. At first I tightened inside when I'd read her posts. Then I become more willing to cut back. Thanks, Denise.

If you get the extra-strength Dairy Digestive Aid (I get the store brand at Kroger, but there is a Lactaid version too), you may be able to eat cheese with less issues. Sorry if I'm being a cheese enabler.

quote:

Originally posted by cate:
nachos with no cheese? horrors!

I've also heard of people ordering pizza without cheese!?! another horror!

Here are some snack ideas that don't involve cheese:

Hi-fiber tortilla turkey or ham roll:
Spread tortilla with whole grain mustard, lay turkey or ham on top, add strip of pickle or red pepper or lettuce, roll up cigar style

Hummus and pita or raw veggies:
Trader Joe's has a low fat eggplant hummus that is yummy

Bean Salad: Mix together and enjoy!
Green beans, garbanzos, kidney beans
Diced red onion, Italian dressing of choice, basil if you have it

Tuna and cannellini salad:
Similar to the above, using cannellini or white beans and water pack tuna, onions & Italian dressing

Now I'm getting hungry...

Grace

nachos with no cheese? horrors!

<---cheese addict. My family is too.

how about sushi? dolmas? (grape leaves)

quote:

Originally posted by Steph:
One of my favorite things EVER is cheese. In fact I have a whole shelf in my fridge devoted to it. .

Wow! Who knew that you were that addicted? I only thought Sandy (who lives in Wisconson) loved cheese more than me!

I had to cut WAY back for cholesterol reasons. Cheese (even low fat) is WAY heavy on the sat. fat.

I don't have a lot of snacks for you... I eat oatmeal or fruit or a pb sand. or beans or a glass of milk (which is no help). Check the "What's for dinner?" thread and you'll see some good ideas!

Also any snack that you normally like, can be done w/o cheese. I eat nachos with no cheese now. I'm used to it now.