Last Updated on November 5, 2022 by Aaron
If you are looking for substitution for feta, you are in the right place.
But first, the reason you switching to a dairy free option is, perhaps, due to an allergy. Here in this article I’ll help you find the answer of why you will allergic to feta, i listed 5 reasons.
Below let’s take a step back to see why that happen.
Feta cheese is made using whole
Since it contains milk, feta cheese is certainly not dairy-free. Similarly to mozzarella here i explained.
Feta cheese does, however, contain much lesser lactose than other dairy products, so it is actually ok for a lactose intolerant person to consume moderately.
Table of Contents
Non-dairy Substitutes for Feta Cheese
Below I listed a few substitutes to replace feta, the taste may not be exactly the same. But at the very least you still be able to eat them without worrying a thing!
Almond Feta Cheese – There is a type of non-dairy almond cheese and it is very much like feta cheese. It has the same consistency and crumbly just like feta cheese. It can be found in places like whole foods stores. Be careful though, some of these types of almond cheeses still are not 100 percent dairy-free and can contain casein (milk protein), so read the labels before buying it.
Daiya Cheese – A popular non-dairy substitute to feta. It is free of lactose, and melts quite well over heat. It often be used for pizza or pasta. Plus, it is for vegan too! See this Cheezy Mac by daiya you can get now on Amazon.
Nutritional Yeast – While this is not exactly a cheese, it gives you a cheese
Tofu – Tofu looks just like feta and it can also be used to replace them “perfect”. It can also be mashed up and used to substitute for ricotta or cottage cheese.
Cashew Cheese – This is another non-dairy cheese made from nuts. It can be made into creamy spread and even cheese logs. Soaked cashew nuts go well with nutritional yeast, which turns out gooey and is therefore excellent for nacho cheese dips.
But wait,
why are you so confident that you can’t eat dairy? could it be something else to blame?
The reason being…
If you are allergic to feta cheese (or other cheeses), it is likely due to either milk protein or lactose.
It is actually quite different between these two, even though they both can show a very similar symptom.
That said, if you are allergic to milk it has something to do with your immune system — antibody IgE reacting to milk protein (scroll to see picture in this article); while if you are lactose intolerant it has something to do with your digestive system — lack of enzymes to digest lactose.
A lactose intolerant person’s body can’t break down the sugars in milk because their body lacks the correct enzyme, which is lactase. You can sometimes grow out of a milk allergy and lactose intolerant.
Symptoms of a milk allergy include:
- Hives
- Wheezing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Runny nose
- Watery eyes
- Rash around the mouth
- Tightness in throat
Symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Cramps
- Vomiting
- Nausea
Most milk allergies occurred in children under five years old, and by getting older, their body may persist to it. However, you can be lactose intolerant as a teen or adult, and this usually last a life time.
Regardless…
The taste of these substitutes may not be as good as the real feta, where someone often complaint about that, they served as alternatives to comfort those who unable to enjoy the real cheese while having no worry about the allergy reaction.
Someone asked a question: Why is feta smells exactly like my feet? Here is the an
