Giving up dairy has been a journey in itself. At first, we went all organic and lately have tried to go entirely dairy-free. Sure we all love cheese in our family and didn’t think we could go without. Funny though, I thought I could still have a bit of cheese now and again – after all, I was the only one in our family who wasn’t lactose intolerant. And who can resist the occasional slice of pizza? Well I’ve been surprised to discover that dairy doesn’t agree with me now – after eating it, I suddenly suffer anything from congestion to stomach cramps, thank you very much.

Daiya Cream Cheese style spread.  I’d heard about Daiya products from other vegans, so I when I saw this dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free cream cheese style spread, I thought why not give it a try? The chive and onion flavour is our favourite particularly on fresh bagels (yes, some old habits die hard). We tried the strawberry one but it got a definite thumbs down from my daughter for being too sweet. PRODUCT NOTES Looks and tastes like the real thing. Regular cream cheese eaters will be surprised how realistic it is.  BOTTOM LINE Some fake cheese products have a funny aftertaste and people I know have complained about headaches after eating them. So limit your intake, and don’t go overboard. As my Grandfather used to say, “everything in moderation.”