A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through my local Kings grocery store for dairy-free foods to bring to back to school with me. Little did I know I would stumble upon an amazing line of Cabot dairy products that are actually naturally lactose-free.
As someone who has been dairy-free for years, just the pure thought of eating cheese makes me really excited. I love cheese, but my body doesn't.
Lately, a lot of brand names are coming out with dairy-free or lactose-free alternatives to foods like cheese, yogurt, chocolate, and more. However, the catch with these products is that they rarely ever taste like the real thing.
Not to mention, if you read the ingredients on these substitutes, it is pretty scary what you are putting in your body. Hence why I was ecstatic to find out about Cabot's new line. Here are all the deets you need to know:
The Brand
Cabot is a Vermont-based brand that makes several lactose-free flavors of their cheese like Monetary Jack, Vermont Cheddar, and New York Extra Sharp Cheddar. Not only does it come in block style, but also shredded, which is perfect for tacos or quesadillas.
The farmers at Cabot want to make their cheese accessible to all people, and they even put recipes on their website that use lactose-free products like the ones above. For example, try their lactose-free mac & cheese.
Too Good to Be True?
Just because this particular line of cheese is lactose-free, does not mean that it tastes any different from the Cabot cheddar cheese that a normal, dairy-loving person would buy.
Say goodbye to soy and other fake dairy substitutes because this tastes like real cheese, and it is. The only difference to this block of cheddar cheese and a block of Sargento cheese, for example, is that Cabot makes it without the discomfort.
Real milk is used, but, according to Cabot, "the natural aging process of cheesemaking breaks down the lactose in milk."Why Haven't I Heard About This Already?
While this cheese is a huge advance for lactose intolerants, I don't really think that Cabot advertises this information very well in stores. The packaging looks just like regular Cabot cheese, and I bet a lot of people are buying and eating it thinking it is just regular cheese.
However, if examine the package closely, it does in fact say that their cheese products are naturally lactose-free. Turn the block to the side, and you can look for the Lactose-Free box.
For the bags of cheese, turn it over to the back, and check just above the nutrition label.
As you can see, this information is definitely easy to miss for lactose intolerants who are probably never looking in the cheese section of the grocery store.
On the other hand, not all Cabot products are lactose-free so definitely double check the package in the places above before buying any cheese.
Personal Experience
The website says some of the cheeses have "little to no lactose" while others have none at all, but in my experience, it is totally safe. I can honestly say that this cheese has never bothered me, and I am strictly lactose-free.
Furthermore, this cheese, unlike substitutions, is made with natural ingredients with no artificial growth hormones, and can melt easily into many dishes.
When I compare this cheese with alternatives like "soy cheese," that don't melt well or taste at all like cheese, I honestly don't know why I would ever go back. Enjoy the real taste and joy of cheese without reservations or pain thanks to Cabot.