Cheese and other forms of dairy are often included in vegetarian diets because they’re produced by animals—they’re not the animals themselves. Not to mention, cheese is flat out delicious, provides a decent amount of calcium, protein, and fat (not a bad thing, especially if you’re experimenting with a vegetarian keto diet). The good news: It’s not hard to get your hands on vegetarian cheese if you know what to look for. Here’s everything you need to know. “Rennet is an enzyme that comes from the stomach of ruminant animals like cows and goats,” says Abby Cannon, R.D., who personally follows a plant-based diet. “Because it’s obtained after slaughtering the animal, it’s not considered vegetarian. Milk or cheeses made without rennet are considered vegetarian because they can be made without harm to the animal.” Cheeses containing animal rennet will almost always say one of the following on the ingredient list: “rennet,” “animal enzymes,” or simply “enzymes.” RELATED STORY: The 9 Cheeses Lowest In Lactose “These days, it is pretty easy to find vegetarian cheese,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D., author of Eating in Color. “Plant- or vegetable-derived rennet can be made from artichokes, nettles, cardoon thistle, or other plants. The enzyme derived from plants works in a similar way to animal-derived rennet, but the results aren’t always consistent. There are also microbial rennets, which are vegetarian-friendly.” Plant or vegetable rennet is sometimes obtained by soaking plants above to extract an enzyme that functions similarly to animal rennet, while microbial rennet is extracted from certain rennet-like molds in a lab. Or, another tactic: Opt for a cheese that’s not traditionally made with rennet anyway. See the next section for some tasty picks! Instead of rennet, the following cheeses are typically made by adding some type of acid (vinegar, lemon juice, or bacterially produced lactic acid) to milk, which helps form loose curds that can either remain as curds or be formed into a soft cheese.
