Vegetarians often shun meals and food byproducts that involve killing animals, but cheeses may fall into a gray area. This article investigates whether vegetarianism permits cheese and which varieties are better suited to stricter vegetarians.
Mac and cheese is a global food. This means that you can have a bowl of mac and cheese right before you regardless of religion, health needs, and diet plan. But what about the health benefit? Is mac and cheese vegetarian?
Traditional mac and cheese is not vegan because it typically contains dairy products like cheese and milk. These ingredients are derived from animals, making the dish unsuitable for those following a vegan diet, which excludes all animal products.
However, there are various vegan alternatives to mac and cheese available. Vegan dish versions use plant-based ingredients to replicate the creamy texture and cheesy flavor. Common substitutes for cheese include cashews, nutritional yeast, plant-based milk (almond milk or soy milk), and vegan cheese alternatives made from ingredients like coconut oil or tapioca starch.
Vegan mac and cheese can be just as delicious and satisfying as the traditional version while also aligning with the principles of a vegan lifestyle. Many restaurants and grocery stores now offer vegan mac and cheese options, and numerous recipes are available online for making it at home.
Cheese, the major ingredient in mac and cheese, determines if your mac and cheese are vegetarian. Plant-based cheeses are vegetarian so if you use them in your mac and cheese, you can consider the meal vegetarian. But you can also use animal-based rennet cheese if your vegetarianism allows it.
What Makes Mac And Cheese Vegetarian?
What makes mac and cheese vegetarian is the ingredients like cheese. If your cheese is plant-based, you can consider your meal vegetarian. Vegetarians are no-meat eaters; they do not eat any food that requires animal killing. However, some may eat eggs and dairy products.
Vegetarians mainly eat plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables. However, Lacto-vegetarians, Lacto-Ovo vegetarians, and pescatarians may eat eggs and dairy products like milk and cheese. Therefore, the cheese in mac and cheese is suitable for vegetarians.
If your vegetarianism does not permit cheese made from animal rennet, plant-based cheese options can substitute for those. Cheeses like mozzarella, grana-Padano, parmiaggo reggino, goat cheese, camembert, etc., are made from animal rennet. Hence, vegetarians cannot eat them.
How about the pasta in mac and cheese, is it vegetarian? Pasta is vegetarian. However, some brands may include some non-vegetarian ingredients like eggs during production. You should check the cheese and pasta pack you buy to ensure that they don’t contain animal by-products.
You can select other vegetarian mac and cheese ingredients to include vegetarian food items. If you are ordering from a fast food online, check for their vegetarian section or create your menu.
Vegetarian Mac And Cheese Brands
You can order vegetarian mac and cheese instead of cooking some days. Some brands deliver vegetarian mac and cheese. However, these brands may also deliver non-vegetarian mac and cheese. Knowing the brands you can order vegetarian mac and cheese from is important.
Below is a list of brands that offer vegetarian mac and cheese
1. Panera Mac And Cheese
Panera bread has vegetarian mac and cheese options. If you want a brand to order vegetarian mac and cheese from, you should consider Panera. Panera has some vegetarian mac and cheese options you can choose from. Broccoli cheddar mac and cheese and Asiago mac and cheese with roasted tomatoes are types of vegetarian mac and cheese at Panera.
Here are some vegetarian mac and cheese you will find on the Panera website.
- Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
You can order the delicious cauliflower mac and cheese, which is suitable for vegetarians. The cauliflower mac and cheese goes as a side dish; it is sodium and calorie considerate.
With cauliflower, crispy onions, and Dijon mustard, you can spice your Panera mac and cheese and give yourself the vegetarian experience.
- Asiago Mac And Cheese With Roasted Tomatoes
The Asiago mac and cheese is a creamy choice. This is a pure vegetarian option due to the combination of fruits and veggies this menu offers. If there are ingredients you are allergic to, you can change them.
- Primavera Mac And Cheese
At Panera, you can choose this delicious and colorful vegetarian mac and cheese as a main dish. The Primavera mac and cheese combos give your Panera mac and cheese a nutritious addition and give your crowd a tasty bud.
Garlic, broccoli, red pepper, tomato, zucchini, shredded carrot, bell pepper, and yellow squash are what you need to make a Primavera that can go with your Panera mac and cheese.
- Broccoli Cheddar Mac And Cheese
Panera offers broccoli cheddar soup that matches your vegetarian needs and can go with their best-selling mac and cheese. With broccoli florets and shredded cheese, you can get a vegetarian soup to combine with your Panera mac and cheese.
Note that Panera enables the customization of menus. Therefore, you can choose combos of ingredients you like only.
2. Banza Plant-Based Mac With Chickpea Pasta
Vegetarians can have the Banza plant-based mac and cheese. The delicious and nutritious vegetarian mac and cheese combine chickpea, plant-based sharp cheddar, and milk. Preparing Banza mac and cheese is simple and follows the same procedures.
3. Annie’s Macaroni And Classic Cheddar
Another vegetarian mac and cheese brand is Annie’s. You can have Annie’s mac and cheese as a side dish or main dish. The delicious mac and cheese are simple to prepare with natural ingredients and no preservatives. It is suitable for kids and adults.
Vegetarian Mac And Cheese Recipes
Vegetarian mac and cheese should not contain ingredients that are against the vegetarian rule. If there are ingredients you don’t like, you can replace them. The following are lists of vegetarian mac and cheese recipes.
1. 3-veg Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Recipe for two adults and kids
- Butternut squash – 150g
- Macaroni – 300g
- Butter – 40g
- Small leek – 50g
- Flour – 25g
- Milk – 600ml
- Plant-based mature cheddar cheese – 175g
- Brown bread – one slice
2. Slow Cooker Mac ‘n’ Cheese
(Four servings)
- Macaroni – 350g
- Whole milk – 600ml
- Cube butter – 50g
- Soft cheese – 50g
- Vegetarian mature cheddar – 100g
- Parmesan or any other substitute – 20g
3. Macaroni Cheese With Veg
Suitable for four servings
- Skimmed milk – 500ml
- Macaroni – 220g
- Cornflour – 25g
- Grated vegetarian mature cheddar cheese – 100g
- Grana Padano or another vegetarian alternative – 25g
Toppings
- Ripe tomatoes – 220g
- Frozen spinach – 8 blocks
4. Wild Mushroom Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Enjoy this mushroom mac and cheese with your family or friends of 4 to 5.
- Dried mushroom – 25g
- Chestnut mushroom – 200g
- Macaroni – 350g
- Butter – 75g
- Flour – 50g
- Whole milk – 500ml
- Mustard powder – 1 tsp
- Grated nutmeg
- Grated mature cheddar – 150g
- Parmesan or another plant-based substitute – 50g
5. Truffled Mac ‘n’ Cheese
This recipe can serve as a side or main dish for 6 to 8 people.
- Pasta – 500g
- Butter – 60g
- Bay leaves – 2
- Whole milk – 1 liter
- Flour – 60g
- Dijon mustard – 2 tsp
- Grated mature cheddar – 100g
- Powdered porcini mushroom – 1 tsp
- Fresh breadcrumbs – 30g
- Parmesan – 30g
- Chopped mozzarella – 125g
- Chopped taleggio – 80g
Conclusion
You should know that there is no format for cooking mac and cheese. For the sake of your health or diet needs, you can tweak ingredients. So if you are a vegetarian, who loves mac and cheese, go ahead and look for plant-based mac and cheese.
