The Truth about Tofutti
Being that I try to stay away from dairy based products as much as possible I found that I missed cream based pastas the most! How could I get a delicious cream base without milk? Well I went searching on Vegan-food and found my answer. A beautiful cream pasta dish with spinach. I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and wow, delicious! I figured Tofutti and I would be best friends forever, I have found my alternative! Or so I thought.
The day when I actually looked at the ingredient list I could no longer claim to be a Tofutti cheerleader. I found what is known as partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Now some overlook this flaw but after doing some research on hydrogenated oils or “trans fats”, I quickly became very anti-anything with those words in the ingredient list.
Hydrogenated oils are basically all that is E-VEEL. They have been linked to causing heart disease, weight gain and even affecting the thyroid gland. According to Tree Light Health hydrogenation is the process of heating oils and adding hydrogen which in turn makes the oil more dense. It’s partially hydrogenated because it most resembles butter this way instead of becoming a complete solid. It’s cheaper and lasts much longer on the shelf so why not?
The problem is that trans fats make their way into our arteries and all cracks and crevices but don’t perform the same function as normal fats do. For example “good” fat aids in brain cell function, nervous system activity and digestive track operation. So in turn your body reacts by needing more which gives you that nice curdled look around the lower buttocks/thigh area and a lot of build-up in the arteries.
My advice to everyone is be sure to read the ingredient list. I would love to love ya baby but unfortunately, Tofutti, you haven’t made the band. The search continues…
Allen Holman Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 7:42 am
Thanks for the link!
What about the Non-Hydrogenated version of the Tofutti Cream Cheese? - http://www.tofutti.com/btcc-nonhyd.shtml
angela Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Hi Allen,
I took a look at the non-hydrogenated version of Tofutti which I didn’t know existed (thank you) and I’m still bothered by the saturated fat content. I suppose when it comes to things like cream cheese or their alternatives you will run into that
Thanks!
CindyC Said,
August 29, 2007 @ 10:10 am
My daughter’s preschool is a nut-free AND dairy free environment so Tofutti is used on snacks sometimes. I guess I never paid any attention to the label since I was just happy to even have an alternative. Have you found other better alternatives yet?
snowdog Said,
September 19, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
“Hydrogenated oils are basically all that is E-VEEL.”
I mean this as nice as is possible. I have lived in Berkley, Santa Cruz, and Eugene, Oregon, quite possibly the 3 most liberal cities in the U.S. I am vegetarian, for health reasons. I am concerned about militant vegans and vegetarians who equate their civic consciousness with their food choices. Organic foods, vegan foods, etc., mean nothing to most Americans due to cost. When statements like the one I quoted above come about during times of illegal imperial wars, when 24% of all families live below the poverty line, when 12 million children go hungry daily, I scoff at the overly zealous food buddhas who waste time preaching about holy foods.
No single food in the world is pure. NONE! Even organic strawberries can kill.
I hope you find better things to call “e-veel” vegan sour cream products.
angela Said,
September 19, 2008 @ 9:50 pm
@ snowdog,
My writing is not intended to be as serious as you have apparently taken it. That quote you used was to be seen as more of a comedic line taken from a movie. I am very aware of the struggles and more serious realities of this world so please do not paint me as this “overly zealous food buddha” that I have never considered myself to be. Thank you and I mean this in the nicest way possible as well, take care