Bagels with cream cheese are a go-to breakfast for many college students. I’ve always loved bagels with cream cheese, and I even worked at a bagel shop for two years.
Sadly, dairy products, like cream cheese, are not the most sustainable choice. Click to learn more.
Luckily, there are quite a few pre-made vegan cream cheese products available. A few students, and myself tested one made by Tofutti.
Student Feedback
Anna-Zoë Herr 8.75/10
- If Dining Services offered this I’d be really grateful and totally buy it! I’d eat this instead of real cream cheese because I don’t eat dairy products.”
Kiersten Sheehan 9/10
- “I’d eat this!”
Stephen Stuart 8.5/10
- “It’s pretty good! I’d go for it!”
Afton Leslie 10/10
- “There’s no milky, fatty aftertaste! I love it! Since I’m vegan I’d definitely choose this over normal cream cheese.”
Natalie Storm 8/10
- “It seems lighter than the dairy version. I’d go for it!”
The Verdict
The taste testers and myself all liked this product. The texture is exactly like traditional cream cheese and the taste is similar. You can tell it’s different, but not in a bad way. A vegan cream cheese would be an excellent addition to Prin’s Bagel Tuesday.
Although this alternative cream “cheese” is a step in the right direction, there’s one ingredient I have a problem with, and it’s palm oil. I did some research the company claims it’s sustainably sourced. Personally, I like to avoid products that contain this oil if possible.
Without it, many of the goods manufactured or grown would be damaged or spoiled before they reached the shops. In less developed countries without the sophisticated distribution and packaging systems that we have in the UK, as much as 50% of food never reaches consumers.
Some goods (such as fruit and vegetables) do not need any protection for shoppers to carry them home – but none could be transported from producer to shop without packaging. Packaging involves a multi-stage process for getting goods from production to consumption. It includes primary or sales packaging (what we take home), secondary packaging (boxes, trays and film wrap that group the items together) and transport packaging (cartons, larger containers and pallets that allow the grouped items to be loaded onto lorries). The packaging for all three stages is chosen in combination to provide the right level of protection to keep damage and wastage to a minimum. Thank you for your article, great and informative for Us your Audience.