Is Cheddar Style Dairy-Free Cheese Shredded Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look at the chemistry behind the label, and the formulation of this Cheddar Style Dairy-Free Cheese Shredded is a classic example of a plant-based product prioritizing texture over metabolic compatibility. The primary issue lies in the binders and fillers used to replicate the melt and shred of real dairy cheese.

The first red flag is the use of potato starch and corn starch. In the food industry, these are standard thickeners, but on a keto diet, they are strictly limited. Both are high-glycemic carbohydrates that digest quickly, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin. Even a small serving of this cheese alternative can consume a significant portion of your daily net carb allowance (usually 20-50g).

Secondly, the inclusion of organic vegan cane sugar is a dealbreaker for ketosis. While the amount per serving may seem small (likely under 1g), strict keto adherents avoid added sugars entirely because they provide empty calories and can trigger cravings. Furthermore, the presence of potato protein adds to the overall carbohydrate count, distinguishing it from dairy cheese, which contains zero carbs. Finally, expeller-pressed canola oil is a processed industrial seed oil often used to keep costs down, which many health-conscious consumers prefer to avoid regardless of carb count.

Nutritional Value

When analyzing the nutritional profile of this dairy-free shredded cheese, the macro breakdown is skewed heavily toward carbohydrates compared to real cheddar. Real cheddar cheese contains roughly 0.4g of carbs per ounce and is high in satiating fats. In contrast, this product relies on starches to bulk up the volume, meaning the ratio of fat to carbs is not ideal for a high-fat diet.

The total calorie count is often comparable to dairy cheese, but the source of those calories matters. On keto, we look for high fat and moderate protein. This product introduces hidden sugars and starches that contribute to the calorie load without providing the satiety of healthy fats. If you are tracking your macros using an app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal, you will notice that this item requires a significant adjustment to the rest of your meals to stay under 20g of net carbs for the day.