Reddit mentions of Earth Balance Original Dairy Free Buttery Spread, 15 oz

I was the exact same as you - I could have lived on cheese alone but I've been (mostly) dairy free for over four years. My daughter was having a bad reaction to nursing and my dr suggested I cut out dairy and it was a miracle for her and me honestly. I'd always been gassy but just chalked it up to "I guess I'm just gassy" but the change was dramatic and I'm never going back. Seconding goat cheese because it doesn't mess with me as much as cow dairy, so occasionally I'll get the Trader Joe's sliced goat cheese and it's delicious! I've found ways to not miss it and honestly I realized how much better I feel without it. It seems I now gravitate towards Asian (Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc.) restaurants, but I've also found ways to have delicious meals at Mexican, Italian, and American places as well. Let me know if you have any specific concerns about making the change and I'd be more than happy to do my best to help. I can recommend substituting Earth Balance for butter, and I typically use avocado to replace the "creaminess" of cheese on a sandwich. And for homemade pizzas or melts I can recommend Daiya (but NEVER eat it cold. So gross.)

[Earth Balance](https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Balance-Natural-Buttery-Vegetable/dp/B000O6EFGK) is not a bad butter substitute when you want to go vegan, though I think it performs better cold than hot. The problem is that butter does a lot of things in a dish. It has a particular flavor that Earth balance mimics well, but it also has a mouth feel, which olive oil is better at mimicking, and thickening tendency which Earth Balance does only OK at. I would start with a vegan butter and evaluate. If I wanted to make my own "swirl in" for a simple weeknight sauce (LOL, LOL, LOL), I would toast 1 part flour in 3 parts olive oil and keep that in the fridge, stirring well as soon as it begins to get solid.