Vegan Dairy Guide

16 items classified under standard Vegan guidelines.

How do dairy fare on the Vegan diet? The answer depends on whether the food contains any animal-derived ingredients. This guide breaks down all 16 items in this category with their classification, nutritional data, and the reasoning behind each status.

Dairy as a whole are excluded on Vegan. The classification applies at the category level: these foods are either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. The individual entries below show the nutritional profile of each item — useful for understanding what you are replacing and for finding substitutes with a similar macro profile.

16 Not Allowed

Quick Reference

Food	Status	Calories (per 100g)
Brie	Not Allowed	334kcal
Buttermilk	Not Allowed	40kcal
Cheddar	Not Allowed	410kcal
Cheese	Not Allowed	295kcal
Cottage Cheese	Not Allowed	148kcal
Feta	Not Allowed	265kcal
Goat Cheese	Not Allowed	142kcal
Ice Cream	Not Allowed	237kcal
Mac and Cheese	Not Allowed	257kcal
Milk	Not Allowed	52kcal
Mozzarella	Not Allowed	141kcal
Parmesan	Not Allowed	370kcal
Ricotta	Not Allowed	150kcal
Swiss Cheese	Not Allowed	290kcal
Whipped Cream	Not Allowed	257kcal
Yogurt	Not Allowed	81kcal

Classification Breakdown

16 Not Allowed — These are either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients.

The ingredient list matters more than the food category — hidden animal ingredients appear in foods that look plant-based at first glance.

Not Allowed Dairy (16)

With 334kcal calories per 100g, Brie earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. It also contains 20.8g protein and 27.7g fat, which may factor into overall meal planning. It ranks among the highest in this category for calories. The nearest lower option is Cheese at 295kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

334kcalCalories

20.8gProtein

27.7gFat

0.5gCarbs

0gFiber

Compare Brie across all diets

With 40kcal calories per 100g, Buttermilk earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Among the 16 items in this category, buttermilk sits at the low end for calories — next closest is Milk at 52kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

40kcalCalories

3.3gProtein

0.9gFat

4.8gCarbs

0gFiber

Compare Buttermilk across all diets

With 410kcal calories per 100g, Cheddar earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. It is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Beyond the primary classification, cheddar also provides 24.2g protein and 33.8g fat per 100g. It ranks among the highest in this category for calories. The nearest lower option is Parmesan at 370kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

410kcalCalories

24.2gProtein

33.8gFat

2.1gCarbs

0gFiber

Compare Cheddar across all diets

At 295kcal calories per 100g, Cheese falls into the Not Allowed category under Vegan guidelines. It is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Beyond the primary classification, cheese also provides 7.1g protein and 28.6g fat per 100g. It ranks among the highest in this category for calories. The nearest lower option is Swiss Cheese at 290kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

Variant	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Cheddar	409kcal	23.3g	34g	2.4g	0g
Mozzarella	299kcal	22.2g	22.1g	2.4g	0g
Swiss	393kcal	27g	31g	1.4g	—

Compare Cheese across all diets

With 148kcal calories per 100g, Cottage Cheese earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. It also contains 11g protein and 9.7g fat, which may factor into overall meal planning. Within this category, it falls between Goat Cheese and Ricotta for calories, ranking 6 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

Variant	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Full-Fat (4%)	103kcal	11.6g	4.2g	4.6g	0g
Low-Fat (1%)	72kcal	12.4g	1g	2.7g	0g

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Feta is classified as Not Allowed on Vegan, with 265kcal calories per 100g. The classification reflects that it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Nutritionally, it also delivers 14.2g protein and 21.5g fat per serving. Within this category, it falls between Whipped Cream and Swiss Cheese for calories, ranking 11 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

265kcalCalories

14.2gProtein

21.5gFat

3.9gCarbs

0gFiber

Compare Feta across all diets

With 142kcal calories per 100g, Goat Cheese earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. It is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Beyond the primary classification, goat cheese also provides 26.9g protein and 392mg sodium per 100g. Within this category, it falls between Mozzarella and Cottage Cheese for calories, ranking 5 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

142kcalCalories

26.9gProtein

3gFat

0gCarbs

0gFiber

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With 237kcal calories per 100g, Ice Cream earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. It is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Beyond the primary classification, ice cream also provides 8.6g fat per 100g. Within this category, it falls between Ricotta and Mac and Cheese for calories, ranking 8 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

237kcalCalories

4.3gProtein

8.6gFat

37.1gCarbs

0gFiber

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Mac and Cheese is classified as Not Allowed on Vegan, with 257kcal calories per 100g. The classification reflects that it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Nutritionally, it also delivers 11.8g protein and 15g fat per serving. Within this category, it falls between Ice Cream and Whipped Cream for calories, ranking 9 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

257kcalCalories

11.8gProtein

15gFat

20.1gCarbs

1.6gFiber

Compare Mac and Cheese across all diets

With 52kcal calories per 100g, Milk earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Among the 16 items in this category, milk sits at the low end for calories — next closest is Yogurt at 81kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

Variant	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Whole Milk	60kcal	3.3g	3.2g	4.6g	—
2% Milk	50kcal	3.3g	2g	4.8g	0g
Skim Milk	35kcal	3.4g	0.2g	4.9g	0g

Compare Milk across all diets

At 141kcal calories per 100g, Mozzarella falls into the Not Allowed category under Vegan guidelines. The classification reflects that it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Nutritionally, it also delivers 31.7g protein and 743mg sodium per serving. Among the 16 items in this category, mozzarella sits at the low end for calories — next closest is Goat Cheese at 142kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

141kcalCalories

31.7gProtein

0gFat

3.5gCarbs

1.8gFiber

Compare Mozzarella across all diets

With 370kcal calories per 100g, Parmesan earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. It also contains 40g protein and 1150mg sodium, which may factor into overall meal planning. It ranks among the highest in this category for calories. The nearest lower option is Brie at 334kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

370kcalCalories

40gProtein

5gFat

40gCarbs

0gFiber

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Ricotta is classified as Not Allowed on Vegan, with 150kcal calories per 100g. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. It also contains 7.5g protein and 10.2g fat, which may factor into overall meal planning. Within this category, it falls between Cottage Cheese and Ice Cream for calories, ranking 7 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

150kcalCalories

7.5gProtein

10.2gFat

7.3gCarbs

0gFiber

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With 290kcal calories per 100g, Swiss Cheese earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. It is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Beyond the primary classification, swiss cheese also provides 16.4g protein and 21.2g fat per 100g. Within this category, it falls between Feta and Cheese for calories, ranking 12 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

290kcalCalories

16.4gProtein

21.2gFat

8.7gCarbs

0gFiber

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With 257kcal calories per 100g, Whipped Cream earns a Not Allowed classification on Vegan. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. It also contains 22.2g fat, which may factor into overall meal planning. Within this category, it falls between Mac and Cheese and Feta for calories, ranking 10 of 16.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

257kcalCalories

3.2gProtein

22.2gFat

12.5gCarbs

0gFiber

Compare Whipped Cream across all diets

Yogurt is classified as Not Allowed on Vegan, with 81kcal calories per 100g. This means it is either an animal product or a food containing animal-derived ingredients. Among the 16 items in this category, yogurt sits at the low end for calories — next closest is Mozzarella at 141kcal.

Per 100g · Source: USDA FoodData Central

Variant	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Plain Whole Milk Yogurt	61kcal	3.5g	3.3g	4.7g	0g
Plain Low-Fat Yogurt	63kcal	5.3g	1.6g	7g	0g
Plain Nonfat Yogurt	56kcal	5.7g	0.2g	7.7g	0g

Compare Yogurt across all diets