Dairy Free Diet

Lyric82

Hello all -

I was recently told by my doctor to go on a dairy free diet. I am having a hard time thinking of ideas for foods that are totally dairy free and cost-friendly. I cannot afford the 'specialized' given they are usually much more expensive.

As I am new to this - just wondering if anyone is on a similar diet and any meal ideas for breakfast and dinner?

As always, thank you!!! and keep up the good work

vim_n_vigor

If you want cereal or oatmeal - use soy, almond, rice milks. They don't taste like milk, but you can use them like milk. You can have eggs/bacon without milk.

For dinner - make your food without boxed ingredients. You can make all sorts of foods without dairy in them, and there are some vegan cheese out there that are dairy free that you can use if you miss the cheese. I can't tell you how these taste or what brands are best, but they are out there. Best of luck!

JessicaEPope

I can understand it's very difficult acceptng the changes to your diet. I suffer from both IBS and I am lactose intolerant, therefore dairy, tomatoes, fatty/fried foods and fruit juices all tend to make me ill.

I tend to make a jam or ham sandwich or something for breakfast instead of cereal, switched from normal tea to peppermint tea. I must say, eating out is probably one the most frustrating things I deal with. If I just don't buy cheese/milk or white sauces etc, then my diet that i control at home is fine but i tend to find that when eating out, the majority of dishes include cheese! Even when i ask for no cheese, some people still don't listen. Just to be sure, I now make a point of telling the person taking my order i'm lactose intolerant and can't have the cheese, this usually makes them write something down so they don't forget and give me something smothered in melted cheese haha.

Sorry i can't give you too many meal ideas, I cut out dairy and tomatoes etc out of my diet years ago, just tend to have things plain rather than in sauces, so fish/meat with potatoes/pasta and some vegetables.

I tried the different soya milks and things but they'r not for me, they don't taste like milk so I just cut it all out instead of substituting for something I don't really like anyway. You may want to think about calcium tablets if you're worried about that, but I'm doing alright. Sorry if I'm not much help, just wanted to say I can understand how it feels like such a massive change but you'll probably find you eat a little better if you're more aware of what you can eat and may find yourself being more adventurous to make meals interesting and forgetting about pizzas :P

bella8282

Dairy is a really hard one to get use too. my son has celiac's disease and dairy intolerant.

We use nutlex dairy free lite for margerine/butter
we use a combination of almond, soy , rice and coconut milk on his rice porridge/cereal. and for smoothies etc

we use Tofu to make creamy type sauce's and dips.

Hommus is a great dairy free snack!

And we just tend to avoid recipe's and meals that envolve cheese as it's hard to replace. Lasgna etc.
We do buy "fake" cheese but it's just not the same. My 4yr old prefers none at all if he can't eat the real deal.

We buy tuffuti "better than cream cheese" tofu spread.

So anything requiring milk you have choices! in your case if your not avoiding gluten you can also use Oat Milk, Barley milk and some others......

Thing's that dont taste good with out cheese- avoid!

Good luck! if you have any other question feel free to message me.

momof8munchkins

I am currently dairy free ..it was hard at first.. but I am used to it now.. I use canned coconut milk in my coffee, flax milk or coconut milk for smoothies and cooking.. olive and coconut oil instead of butter.. I do without cheese subs.. none of them live up to the real thing and they're so expensive.. so some foods are now gone from my diet- pizza, mexican.. but I feel so much better

bella8282

Oh and Almond Milk!! that is our fav you just have to try a few diff brands with soy and almond milks to find one you like.

Lyric82

thank you all for your feedback. I am just a little overwhelmed and it's going to be very hard for me to make this change as I am sure it is for everyone. My absolute favorite food is Mexican - which I basically have to cut out. And I used to eat 2 yogurts a day to help regulate my digestive system.

I've currently been diagnosed with IBS and am 'borderline' Celiac. Plus I have PCOS, Anemia, and they are thinking possibly thyroid issues. I know that cutting out dairy will probably make me feel better than I do now (which would be wonderful) so I have to just make the change. I was just told this 2 days ago so I'm still in that 'UGHHHH' stage. I just can't see myself cutting out cheese.

Again - thank you! I appreciate your help. It's helpful to know that the 'fake cheese' doesn't taste well - I'm not even going to give that a try!!

momof8munchkins

thank you all for your feedback. I am just a little overwhelmed and it's going to be very hard for me to make this change as I am sure it is for everyone. My absolute favorite food is Mexican - which I basically have to cut out. And I used to eat 2 yogurts a day to help regulate my digestive system.

I've currently been diagnosed with IBS and am 'borderline' Celiac. Plus I have PCOS, Anemia, and they are thinking possibly thyroid issues. I know that cutting out dairy will probably make me feel better than I do now (which would be wonderful) so I have to just make the change. I was just told this 2 days ago so I'm still in that 'UGHHHH' stage. I just can't see myself cutting out cheese.

Again - thank you! I appreciate your help. It's helpful to know that the 'fake cheese' doesn't taste well - I'm not even going to give that a try!!

I have celiac disease.. I recommend you go gluten free as well ASAP!!!. if you have not already. no wheat, barley, rye or oats or their derivitives. I don't see how you can be borderline celiac- you either are or you're not.. unless your doc is saying borderline gluten intolerant. either way you need to be gluten free. start taking b12 lozenges about 2000 mcg a day that will help with enemia
some sites that really helped me are
www.glutenfreegoddess.com and www,adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com both are dairy and gluten.. it really is common to be intolerant to both with celiac disease. celiac.com is full of important info you need to know
feel free to friend me.. it's tough at first but you will feel so much better .

darkling_glory

thank you all for your feedback. I am just a little overwhelmed and it's going to be very hard for me to make this change as I am sure it is for everyone. My absolute favorite food is Mexican - which I basically have to cut out. And I used to eat 2 yogurts a day to help regulate my digestive system.

I've currently been diagnosed with IBS and am 'borderline' Celiac. Plus I have PCOS, Anemia, and they are thinking possibly thyroid issues. I know that cutting out dairy will probably make me feel better than I do now (which would be wonderful) so I have to just make the change. I was just told this 2 days ago so I'm still in that 'UGHHHH' stage. I just can't see myself cutting out cheese.

Again - thank you! I appreciate your help. It's helpful to know that the 'fake cheese' doesn't taste well - I'm not even going to give that a try!! tongue

Aww, some fake cheese are okay. You just have to look at them as a new food. It won't taste "just" like cheese, but they are okay in their own right. Daiya is really good (IMO).

Soy, rice, almond milk are great subs for dairy milk and can be used in baking pretty much interchangeably. Find the one you like the best. I buy in bulk at Costco - 12 32oz boxes of soy milk for $10.

You'll just have to get used to reading labels, but in a couple of weeks, it will become second nature to you!

If you post some of the things you usually eat, I can give you some tips on how to cut out the dairy.

Good luck!

Vitamin100

Once you put your mind to it, you can follow dairy free diet without too much difficulties. :-)
And once you realise how much better you start feeling by cutting dairy out - you wont even feel like having a yoghurt or ice cream any more!

I'm allergic to milk protein and have a serious IBS so I've studied a lot of nutrients and different diets to improve my life in the past 10 years. And it's true, I naturally dont even feel like having milk or yoghurt any more.

You can get probiotics in capsules from many pharmacies and health shops. They're really good for IBS and general gut health.

Think of things you can make easily without milk such as spaghetti bolognese, chicken/meat/fish in tomato based sauces (without the skins in case of bad IBS) and for example omelettes! They're good for breakfast, quick, healthy, easy to make and they keep you full for a long time!

Try thinking more of what you can eat rather than what you cant and you'll make the change to your diet with a smile on your face in no time! :-)

(yesterday I made some chilli/bolognese filled portobello mushrooms, which were really tasty!)

Good luck !!!!

Vitamin100

When cutting food groups out, just remember to make sure you stick to a varied diet in order to get all the nutrients your body needs.

For non dairy diet, it's very important to get the calcium elsewhere, for example dark leaf greens. (kale, broccoli etc are high in calcium)

Lyric82

Also - - -


Does anyone know of any lean protein shakes that one can use that are dairy free? All of the ones I've been using for breakfast or a snack contain milk by products.

Thanks!!

darkling_glory

Look for "vegan" protein shakes. Those will be safe for you. Hemp protein isn't the tastiest, but it will do the trick. You can try Vega products. I don't know if I can link here, but if you google it, it will be the first one you see.

momof8munchkins

Also - - -


Does anyone know of any lean protein shakes that one can use that are dairy free? All of the ones I've been using for breakfast or a snack contain milk by products.

Thanks!!

egg white protein powders are pretty good

michellyn

I'm temporarily (maybe) dairy free. I've had some sinus-type issues that won't go away, and I just realized that they began shortly after I finished a cleansing-type diet (the Daniel Fast) this summer. I wondered if I might have a food allergy, and since dairy is so common, I figured I'd start by trying an elimination diet for that.

Are there any good half and half or cream alternatives out there? I can use coconut milk in my coffee, but my family won't like it in Chicken Dijon! My husband hates coconut. Which type of non-dairy milk do you prefer in things like cream soups? I've mostly just avoided creamy foods the last few days, but I know I won't be happy with that long term, especially since I cook for my family, who is not dairy-free.

Is there anyone here who has a slight allergy and can have a serving of dairy once in a blue moon with little efect? Or is that just hopeful thinking on my part?

Vitamin100

Hi Michellyn,
I've been allergic to milk protein for many years (diagnosed around 13 years ago, but went unnoticed for many years and nobody suspected milk). I dont have any dairy in my diet....except cheese sometimes, as I've simply been too weak to resist it.

Little cheese here and there seems to be ok for me, but anything from fresh milk is a definite no.

Main symptoms are total exhaustion and sleepiness a little while after eating, blocked nose and lots of sinus problems (I suffered with that all my life and I have a suspicion that if milk protein had been excluded earlier, I would've avoided numerous of sinus blockages and antibiotics). I also get little spots mainly in my hands, but sometimes dry blotches anywhere on the body. (these cure within a day or two).

It's important to remember that milk protein allergy is different from lactose intolerance (intolerance to the sugar in milk).

So lactose free products will not be ok for an allergic person.

I've also found that they add milk protein in some cerials. ( Found this out by thinking of having dairy free diet and constantly having problems in the morning after my cerial with soy milk or juice...the read the package and couldnt believe it! Well, now I know)

It will take a few weeks easily before you start noticing a bigger difference in your energy levels if milk protein is the cause, but after that, I believe that a little cheating will not kill you as long as you know when you're eating dairy and can expect the symptoms. :-)

pixiechick8321

Sorry to hear of your new diagnosis, it's a bummer but there are tons of alternatives!

Here's one site that you will fall in love with:
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

Her stuff is all dairy free and she's a vegan dessert cook...

As mentioned, there are several alternatives to almost all dairy products, you just have to embrace cooking IN instead of going OUT.

I suggest googling for blogs where people post tons of recipes and going through your favorite foods (Write them down) and then find substitutes.

Here are some quick thoughts:
Oatmeal
Scrambled eggs (or if you can't do eggs, then scrambled tofu)
Bagel/bread/english muffin w/ jam, pb, nutella, etc
Cereal with almond/soy milk
breakfast buritto with beans, tomato, peppers, potato, tofu

tuna fish on crackers with oil & vinegar
soy yogurt
stir fries with veggies, meat, etc

good luck!

michellyn

I'm so relieved to hear that about cheese! I'm still debating if I'll cheat on Thanksgiving (I know it would be bad to cheat in this early elimination time, but it's Thanksgiving!). And I'm relieved to hear that cheese has been okay for you once in a while. I can live with the idea of doing without milk; the idea of going without butter and cream is a little painful, but somewhat endurable, but for a girl raised in the dairy state, living completely without cheese for the rest of my life seems unendurable! Thankfully, I cook a lot of things from scratch, but I can't afford a lot of alternatives on a regular basis, and I don't want to waste money on them just for me if the rest of my family hates them (though with some recipes, I could see making a portion with my milk for me and the rest with regular milk for the family.

For Thanksgiving, we usually have a family jello--either a lime one with pineapple, cream cheese, and marischino cherries or an orange one with milk, melted marshmallows, melted cream cheese, pineapple, mandarin oranges, Cool Whip and a little mayonnaise (sounds strange but tastes fine). I'm going to want to eat some of whichever I make. Do you think either of these will taste the same with non-dairy substitutes? Any suggestions on which type of milk and/or cream cheese to use in them?

I'm guessing I can make some rolls without dairy (maybe I can find some in the store?); I could probably use olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip them in instead of butter (I hate margarine!). I'll look for a good pumpkin pie recipe with dairy substitutes (anyone have a favorite?). I often buy premade crusts, so I'll check the ingredients list on those or make one with shortening instead of butter.

Do stuffing mixes usually have dairy in the bread? Hmm. . . hoping I don't have to make bread from scratch for that! I think I covered most of my Thanksgiving dairy temptations. Thanks for your help!