Cutting Dairy Out?

OMGeeeHorses
OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am thinking of cutting dairy out of my diet and going maybe with a soy or goat based add in instead. Is this a good way to go? I notice when I have dairy (unless raw whole organic milk) that my stomach does get upset and crampy. I hardly drink it anyways, but still wondering if cutting it out 100% or changing to a different form is better?


Opinions and comments please :)

FYI- Hesitant about soy because of all the warnings I have read about it. so idk about that one either lol

Replies

  • foodcart
    foodcart Posts: 42 Member
    There are a number of alternatives besides soy, including hemp, almond, and coconut milks. I use almond and coconut regularly.
  • celinarae94
    celinarae94 Posts: 131
    I'm a huge fan of coconut milk, personally. They even make "ice creams" and everything. I am not a dairy lover/fan. And cutting it out of your diet could improve your health and weight loss. Just make sure you are making up for the vitamins and minerals.. but if you are getting the coconut milks etc they usually have those added in them. Rice milk is not a bad choice either.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I love coconut milk but not for the saturated fat so I usually drink unsweetened almond milk. I like it for everything but not as a drink on its own.

    If you like to drink milk you could mix half unsweetened almond milk with lite coconut milk, it's very yummy served cold.

    I was completely dairy free for about 8 months so its not too hard to do.
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    I drink cow's milk alternatives more than cow's milk, however I am of the opinion that, unless you want to cut something out due to health/opinion, don't cut anything out. Rice milk is lovely!

    I toyed with the idea of going dairy free, but for me, the benefits of eating dairy outweigh the cons of keeping it in, and also outweigh the benefits of cutting it out.

    Good luck with whatever you do :)
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    I cut diary out mostly (still eat cheese sometimes). Almond milk, IMO, is the closest thing to regular milk if you think you'll miss the taste (hint of almond aftertaste). Coconut milk can be kind of sweet in comparison, especially if you have it mixed with vanilla or whatever combo is advertised.

    I can't get into soy -- still feel like it's too processed as a grain. Plus the midwest smells like soy all over during the summer.
  • Laurelthequeen
    Laurelthequeen Posts: 78
    I know it's not a "healthy" alternative to anything, but my favorite thing in the whole world is soft baguette smeared with goat butter, sprinkled with some fleur de sel. That and a couple glasses of wine would be the best dinner ever.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    Don't drink soy milk. It's the most horrible tasting dairy replacement there is.

    Rice, oat and almond milk are so much better.
    My personal favourite is rice milk, but I guess each person has his/her favourite, so it's just a matter of trying out different ones.
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
    :) I love coconut water and ice cream and have no tried the yogurt or milk yet. So I might stick to that. I am very low vitamin D deficiency so I take a vitamin D3 to get more of it. So I am thinking that it won't hurt me too much. I just want to get rid of the gas and stomach cramps!..I love goat cheese so I know I could replace that as my cheese :).. So I believe I will go coconut and if I can't do that milk I have had almond so either way I will get some benefit :)
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Soy, rice, almond, oat, and coconut milk are all legitimate dairy alternatives.

    However, they all taste like ****.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    If dairy makes you sick then limiting it makes perfect sense. You don't need it to survive. Watch for certain dairy items that you find irritate you, for me cheese and straight up milk are the worst. If you don't want soy there are many options out there like almond milk and 100% dairy free cheese, but you may find you don't miss cheese if you replace it, like in some mexican dishes you can use flavorful salsa or guac in its place.

    There are no studies that prove soy is "bad" for you. Just just by your own experience. I like soy, haven't had any issues.
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    I'm dairy allergic, so I substitute with soy, mostly. Not all all soy milk tastes the same. Some brands I just can't stand to drink or use it any way at all, revolting. Especially the cheaper brands. As already mentioned there are many alternatives. You'll just need to try them out. Some are better for drinking other are ok on cereal, and almost anything is ok in cooking/baking.
    Just don't expect any of them to taste like milk, they don't!

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