Dairy free diet?

Hi I was wondering if anyone on mfp is on a dairy free diet? Ideas and suggestions if you are please. Food and recipe ideas please

Replies

  • PinkPanther318
    PinkPanther318 Posts: 81 Member
    I guess no one is doing dairy free
  • chunkybun
    chunkybun Posts: 179 Member
    I have not been able to commit 100% to dairy free, but reduced my dairy dramatically when my Dr. Suggested I do so to ease my sinus issues.

    Avacado makes a great substitute for cheese on a sandwitch.
    I eat cultured coconut milk in place of yogurt
    You can make a whipped cream out if canned coconut milk
    Opt for tomato based sauces over creamy ones
  • Mof3wc
    Mof3wc Posts: 126 Member
    Dairy free here, myself and 2 kids...with the exception of the occasional pizza lol. We rotate between coconut, almond and soy milk and use coconut yogurt. There are lots of coconut/soy/rice ice cream treats to replace ice cream, and we don't use it but lots of people like daiya cheese. Canned Coconut milk can be used to make whipped cream, or to replace cream in recipes.

    Paleo recipes are all dairy free, it's a good place to look for ideas.
  • RawIndian
    RawIndian Posts: 90 Member
    I am doing dairy free. 80% of my diet is raw food (a lot of them) and for dinner I eat cooked food.

    I am dairy free because I am allergic to milk.
  • Biggirllittledreams
    Biggirllittledreams Posts: 306 Member
    I don't consume dairy, of any kind.

    If you want recommendations for products and such, feel free to PM me. I don't tend to check forums or get that involved in them, haha.
  • edisonsbulb
    edisonsbulb Posts: 93 Member
    Why would you "do dairy free" if you didn't need to? I avoid it at all costs because it's nothing but agony and intestinal terrorism to me. If you need recipes go here: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=dairy+free+recipes
  • I am dairy free. I use almond milk for things like tea, cereal, or shakes. I try to stay away from all soy products as I believe they are really bad for us to ingest due to 99% of soy products are GMO. I am not a fan of the taste of rice milk. I have for the most part removed dairy as opposed to replace it with something else.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    I rarely have dairy. I use almond milk for stuff like coffee, cereal, or baking. We buy pizza crusts and top them with Indian simmer sauce from a jar, or tomato paste, and them load them up with veggies. I sometimes use avocado on salads and sandwiches, but I honesty don't miss it much. I just got used to not having it. Nutritional yeast looks and tastes kinda like fake cheddar (the sort on chips). It is good on popcorn and veggies. Try simmering veggies that you normally have in cream sauce, in rogan josh sauce, or in Thai green curry (coconut based).
  • PinkPanther318
    PinkPanther318 Posts: 81 Member
    Thanks everyone! But who said I don't need to be dairy free?? I am having a lot of health issues right now and I think cutting dairy will help me figure out if dairy is causing my problems.
  • misdreagus
    misdreagus Posts: 30 Member
    I am dairy free!
  • numinousnymph
    numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
    i am dairy-free as well (i'm vegan). your question is pretty broad, so i'm not sure what exactly to recommend. for dairy substitutes -- almond milk, soy milk, rice milk are all good for milk-type drinks or recipes, and there is ice cream made form those milks as well. there is vegan mayonnaise, vegan butter, vegan cheese (daiya is especially good, and cashew cheese (usually you need to make this yourself) is great for mac'n'cheese), vegan cream cheese, vegan pastries & desserts (though you generally have to go to more specialty stores to find those). as for meals, just make things that don't have dairy in them in the first place. there are plenty of meals that don't have dairy. and you can use the above-mentioned substitutes if you are having something that normally uses cheese or milk.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    Thanks everyone! But who said I don't need to be dairy free?? I am having a lot of health issues right now and I think cutting dairy will help me figure out if dairy is causing my problems.

    You think? Don't you think you should consult a doctor or dietician before eliminating a major food group from your diet?
  • dmorinn
    dmorinn Posts: 38 Member
    I am also dairy free because I am intolerant to it which recently just happened and I have found it quite easy to find other alternatives although it is more expensive. I use a vegan protein powder, almond or coconut milk (unsweetened), cultured coconut yogurt which is delicious! Coconut oil is very useful and I started juicing as well. Cutting out cheese was the hardest part but after a while I don't even miss it
  • amywise10
    amywise10 Posts: 33 Member
    There are many replacements for dairy products like almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, etc. Some stores also sell nut milk yogurts which are pretty tasty, as well as coconut milk ice cream, and so on. I personally find non-dairy cheeses taste stale and tend to stay away from them, but you could always try a few to see if you like any of them.

    I get a lot of recipes from Pinterest, so check out that site if you haven't already.
  • PinkPanther318
    PinkPanther318 Posts: 81 Member
    Loup-
    Yes I think, when one feels ill it's pretty normal to give up certain food groups to see if they are causing problems, if not I am not going to give it up. But you have to try first!! Btw who says I haven't consulted the right person?? It's very annoying to have people like you post crap like that- you people need to stop assuming things!
    Thanks!
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    Okay, fine . . . it's not my health or well-being. However, doing something like that just based on a hunch is probably not a good idea. If it were me, I'd be very careful before doing something that could have a negative effect on my health and on my body. Good luck (and try not to be so vile when rejecting well-meant advice in the future).
  • sarahtsabo
    sarahtsabo Posts: 28 Member
    Lissanetti has an amazing rice cheese. Not sure where you're located, but natural/health food stores usually carry it! Good luck!
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    Loup-
    Yes I think, when one feels ill it's pretty normal to give up certain food groups to see if they are causing problems, if not I am not going to give it up. But you have to try first!! Btw who says I haven't consulted the right person?? It's very annoying to have people like you post crap like that- you people need to stop assuming things!
    Thanks!

    We have to make assumptions if you don't give us enough information!

    I don't think it is normal to give up foods without proper consultations, especially a major food group like dairy!
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    Dairy-free here (ethical reasons) – what kind of suggestions are you looking for? Lots of people have already given good ideas for non-dairy milks. Check the refrigerated section of your health food markets (or health food section of regular market) for non-dairy yogurts, cheese and even puddings. Also, you can make your own cheeses and cheese sauces with cashews, cream sauces from silken tofu, etc. There are lots of recipes online, Pinterest, etc.
  • amywise10
    amywise10 Posts: 33 Member
    I forgot to mention that there are substitutes for butter like Earth Balance "buttery spread". Be careful with items that say "non-dairy" as they could still contain ingredients like casein from milk.

    It's actually the norm to become lactose intolerant as we age, and there is absolutely nothing in milk that we can't get from other sources. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/integrative_medicine_digestive_center/news_events/lactose_intolerance.html

    And here is a link for alternative milks and how to cook with them. http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/milk-substitutes-00412000072828/
  • tr3kkie9rl
    tr3kkie9rl Posts: 144 Member
    I don't think it is normal to give up foods without proper consultations, especially a major food group like dairy!



    [/quote]
    You think? Don't you think you should consult a doctor or dietician before eliminating a major food group from your diet?
    [/quote]

    Elimination diets are perfectly harmless, as long as the OP knows to sub in appropriate foods that will replace the calcium and other things she would have gotten from the dairy. I personally struggled with cystic acne for 10 years, and no dermatologist I saw would admit that food could have anything to do with it - yet after 2 weeks of no dairy, my skin improved dramatically. And within 6 months, I was completely blemish free.
  • I'm 100% gluten and 90% dairy free (I don't scan every packaged product for dairy like I do gluten) both due to dx of MCAD. I usually only sub for milk with almond milk other wise I just skip both food groups, get my calcium from a supplement and fiber from veggies.