Tips for going dairy free
papple227
Posts: 34 Member
I need to cut out dairy temporarily while breastfeeding because my baby is just not handling the proteins too well. I pretty much live off of dairy so if anyone has any tips or food ideas to help me navigate this new journey, I’d appreciate it! I honestly had no idea how many food items actually have dairy in them, so I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.
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Replies
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You can do it! I like Califia Farms brand milk alternatives.3
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Raw cashews and water whipped up replaces cream for us. Nutritional yeast or hummus in place of cheese. We have an assortment of milks but have settled on oat milk in our oatmeal, soy milk in coffee.3
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There are so many plant based options these days, you can probably find a non-dairy alternative for most of the things you currently eat (depending on where you live, but where I am there are many plant based mills, yoghurts, cheeses, ice creams etc.)2
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I had to do the same for each of my kiddos... it’s not fun, but they will feel so much better! (And in turn far less fussy!)
It sounds funny, but avocado is a big dairy free staple for me. It adds the soft creaminess to things like sandwiches and salads. I made mashed potatoes with mayo and chicken stock (nutritional yeast would probably work well here but I have never tried it). Most times I just did without rather than substitute, but this was 10+ years ago when I was doing it and dairy free subs were few and far between. Read labels and make note of brands to make it easier to shop. Ask questions at restaurants (I had no idea steak houses out butter on steaks). I did the plant based butter (blanking on the name) and it was decent. It’s just finding new habits and pushing past the cravings. As many dietary changes as we have had over the years I can attest that the first week or two are the hardest, once you find your groove it will become second nature.
Oh, and Oreos are dairy free, best advice I can give you
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I went cow dairy free with my wife several years ago. I can actually handle it OK, but she can't, so since I do the cooking and meal planning, I went cold turkey with her on dairy.
Silk has a half and half that's great for a coffee creamer. Closest to the real thing we've found. Coffee Mate makes a few non-dairy creamers that are more sweet. There's an oat one called Sown, which is good, but very sugary. She never really cared for Nutpods, but a lot of folks do like it.
Soy milk is the closest to real milk in terms of taste. Vegan Earth Balance sticks are best for baking. Myokos for a margarine spread (but Earth Balance is good too).
Imitation cheese sucks. Sorry to tell you that. It's expensive and, IMHO, so not worth it. Make vegan parm with cashews and nutritional yeast pulsed.
Homemade mac and cheese -- roast some garlic, carrots, 1/2 onion and some yukon gold potatoes. Once roasted, blend (in a very strong blender) with one cup of soaked/rinsed cashews, one can of full fat coconut milk, 2 TBS or so of Nutritional Yeast, some mustard, salt, hot sauce to taste. Add just enough DF Milk to blend and Flour to thicken (I'm gluten free, so I use tapioca starch) - just one TBS or so. This makes an amazing "cheese" sauce.
I fry it with (Gluten free) macaroni in a large skillet -- it's enough for two boxes with vegan butter. You sprinkle some breadcrumbs with vegan butter on top and you brown it until slightly browned. You won't miss real mac and cheese and, to me, it's better leftover because it's not clumpy and nasty leftover.
I make several versions of this. Take out the carrots and make a white mac and cheese and use some mushroom truffle oil at the end. I might add green chilis into it or crabmeat (or vegan chorizo).
We make vegan protein shakes. Orgain, Sunwarrior are great. If you add them to ice, DF milk and add in half of a banana, they are like a shake. I'm gluten free, but found out Maca tastes like malt powder! Yeah!3 -
I need to cut out dairy temporarily while breastfeeding because my baby is just not handling the proteins too well. I pretty much live off of dairy so if anyone has any tips or food ideas to help me navigate this new journey, I’d appreciate it! I honestly had no idea how many food items actually have dairy in them, so I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.
I’m mostly dairy free. Some items I’ve swapped:
For milk - I use flax milk or hemp milk.
Yogurt - coconut milk yogurt
Butter - i use olive oil, avocado oil or pumpkin seed oil. (In order of mild to robust taste.)
Cheese - I use nutritional yeast
Ice cream - making at home I use avocado, coconut milk or so fruit or vegetable sorbets. In store, there are a ton of dairy free alternatives.
The first time I had spinach/fig sorbet it was a game changer.
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Oh, I had to do this for one of my kiddos and it was hard. Lots of good suggestions already, but for a treat I found chocolate almond milk really hit the spot.
Even though I'm not dairy free anymore, I recently discovered nutritional yeast and it has really helped me get more protein into my diet, which I was consistently low on before. It has a savory, nutty taste that's fairly subtle. I don't like protein powder at all (many non-vegan varieties use whey anyway so that probably wouldn't work for you), but I do like this. My one caution if you decide to try it, is that if you're still taking a prenatal vitamin to check the fortified stuff to make sure you're not getting too much folate. I buy the non-fortified yeast for this reason.2 -
Check out Minimalist Baker's website, as well as Ambitious Kitchen. Minimalist Baker's I think is pretty much exclusively vegan, and Ambitous Kitchen has a lot of vegan recipes (or at least substitutions) as well.
There are a TON of vegan dairy replacements on the market now. There's even vegan "butter" (which as my husband says, is just margarine).I'm not vegan and am not dairy free long-term, but have had to cut out most dairy (with the exception of yogurt, currently) temporarily as part of an elimination diet. You can also make your own vegan milks out of so many things--oats, rice, flax, nuts, etc.3 -
Speakeasy76 wrote: »Check out Minimalist Baker's website, as well as Ambitious Kitchen. Minimalist Baker's I think is pretty much exclusively vegan, and Ambitous Kitchen has a lot of vegan recipes (or at least substitutions) as well.
There are a TON of vegan dairy replacements on the market now. There's even vegan "butter" (which as my husband says, is just margarine).I'm not vegan and am not dairy free long-term, but have had to cut out most dairy (with the exception of yogurt, currently) temporarily as part of an elimination diet. You can also make your own vegan milks out of so many things--oats, rice, flax, nuts, etc.
When I was relearning to cook dairy and gluten free, I found both of these very helpful. To this day, Ambitous Kitchen's Thai Quinoa Cashew Salad is one of my favorites. Also love Oh She Glows first cookbook.2 -
I like silk organic unsweetened soymilk. Has a protein ratio simar to milk. Nutritional yeast is good as a parmesan substitute, sprinkle it on almost anything!2
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There are lots of dairy free alternatives to try. Worth noting that not all of them are equal so if you don't like the first one try a different brand.
I thought I hated coconut yoghurt for months before I tried a different one!
I often use coconut oil as a butter replacement for cooking, oat milk is my personal preference, applewood vegan cheese is good. I chuck peanut butter powder into porridge and stuff to add protein.1 -
DancingMoosie wrote: »I like silk organic unsweetened soymilk. Has a protein ratio simar to milk. Nutritional yeast is good as a parmesan substitute, sprinkle it on almost anything!
Would it be good on salads even? I have a jar I bought on a whim but haven’t actually used it yet 😜0 -
moonangel12 wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »I like silk organic unsweetened soymilk. Has a protein ratio simar to milk. Nutritional yeast is good as a parmesan substitute, sprinkle it on almost anything!
Would it be good on salads even? I have a jar I bought on a whim but haven’t actually used it yet 😜
I put it on salads all the time.2 -
So dairy free ice cream, almond milk, soy milk and diya cheese are great. Personally I hate cashew milk. Pick vegan sauces like alfredo and spaghetti as well to avoid dairy and watch which breads you buy buttermilk and many others contain milk/ dairy. Goat cheese is tasty and more tolerable to babies. Also dairy free protien powder (one scoop)is a fantastic coffee creamer substitute with a splash of almond milk. Smart butter is the best butter sub widely available.1
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Also read your soups and pretty much all canned food because dairy will be hidden in there unless the label lists vegan0
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Beverly2Hansen wrote: »Also read your soups and pretty much all canned food because dairy will be hidden in there unless the label lists vegan
Canned tomatoes, beans, and vegetables rarely contain dairy even if they're not specifically labeled.4 -
I've made some cashew "alfredo" sauce that was pretty decent, actually, and my family liked it (or at least tolerated it). The cashew "buttercream" was definitely a miss, though...2
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janejellyroll wrote: »Beverly2Hansen wrote: »Also read your soups and pretty much all canned food because dairy will be hidden in there unless the label lists vegan
Canned tomatoes, beans, and vegetables rarely contain dairy even if they're not specifically labeled.
This is true but I've learned the hard way that it's better to be over cautious than have a sick kid. My daughter is dairy intolerant. We find dairy in nearly every canned meal such as soup, chilli, ravioli and sauces even tomato based. We have encountered dairy in mixed canned products containing vegetables and beans to. Some stuff is fine like corn, green beans, pinto beans, chilli beans or black beans by themselves but different brands mean different possible ingredients so checking never hurts.0 -
littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »There are lots of dairy free alternatives to try. Worth noting that not all of them are equal so if you don't like the first one try a different brand.
I thought I hated coconut yoghurt for months before I tried a different one!
I often use coconut oil as a butter replacement for cooking, oat milk is my personal preference, applewood vegan cheese is good. I chuck peanut butter powder into porridge and stuff to add protein.
I've tried Silk's, Riveria, Yoso and President's choice brand....ick to say the least. I've always really, really wanted to like coconut yogurt...I'm sure the ones that are loaded with sugar and multiple things taste good - but that's not what I'd want either.
Which one do you prefer ?(mind you - you probably don't live in my country....Canada)
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littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »There are lots of dairy free alternatives to try. Worth noting that not all of them are equal so if you don't like the first one try a different brand.
I thought I hated coconut yoghurt for months before I tried a different one!
I often use coconut oil as a butter replacement for cooking, oat milk is my personal preference, applewood vegan cheese is good. I chuck peanut butter powder into porridge and stuff to add protein.
I've tried Silk's, Riveria, Yoso and President's choice brand....ick to say the least. I've always really, really wanted to like coconut yogurt...I'm sure the ones that are loaded with sugar and multiple things taste good - but that's not what I'd want either.
Which one do you prefer ?(mind you - you probably don't live in my country....Canada)
I don't know if you have the "So Delicious" brand, but that's the one that I like best.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »There are lots of dairy free alternatives to try. Worth noting that not all of them are equal so if you don't like the first one try a different brand.
I thought I hated coconut yoghurt for months before I tried a different one!
I often use coconut oil as a butter replacement for cooking, oat milk is my personal preference, applewood vegan cheese is good. I chuck peanut butter powder into porridge and stuff to add protein.
I've tried Silk's, Riveria, Yoso and President's choice brand....ick to say the least. I've always really, really wanted to like coconut yogurt...I'm sure the ones that are loaded with sugar and multiple things taste good - but that's not what I'd want either.
Which one do you prefer ?(mind you - you probably don't live in my country....Canada)
I don't know if you have the "So Delicious" brand, but that's the one that I like best.
Thanks - we do have that brand - I've yet only seen it in their ice 'cream' but maybe it's selling in other stores. Worth a try😉0 -
I’ve had to do this for two of my babies.
It helps if you are sure to eat plenty of fat throughout the day it will keep your supply up and help you not crave dairy. So like avocado, nuts and seeds and cook in healthy fats like avocado oil or coconut oil.
I use cashew milk in things I don’t prefer the taste. My favorite alternative milk to actually drink is coconut.
Read labels, eat plenty of fat, and remember it’s worth it. 💕💕💕1 -
Oh and look up a recipe for paleo dump ranch, it’s delicious and dairy free.1
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Just a few more tips. There's a brand of canned Coconut milks called Nature's Charm. They have Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk, Coconut Evaporated Milk and Coconut Whipping Cream. Whole Foods, Sprouts have it (and some other places too).
Come the Holidays or baking sweets, these are fantastic alternatives for making pies or fudge. I've used them all quite a bit. The Evaporated milk is great to have around as a staple.
My wife told my daughter she was craving a fruit tart for Mother's Day (I'm Celiac and she's allergic to Cow Dairy). Making the custard filling was quite the challenge. I ended up using the Nature's Charm Evap (Coconut) Milk and Arrowroot Starch and it turned out really nice.
The whipping cream is fantastic if you ever want to make your own non dairy ice cream too!1 -
I agree about the So Delicious brand of coconut yogurt. For me the Vanilla (which comes in the larger size) with added fruit worked pretty well as it had less sugar than the flavored ones. The plain flavor was a little too plain for my taste even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth.1
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Really depends on your faves.
I was never a big milk drinker and I never cooked with milk except occasionally in baking, so switching to oat or soy milk wasn't a big deal for me.
A bigger deal was cheese. I like nutritional yeast in casseroles, soups, and other dishes where the cheese isn't really visible. And it's cheap!
I like the Kroger brand Simple Truth cheese alternatives for a grilled cheeze or other dish where I want that visible slice, and daiya shreds for pizzas. Since these products are fairly expensive compared to the real cheese they replaced, I just don't eat as many of those sandwiches and pizzas any more
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for milk, go for fortified versions, so added b12, iodine, calcium vitamin d.
soy milk has more protein and nutrients in general.
personally i prefer oat milk in coffee, it gives a nice rounded flavour.1 -
There are a lot of plant based" dairy" products out there. I went through the same situation with my daughter, and the plant based worked great. If you want to keep close the same protein intake as real dairy, use soy milk products.1
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littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »There are lots of dairy free alternatives to try. Worth noting that not all of them are equal so if you don't like the first one try a different brand.
I thought I hated coconut yoghurt for months before I tried a different one!
I often use coconut oil as a butter replacement for cooking, oat milk is my personal preference, applewood vegan cheese is good. I chuck peanut butter powder into porridge and stuff to add protein.
I've tried Silk's, Riveria, Yoso and President's choice brand....ick to say the least. I've always really, really wanted to like coconut yogurt...I'm sure the ones that are loaded with sugar and multiple things taste good - but that's not what I'd want either.
Which one do you prefer ?(mind you - you probably don't live in my country....Canada)
I'm in the UK, it sounds like you have access to more brands than I do!
Koko is the one I like, they recently started doing a Greek style one which is good.0 -
Just one thing I picked up recently that applies to this thread. I just learned that Nopal, commonly known in the SW as prickly pear cactus, are SUPER high in calcium. My daughter, who is dairy free, is now taking a Nopal supplement. It's also great for blood sugar, blood pressure, even higher in Nitric Oxide than beets. Great fiber too. Real earthy taste though.0
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