I recently wrote about the detrimental effects of consuming dairy and I understand it can be overwhelming when you realize how prevalent dairy is in the Standard American Diet (SAD). I wanted to provide a guide to all the dairy-free options I've found since ditching dairy. There are so many delicious alternatives to any dairy product you could think of. I'm sure I'll leave out certain brands or products, this is just what I have experience with.
Milk- Almond, Coconut, Cashew, Oat, Hazelnut, Walnut, Pea, Soy, Hemp, Rice, Flax
With so much variety in the way of dairy-free milk, it's not hard to find something you like. Just about half of the milk section is dairy-free now, which is amazing! My husband and I like Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk. There are many different flavors to choose from. I always go with the unsweetened versions of things if I can to avoid excess sugar. My Mom likes Califia Farms brand and my sister prefers cashew milk. There is something for everyone, you just have to find your favorite.
I get it if you've said you can't live without ice cream, and you don't have to. So Delicious and Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy are the only brands I've tried, and they're both great. They have almond, coconut, and cashew milk options. Obviously it's ice cream, so there is a lot of sugar. I try to only eat it for special occasions because you can eat too much without realizing because it's so good. This is a great alternative if you still want ice cream without toxic dairy slowing you down!
Box Mac and Cheese- Daiya
Sometimes you just want comfort food. It's not the healthiest option, but if you're going to eat mac and cheese, Daiya brand has the best box mac and cheese I've tried. The cheese sauce is processed and doesn't have the best ingredients, but chosen sparingly, this is a great treat.
Cream Cheese- Kite Hill
Kite Hill is one of my all time favorite brands. They have many different products, but the first one I tried was the cream cheese. They have regular, chive, and jalapeno flavors and they're all delicious. I make stuffed mushrooms with it all the time for an easy appetizer. I also love that all the ingredients in their products are clean, so I use it all the time. They also have a great ricotta cheese alternative that tastes amazing!
Whipped Cream- Reddi-Wip
My sister discovered non-dairy whipped cream from the Reddi-Wip brand. I don't use this very often because it is high in sugar, but if you're in a bind, this is the better option.
Coffee Creamer- Nut Pods
Though I don't drink coffee, my mom does, and she has been looking for a dairy-free creamer without added sugar for a long time. Our friend who works at Native Sun showed her Nut Pods Creamer. She loves using these because she can customize the amount of sweetness. This is a great choice if you feel like you have to have cream in your coffee! My mom also used Nut Pods in place of half and half for a sweet potato casserole she made for Easter and it was amazing!
Cheese Slices and Shreds- Daiya Vegan Cheese and Parmela Creamery Nut Cheese
Sometimes I want to eat pizza, quesadillas, or a panini. In those instances, I've been using Daiya cheese slices and shreds. Once again, this product has a few ingredients I'm not thrilled about, such as canola oil, but if I want a cheesy meal, this is what I use. I recently discovered Parmela Creamery Nut Cheese at Publix and I'm excited to start incorporating that into my meal planning because the ingredients are cleaner (no canola oil!).
Parmesan Cheese- Follow Your Heart
If you want to sprinkle Parmesan cheese over your spaghetti, Follow Your Heart has an amazing product that tastes just like or even better than what you probably grew up on. This brand also has canola oil, so be aware to only use it occasionally.
Feta Cheese- Violife
This vegan feta cheese by Violife is seriously life changing. I discovered it a few weeks ago and I've been eating it regularly. All the ingredients are healthy and it's a great replacement for feta cheese in salads, wraps, or just to snack on. This is one of my favorite on the list!
Kefir- Califia Farms
I haven't ever gotten into kefir but I've heard of many people who drink it regularly. Califia Farms has a dairy-free kefir that's thick, creamy, and delicious. If you're wanting to keep that in your diet, try this alternative!
Yogurt and Yogurt Sticks for Kids- Kite Hill and So Delicious
There are many different brands that use coconut milk, almond milk, or even cashew milk to make yogurt. My favorite is Kite Hill's Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt. My daughter and I eat it daily. It has nothing but clean ingredients. No clogging dairy or sugar makes this an excellent choice! It's delicious on it's own, with fruit, or sometimes I add a little raw honey, cacao powder, nuts, and banana. So Delicious has coconut milk yogurt with fruit flavors that are great, but just be aware it does have added sugar. Kite Hill also has yogurt sticks for kids now! I dilute it with the unsweetened plain yogurt so it's not too sweet. This is a great snack option!
Butter-Coconut/Avocado/Olive oils
I use coconut oil in all my cooking where butter would normally be used. It adds delicious flavor to bread, roasted vegetables, pasta, popcorn, tempeh, and tofu. I know some people aren't crazy about coconut, in which case you could try avocado or olive oil instead.
Queso/ Buffalo Dip- Good Foods
This is another product my sister showed me. Good Foods brand has queso and buffalo dip made from cauliflower and spices and they're seriously amazing. This is a great snack option to dip with chips or veggies!
Half and Half/ Heavy Cream (For thick sauces and whipped cream)- Coconut Cream
Half and half is often used in sauce recipes, so instead I use coconut cream or Nut Pods (mentioned above). You can find canned coconut cream in the Asian section of grocery stores. I've also made my own whipped cream by whipping the coconut cream and adding a little vanilla and coconut sugar. Califia Farms also has an unsweetened half and half alternative that I'd like to try as well.
Try Nutritional Yeast in Place of Cheese
I use nutritional yeast in many recipes instead of cheese. I put it on salads, in pasta sauce, and on top of soup. Because of it's cheesy flavor, it's a great add on to almost any dish that would require dairy cheese. Plus, it contains vitamin B12, so that's a bonus!
Chocolate Chips- Enjoy Life
I don't think I could ever give up chocolate, so even as a vegan I enjoy chocolate chip cookies by choosing dairy-free brands. My favorite is the Enjoy Life brand because they're easy to source and taste amazing. Sometimes I warm some up with peanut butter for dessert.
Bake at Home Cookies- Sweet Loren's
My mother-in-law surprised me with these delicious cookies. They do contain sugar, but if you want easy cookies you just pop in the oven, these are the ticket. They also have sugar cookie and double chocolate options.
Sour Cream & Ranch Dressing- Make Your Own with Kite Hill Yogurt
Whenever I want a creamy sauce for tacos or in place of ranch, I make my own using Kite Hill yogurt. Click here for the recipe!
Whey Protein Powder- Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder
Instead of using whey protein powder, I love the chocolate Garden of Life Protein Powder for smoothies. It really makes my daily protein smoothie something I look forward to and is made with all clean ingredients.
I hope you start trying some of these options in place of toxic dairy. With these products in your life, you can still enjoy foods you always have in a much healthier way. Check out The Milk Myth blog I just posted about the detrimental effects of dairy consumption for inspiration!
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