Going Dairy Free

[Urchinia]

Hi ladies!

I have recently made the decision to go dairy-free. I have suspected that I am somewhat lactose intolerant, since I was a teenager.

The problem has been getting progressively worse, and foods that hadn't normally bothered me have started to make me sick.

As much as I LOVE dairy, I know it's not good for even those who aren't lactose intolerant or allergic. It really contains little benefit. So that being said, I took the leap and cut dairy out completely. Even so far as avoiding foods that have dairy additives like whey, casein, etc. I'm treating it as a junk food. I will allow myself a little bit during Christmas dinner, or very special occasions, but that is it.

I purchased "Go Dairy Free" by Alisa Flemming and it has been a godsend (along with her website!). Honestly, it has not really been that difficult to do so far..and I thought it was going to be torture!

I am one week dairy-free. I am noticing my stomach feels much much better, I have more energy, my skin is clearing, and although it wasn't my intention, I have also lost weight! I have gone from 112.8lbs to 110.8lbs in just a week.

Have any of you gone dairy free? Want to share your stories? Recipes? Tips?

 

[MumtoJ]

I am in the uk so may be different but by checking and reading around have managed to find mainstream options that are dairy free rather than paying for "specialist" options.

The biggest issue I find is eating out as it is such a common hidden ingredient.

I have found once I got into it I don't miss it though I do occasionally miss cheese on toast as that is the one substitute I've just not found a good one for.

Good luck with it xx

 

[Urchinia]

Thanks for your response! I do find that eating out is the most challenging part, but most restaurants are very accommodating!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I'm trying to lower Lucas's dairy intake (I have a feeling it's affecting his eczema) - day one yesterday I offered him a dairy free milk, he said it was "horrible" and refused to drink it

I wish I could do it though, dairy is the devil. Really messes up my insides. I just wish it wasn't so tasty!

 

[Urchinia]

I'm trying to lower Lucas's dairy intake (I have a feeling it's affecting his eczema) - day one yesterday I offered him a dairy free milk, he said it was "horrible" and refused to drink it

I wish I could do it though, dairy is the devil. Really messes up my insides. I just wish it wasn't so tasty!

I have heard that dairy can be the cause or worsen eczema. There are lots of dairy-free milks that Lucas may like. My personal favorite is coconut milk.. mmmm!

And yes, dairy is SO tasty. I'm the only one in my household who is going dairy-free, so it can be very challenging to stay away from the cheese!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Ahh I picked up coconut milk yesterday and put it down because it sounded weird! Will give it a try, thanks

 

[summer rain]

We are dairy free and vegan, one of my kids has chosen to be vegan and my second youngest we don't let him eat dairy as it gives him terrible diarrhoea. OH and I are both lactose intolerant and allergic to even trace milk products. I kept having recurring severe throat infections, even quinsy and dairy was causing them so thought delicious as it is, it's not worth it. Thankfully in the UK there are loads of alternatives, though it can tend to be the less mainstream alternatives that are more realistic. For example you can get really good vegan cheeses that are virtually indistinguishable to dairy cheese but you won't be finding them in Tesco xx

 

[morri]

|I am dairy free because my lo is allergic to cowmilk protein.

There are great substitue milks ot there I personally like oat milk, and hazlenut milk. Not such a fan of soy milk products really, taste too much like hay

 

[foquita]

I was dairy free before pregnancy and it was really easy apart from eating out as someone else mentioned! last christmas I went for a night out with a buffet for my friends and the 'vegan platter' that the restaurant had arranged for me when we asked was a plate of bread with tomatoes on it and a bowl of nachos

from about 10 weeks pregnant I was far too hungry and eating too much to be able to restrict, like in work there was nothing suitable for me in the vending machines after I had eaten everything I brought with me and was still starving so I started eating yoghurt and cheese. I haven't decided whether I'll give it up again once the baby is born, I'll play it by ear I think! eating cheese, chocolate and yoghurt again has been such an amazing experience, I won't lie

I still don't drink cows milk, we usually have unsweetened almond milk coconut milk is really nice but it has the most saturated fat of all of them so I try not to drink it as my main milk!

 

[calm]

I was gluten and dairy free a few years ago, for 1 year, and something in the diet didn't suit me and I ended up too thin. Now I am trying again, only the dairy this time, and have been 1 week. I will do it for about 3 weeks to see if it improves my health problems, and if it does go back to eating dairy (though I never drink milk anyway)

 

[summer rain]

The saturated fat in coconut is different to animal saturated fat and is healthy as the body converts it into energy as opposed to it clogging your arteries. In terms of fat profile, coconut milk is closest to human milk, but it has almost no protein. Soya milk is best for protein though it's best combined with foods that contain other types of proteins, some people are allergic/intolerant to soya and some people develop a soya intolerance if they replace all dairy with soya products-I learned this to my cost and had to stop all soya products for 18 months, looking back I think I always had a slight intolerance but it went really bad when I started drinking litres of soya milk. Oat milk is good, I find the taste of the organic versions nicest but sadly they contain no added vitamins or calcium. The two 'milks' that are closest to cows' milk in cooking and baking are coconut milk and oat milk. Almond and Hazelnut milks are good but most of the mainstream cheaper ones are little more than water and sugar, best to make your own or fork out a bit more for one of the pricier brands xx

 

[morri]

The oat milks where I live have added calcium similar to soy milk with added calcium.

 

[calm]

My almond milk also has added calcium (though so I've understood almonds have easier to assimilate calcium anyway)

 

[babyjan]

My son is dairy free due to cmpa, he has coconut milk (koko) in his cereal, the lovely Summer Rain recommended it, can not thank her enough because I really didn't want to give him soya and I've found coconut milk to be the best tasting alternative x

 

[summer rain]

The oat milks where I live have added calcium similar to soy milk with added calcium.

In the UK the organic alternative milks don't. They cannot be classed as organic if they do. This is why I drink the non-organic oatly despite it not tasting as nice. The non organic varieties all have b12, d2, sometimes other b vitamins and calcium added xx

 

[summer rain]

My almond milk also has added calcium (though so I've understood almonds have easier to assimilate calcium anyway)

I don't know about other countries but in the US and UK 'almond' milk can have as little as 2% almonds in. They do have added calcium but otherwise are nutritionally poor. I know the European brands of almond milk tend to be superior, more almonds, less or no sugar but cost a fortune over here xx

 

[calm]

My almond milk also has added calcium (though so I've understood almonds have easier to assimilate calcium anyway)

I don't know about other countries but in the US and UK 'almond' milk can have as little as 2% almonds in. They do have added calcium but otherwise are nutritionally poor. I know the European brands of almond milk tend to be superior, more almonds, less or no sugar but cost a fortune over here xx

I actually looked at the one I've been drinking lately, and it seems to be more or less the same reality (it said it has 2% almonds for 100 ml of milk). I'm still quite "happy" with it, but next time I go to a health store I will have a look if I can find one with more almonds.

 

[Bex84]

we are pretty much dairy free as lo is lactose intolerant and I have a sensitivity to it. We get coconut milk, buy lots of vegan and to be honest I make a lot of stuff from scratch. We do have the odd bit of dairy as lo is ok with a small amount as long as good quality (cheese) I am vegetarian, lo is not but a lot of the stuff which is vegetarian is also vegan with no dairy. I have always found it fairly easy, all the super markets near here have a free from range, we have a health food shop which is fantastic. There is lots of soya stuff though we don't genrally get as still upsets lo's tummy. You can make dairy free icecream with soya vanilla custard, just get ready made and then put in freezer and take out often and stir. I think the only dairy we even have a small amount of is cheese and some butter

 

[Bex84]

recipe to make home made almond milk https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-almond-milk-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189996 so that would be better nutritionally

 

[calm]

recipe to make home made almond milk https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-almond-milk-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189996 so that would be better nutritionally

I have a book that gives you the recipe to make all these types of milks from nuts and so on, plus the machine to make them, but never got round to it! (I use the machine for other things, just not for that) I'll probably dig the book out and give it a try. The other milk is convenient and quick though for everyday use, it might not have loads of natural calcium, but its harmless enough (from what I can gather)