Dairy Free

[chefling]

I would like to go on a Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten free diet for the new year in an effort to drop some pounds.

I've been GF for several years now and have no problem with that but I supplement my diet with dairy. No milk, but I do have cheese, cottage cheese and occasional yogurt.

For those who are dairy free do you do without these or sub soy or goat products? It seems to defeat the purpose if I'm subbing, with the purpose being to lose weight. But I need some quick finger foods for lunch. I tend to sit at my desk and work while having lunch and eating with a fork just isn't possible.

Any tips?

 

[MidgetDogg]

Why dairy free for losing weight? You can choose low fat, or fat free dairy products. I would never give up dairy unless I was lactose intolerant. It's such a tasty and easy way to get calcium and protein. Soy can cause issues with thyroid functionality, so I stay away from that.

 

[Dela]

This isn't answering your question really, but it does not look like you eat all that much dairy to begin with, not sure cutting out the small amounts you do eat will help to drop much weight, well maybe cheese because it's so densely caloric. Soy products are really up for debate health wise these days, but Almond milk is a good substitute for smoothies, oatmeal, etc. I'm not sure about goat products, I thought that is dairy too, just from a different animal.

 

[kathryn]

For those who are dairy free do you do without these or sub soy or goat products? It seems to defeat the purpose if I'm subbing, with the purpose being to lose weight. But I need some quick finger foods for lunch. I tend to sit at my desk and work while having lunch and eating with a fork just isn't possible.

Any tips?

As a vegan, I don't eat any dairy products.
I do drink non-dairy milks occasionally (especially homemade almond or almond/brazil nut or some other nut milk).
I rarely have cheese substitutes (as they are disgusting, IMO!), but will occasionally make nut cheeses.
I don't eat a lot of soy, and when I do, it's primarily fermented soy products (tempeh, miso) or whole soy (edamame--though I haven't had any in a long time). There is a lot of controversy about soy, and processed soy (fake cheeses, meats, protein powders) is something I avoid, while other soy is something I limit.

IMO, goat products, or any animal products, would be dairy products.

If you are looking for a convincing cheese substitute (I haven't checked the fat content), Daiya is supposedly very good (for those who like/want cheese).

I do agree with Dela that if you aren't eating that much dairy now, and are doing this for weight loss, it may not have as much of an effect as you want. Unless you are eating a lot of cheese now. You might have better luck replacing flour-based foods with greens, for example.

 

[chefling]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts.

It seems I am hearing so many people say they are dropping a lot of weight from giving up dairy and I wanted to be one of them but the truth is, I hear a lot of people dropping weight from counting calories, eating clean, working out, gastro bypass... yada yada yada... there are a lot of ways to lose weight and you guys are right, I'm not getting the bulk of my calories from dairy so this wouldn't really help me.

At best, I may get 200 calories a day from dairy. Where I do get most of my calories is from nuts, peanut butter and protein bars. Those are the items I grab when I'm hungry and tired or not in the mood to cook. Foods that aren't planned, not satisfying and calorie dense.

You have helped me to think this through more clearly and look at myself individually. The only realistic way to create a plan. I'm going to lose 20 lbs within the next few months and like it or not, I'm going to do it by counting calories. It's tedious but I know it works. Thanks again, you have been a tremendous help.

 

[MidgetDogg]

Counting calories doesn't have to be tedious. You can do it very easily with Cathe's nutrition software, or Livestrong.com, for example. I used both of these while I was dropping 16 lbs and it was invaluable to training myself to eat well. Cottage cheese, greek yogurt and skim milk are staples in my diet. So is quinoa, Ezekiel bread and tortillas, salad, veggies & fruit, lean meats (pork tenderloin, chicken breast, buffalo), eggs, almond butter and legumes. Obviously I'm an omnivore.

When I'm not in the mood to cook (most of the time), I have a big salad with about an ounce of goat cheese crumbled on top and some grilled chicken breast. The meat guy at Wegmans told me about these frozen grilled chicken breast strips that Tyson has now. They're very convenient, because they're already fully cooked and you just have to throw them in a pan to heat them for about 5 minutes. The ingredient list is very small, pretty much just chicken breast and spices. Not completely clean, but close enough in my book. I make a big batch of salad every 2-3 days, and it's just really tasty with the goat cheese and warm chicken breast on top. Mmmmmmmm.

 

[Peaceful Rainbow]

Haven't tried it yet, but both the co-op and health food store I shop at have a new product called "teese" that is a cheese substitute that is dairy and gluten free. I bought some of the nacho last week. You can check it out at teesecheese.com.

 

[RapidBreath]

Why dairy free for losing weight? You can choose low fat, or fat free dairy products. I would never give up dairy unless I was lactose intolerant. It's such a tasty and easy way to get calcium and protein. Soy can cause issues with thyroid functionality, so I stay away from that.

I was thinking much of the same. But, consider using organic instead. The lipid profile is much better and if it doesn't have the antibiotics (which do not cook away.) why not? As for cheese, I don't think thats going to help you loose weight really. I would switch to making chicken bites, I know you don't want the fork but what's the difference between a fork and a spoon?

Cut up veggies and pb or hummus are great for desk-time munching. Both are GF and dairy free.

Btw, I eat GF and dairy free most of the time. I have the intolerance and the dairy allergy (dark circles under the eyes, stuffy nose.) I still eat some dairy just not a regular part of my diet. I find its easiest/safest to eat whole foods that I just cut up on the weekends and keep in baggies/zip top boxes. Pre-packaged yogurts usually have hidden gluten in the flavorings. I just use the whole milk yogurt, cream top, and mix in my own fruit if I'm doing dairy.

You can try the coconut yogurts/milks. I like 'So Delicious' brand best. No dairy/gluten Oh, and the coconut bliss ice cream is great, especially the dark chocolate.