Dairy Free

[lainabaina]

I am pretty much gluten-free, almost sugar free and am looking at eliminating dairy. I think this will be the hardest of the 3, but would like to hear from those of you who have made the change to DF and what your results have been.

 

[mini-natty]

I stopped drinking cow's milk about 1 year ago and have been drinking soy, almond, coconut and rice milk. It was not a hard adjustment. I adapted pretty quick. I do however love my greek yogurt and cheese. I can't give those up! There are so many alternatives to dairy now, I don't think you will have a problem with the transition. As far as results, I never had a lactose problem, but I just prefer drinking other types of non-dairy beverages. So many varieties and flavors, I never get bored. Coconut milk is by far the best IMO. A bit costly but so worth it! I treat myself to a carton of that once a month.

Good luck!

Natasha

 

[RapidBreath]

Coconut milk was my favorite alternative. The soy made me fat.

 

[hokypoky]

I became allergic to dairy about 7 years ago, and the adjustment wasn't too bad. At first I missed my cereal and milk, but it wasn't keeping my stomach satisfied anyway. I do miss yogurt sometimes and never really liked the soy yogurts. Other than that, it hasn't been that hard.

On the other hand, my 12-yr old DD developed Celiac's last year, and not having gluten is definitely challenging (especially for a kid, I think)!

 

[DirtDiva]

I have switched to coconut milk also. I used skim organic milk with my protein powder, other baking purposes and with cereal, etc. Happily, coconut milk actually tastes better to me and works the same with making oatmeal, smoothies, scrambled eggs and recipes. I don't care for soy milk either, not convinced unfermented soy products are healthy. I still eat greek yogurt everyday and occasionally goat milk cheese. One thing I cannot give up is vanilla ice cream, but I consider that a desert and I don't buy it for the home. Other then that, I hardly eat anything milk based then the greek yogurt on a daily basis.

 

[Fidget Queen]

I think being dairy free is very easy EXCEPT that as a vegetarian, going out to eat and avoiding dairy is an absolute chore. Vegetarian to most of the world = bread + cheese. And I'm gluten free, also.

At home, it's the easiest thing in the world. You can make your own pastries; there are so many alternatives for milks out there or you can even make your own. There's a machine out there called Soybella that makes great nut milks. I borrowed it from a friend but haven't invested in one myself. You put in the water, nuts and whatever sweetener you want - I use dates or stevia liquid. There are a couple lines of coconut ice cream that are delicious. Otherwise, I make my own "ice creams" by running frozen fruit through a juicer or a good blender. My favorite is a frozen banana, two regular bananas, dates, the juice of one or two oranges, and a package of frozen raspberries. Extraordinary!!

As far as yogurts and cheeses go, there aren't great alternatives. I don't eat soy, either . You just have to get over it, I guess. Most cheeses do nothing for me, so I never care much. There are select cheeses out there, however, that are hard for me to resist if they're right in front of me. I indulge here and there. I never go out of my way for it, though.

 

[bmccartney]

I've been completely dairy free for a couple of months now. I'm breastfeeding and I suspect my baby has a milk protein sensitivity. At first it was a little tough because I was used to getting a lot of my daily protein from cheese and greek yogurt. I had to adjust my diet and eat more meat/fish/chicken and nuts. I started a paleo diet a little over 2 weeks ago, which was even harder to figure out what to eat, but it's not too bad. I drink unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened coconut milk. SoDelicious brand has awesome coconut milk ice cream, but I can't buy it because I have no self-control. I was surprised to learn about how many processed foods contain dairy. Even the coating on some chewing gums have dairy in them, some teas, and probiotics!

I have to say though, I had ONE cheese stick a week ago to see how the baby would react, and I had instant stomach cramping. I never really thought that I could be sensitive to dairy until I cut it out. I'm also much less bloated and regular in the bathroom, which is great.

 

[nkhansen1]

We are long-time vegetarians that turned vegan last summer, so that means no meat, eggs or dairy. We feel so fantastic without dairy! Not one of us has had a tummy ache in all that time, and our bodies are functioning better all around. We like rice and almond milk the best, but I also buy soy and coconut occasionally.