Changing the household diet and way of eating can be tough! Especially on those preparing the food. Today I've collated some of our favourite dairy free swaps for the most common diary products.
Milk Alternatives:
Coconut, Nut milk, Oat milk, Rice milk are all great alternatives. Make sure to read the ingredients and ensure there are no seed oils or sugar added to the mix. When choosing an alternative, especially for kids it's all about the flavour. Experiment and find one that you love.
When starting out you might can choose to mix cows milk and the alternative 50/50 and reduce cows milk from there.
In Smoothies: I just use water, and maybe some coconut yoghurt.
In Mash Potato: Milk Alternative
Currys/ Stews: Coconut milk
Cereal: Milk alternative
Cheese:
Nothing will truly replace cows milk cheese and it depends on the level of intolerance as to whether the person can tolerate it. Some can tolerate hard cheese only, but not soft cheese. This is often due the lactose content. Hard cheeses are lower in lactose than milk/ cream/ yoghurt and soft cheeses.
When we want to add the cheese flavour, without the cheese, I add nutritional yeast. This works well in potato/ cauliflower mash, savoury egg cups and frittatas.
Salads, Pizza, Sandwiches: We'll either go without or add a little of our favourite nut cheese usually made from cashews or macadamias from our local health food store.
Butter:
Often, due to its low lactose content, butter can be tolerated. If not, try ghee, drizzling olive oil, or coconut butter. Avocado, mustard works well
I don't recommend many of the alternatives on the super market shelf, as they are usually make with vegetable and seed oils that create free radicals and inflammation in the body.
Why not lactose free products?
Because it might not be the lactose you are reacting to. Usually people go dairy free to assess are lactose intolerance, but there are other components and proteins in dairy that can cause a reaction, such as the protein casein.
When you have a lactose intolerance, you don’t produce enough of the enzyme lactase that works to break down the Lactose, and hence you feel unwell from not being able to break it down. The lactose, which is a sugar, ferments and your body rejects it through vomiting diarrhoea etc
Lactose free products are made by adding the enzyme Lactase to the product, assisting the body to break it down. However if you are reacting to the casein, you can still feel unwell from consuming the Lactose free product.
If you're unsure whether consuming dairy is right for you and your family, and you're wanting to ensure you are getting enough calcium and other important minerals from your diet, book in a consultation here.
Happy Day!
Jenna Poole
Clinical Nutritionist