Bidding Fairwell to Dairy

[eternamariposa]

So for all of you out there who have been there done that, what sort of substitutes have you found that helped you rid your diet of dairy? I am especially interested to hear creative solutions from people who, like me, have gone dairy free in a household of dairy eaters.

So far, I drink and bake with almond milk, eat coconut yogurt, and have coconut ice cream on hand for emergencies. I use organic smart balance in place of butter whenever possible but can't really eat things that contain large amounts of soy. But what about things like cheese-oh how I long for cream cheese, and whipped cream?

I am interested in more than just straight this for that subsitutes like almond milk to cow's milk, but also in your ideas for foods that get the job done. For example, sometimes I can feel satisfied adding salty/fatty olives in the place of cheese for things and feel totally contented. I need your wisdom.

[cristeen]

For cheese, there really is no substitute, IMO. It's best to go cold turkey.

Coconut milk is great for most other applications - from whipped cream to coffee. When I did this, I didn't use anything but coconut milk. I used coconut oil and animal fats to replace butter.

[Aubergine68]

When I have been dairy-free, I have found that hummus, especially the Sabra hummus we get at Costco here and ESPECIALLY the Sabra roasted red pepper hummus does the same thing for me as cheese on sandwiches, quesadillas, nachos, etc. It doesn't TASTE like cheese, but the flavor and texture satisfies me the same way. Especially broiled on flatbread....maybe with a little pizza sauce.....

And oven roasted garlic, roasted with a drizzle of olive oil until you can squish it out of the head onto toast, with just a sprinkle of sea salt takes care of a lot of the cravings.

Carmelized onions, too....

It is interesting that olives work for you....for me, a cheese craving translates into a salt-and-fat craving with a hint of a sharp, pungent taste. If you give yourself permission to try salt-and-fat alternatives, that makes it easier.

There are lots of amazing dairy-free foods that fit this bill....a sandwich with protein and horseradish or a really nice mustard , even mashed avocado with chopped onion.can do it for me...

[Alyantavid]

Cheese is impossible from what I've found. I can't find a decent cheese, that doesn't have casein, that tastes anything like regular cheese. All the vegan cheese recipes I've tried have been awful (I admit, I haven't tried that many but it gets depressing after awhile).

Tofutti makes a cream cheese that's pretty good.

Hummus and pita chips are a good snack that's kind of chips and cheese like. We use coconut oil in place of butter most of the time and almond milk really works well for use in creamier dishes.

[Stella_luna]

I use pesto in place of cheese for a lot of things--it's great on sandwiches and on pizza in particular--it gives a very similar saltiness & oiliness. (I don't make it with parmesan, obviously--the recipe I use is just pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and salt).

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by Stella_luna

I use pesto in place of cheese for a lot of things--it's great on sandwiches and on pizza in particular--it gives a very similar saltiness & oiliness. (I don't make it with parmesan, obviously--the recipe I use is just pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and salt).

Ditto this, but I add tahini in place of the cheese. There are some pretty good recipes out there for tofu spreads that have the consistancy of soft cheese like chevre. I've also been eating a lot of oil-vinegar with my bread instead of cheese.

ETA: IMO giving up dairy is really hard! So hugs to you. In my case its because it makes my breastfed babe cranky...but I have found it harder than giving up coffee and alcohol during pregnancy. It doesn't help that DH eats cheese all day long and is always forgetting and offering to cook me delicious dairy filled meals!

[eternamariposa]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl

ETA: IMO giving up dairy is really hard! So hugs to you. In my case its because it makes my breastfed babe cranky...but I have found it harder than giving up coffee and alcohol during pregnancy. It doesn't help that DH eats cheese all day long and is always forgetting and offering to cook me delicious dairy filled meals!

I am right there with you. Kicking dairy is kicking my butt! lol. And dh is awful about bringing home our favorite bagels and cream cheese as a surprise that will make us really happy. I keep trying to explain that this makes him like, our drug dealer basically, because we can't resist that dairy fix but we always pay for it in the end. And now that I am expecting I really don't want to walk down the same path we did with our first little guy being so grumpy with so much tummy trouble.

[EMS]

I've had to give up dairy, too, because of my nursing baby, and it's hard.
For me, the foods that I miss most are ice cream and butter. I use olive oil, which is good, but not the same, and palm oil. (I'd use coconut oil, too, if I could find it here.)
Coconut milk is a good substitute, especially in recipes. I had a pudding-type dish made with coconut milk the other day that really satisfied my dairy cravings.
I have to admit that I probably eat more sugar than I should to compensate. But that's not a suggestions, just an observation.

[willowsmom]

I'm also giving up dairy, per the results of a food sensitivity test.

Hummus. That's the way I'd go.

[nicolelynn]

Yeah, cheese was my favorite food before I developed a dairy intolerance, so it has been heart breaking for me. I haven't had cheese or ice cream in almost a year.

Besides the ideas mentioned, avocado helps me alot, on sandwiches, wraps, tacos, burritos, burgers, chili, and as guacamole etc to replace cheese. Rich and creamy.

Also, I've got really into nut butters. Almond butter being my favorite...spread on Manna bread or with apple slices mmmm. I use to snack on cheese and yogurt now my favorite thing is apple slices with almond butter.

Cashew butter is VERY versatile. I've made a strawberry "ice cream" by just blending frozen strawberries, cashew butter and vanilla bean powder. I also made an alfredo type sauce just sauteeing onions and garlic in coconut oil, adding cashew butter, water and salt and pureeing in a blender.

Macadamia nut butter spread on brown rice cakes, pancakes or waffles topped with apple butter is my other new favorite things.

Hemp seeds are delicious and nutritious blended with fruit and greens or green powders to make a creamy, dairy free smoothie.

So rather than just try to mock dairy products I'm finding new things to love so I don't miss it so much.

I've had decent nut based "cheeses" at vegan restaraunts. They aren't really cheese like at all but rather like a creamy nut pate, but really tasty. I don't go for fake soy substitutes for health and taste reasons.

[notjustmamie]

Increasing the fat in foods that have cheese but are more than just cheese helps a lot. For example, adding avocado chunks into taco salad or a slice of salami on a turkey sandwich has helped the loss of cheese for me.

Hummus and veggies on crackers is almost as good as cheese (though obviously will taste different).

Not knowing what you react to in dairy, this may not work for you, but have you tried non-cow dairy? I can tolerate goat and sheep cheeses (when we can afford them!) which helps me get a little cheese into my diet when I'm really craving it.

[lil_miss_understood]

As nicolelynn said, nut "cheeses" are really nice and creamy. There's a coconut yogourt recipe on kathysrecipebox.com (she also tells you where to get dairy free yogourt starter).

[tbone_kneegrabber]

btw you can get soy free earth balance. so if you wanted to do your limited soy somewhere else (in tofutti cream cheese for instance) you could cut it out of the margarine.

[eternamariposa]

Originally Posted by tbone_kneegrabber

btw you can get soy free earth balance. so if you wanted to do your limited soy somewhere else (in tofutti cream cheese for instance) you could cut it out of the margarine.

That is a very intriguing idea, thanks! I will definitely try out the earth balance because my lo and I are both sensitive to soy so using smart balance to replace some of our butter intake was kind of just trading one allergy for a lesser one. Speaking of which, for you mama's who avoid dairy what are your standards when it comes to butter? We let that slid a lot of the time trying to buy organically and don't seem to have a reactions, but I know that there could be underlying things that maybe we don't notice.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by eternamariposa

That is a very intriguing idea, thanks! I will definitely try out the earth balance because my lo and I are both sensitive to soy so using smart balance to replace some of our butter intake was kind of just trading one allergy for a lesser one. Speaking of which, for you mama's who avoid dairy what are your standards when it comes to butter? We let that slid a lot of the time trying to buy organically and don't seem to have a reactions, but I know that there could be underlying things that maybe we don't notice.

We avoid dairy in all forms- although I'm terrible with myself and slip up occasionally.. DS1 is IgE allergic though so he gets none.
I know there are mamas on the board who use casein-free certified ghee.

[WC_hapamama]

There is an "reddi whip" kind of whipped topping called Soyatoo that is soy based, that actually tastes ok. Nothing like real whipped cream, but it's just about comparable to Cool Whip, only not so oily.

There are also kosher pareve whipped toppings, such as Rich Whip and Kineret Whipped Toppings, but they contain hydrogenated oils.

You could also just get a whipped cream dispenser from somewhere like William Sonoma and just use coconut milk in it.

[nicolelynn]

I don't react at all to butter, so I use to justify eating it all the time. However, I realized if I am so intolerant to other dairy (diarreah or bad acid reflux within 30 minutes of eating cheese) I should probably not use so much of it to assist in gut healing.

I now eat butter/ghee on a rotated type basis, no more than say 2 days per week and not in huge quantities.

[kjbrown92]

Here is a recipe for pine nut ricotta which is really good in baked ziti and as a topping for pizza.

Avocado lends a creaminess to sandwiches that I like (but I never liked cheese on sandwiches anyway).

I fry my eggs in coconut oil, and I think it makes them taste very buttery. We use coconut oil in a lot of things.

We also make (and buy) the coconut milk ice cream, and make coconut milk yogurt. If you make it with only a little sugar, then you can use it for savory dips like dill-onion dip for veggies, or even as a sour cream for baked potatoes. I also make it into fruit dip for fruit by adding a little maple syrup and pineapple juice. We use it in baking as well (though it loses its probiotic benefits that way).

We've altered our foods so that we don't miss it so much (DH and DD1 still have it), but on pizza night I make one pizza for DS, DD2 and me, and one normal one for DH and DD1). We all have ice cream, them one kind, us another.

You can make a white sauce for scalloped potatoes that's delicious. We make tapioca and rice pudding with coconut milk. A lot of recipes on my blog are dairy free (maybe all of them). Jacqueline mentioned it above, in regards to the coconut milk yogurt. It hasn't been that hard for me maybe because I'd given it up once before for 8 months while DS was nursing, or maybe because the benefits were so great (no intense back spasms all day long for me). I try to make do with what we can have.

[Smokering]

Savoury yeast flakes. They have a kind of cheesy flavour. I've seen them made into a horribl brick of fake cheese, which was vile - but sprinkled on popcorn or baked potatoes, they give a vaguely cheesy, yummy, umami flavour. I'm not dairy-free, but I love yeast flakes - really nutritious, too. They might be labelled "nutritional yeast" - NOT Brewer's yeast, that's a different animal! Some brands are nicer than others. Worth a go, though!

[OceansEve]

spectrum palm oil shortening - we use this as butter.

Can you not handle goat? We are currently using goat cheese, yogurt, milk. Tho I am suspicious of it causing problems w/ DD3.

I thought my wonderful world of food was ending when we had to give up dairy...... then we had to give up gluten...... believe me it could be way worse... that is what gets me by day to day to realize there are those out there that have it WAYYYYY worse than us.