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I just found out that I'm very allergic to dairy. I haven't drank milk for years, so I know all the good substitutes for that, but....
I need some good non-dairy substitutes for:
Cheese
Cream Cheese
Ice Cream
Yogurt
I bought some stuff at the store and it was nasty... so I need some help! Is it even possible to get good non-dairy replacements for this stuff?
Hi, Gizmo,
I have more or less given up. Cheese is not replaceable, at least for me. What I missed the most was my weekly homemade latte. I have discovered that I can heat a full-fat cocoanut milk (not that stuff in the dairy case, the canned stuff) and mix with espresso and it is lovely. It is not a latte but it is good. I don't mess with cheese, ice cream, or yogurt. Or sour cream. Those are items that I miss but I am better off without rather than trying to substitute.
I also dropped wheat. One of the sites I read suggested that you stay wheat free for quite a while before trying substitutes. The reason is that if you have a recent memory of wheat, the subs will not really measure up. If you wait some weeks or months before subbing, then you are happier with the subs. Perhaps that idea would apply also with dairy?
If you eat soy you may have better choices but I react to soy, also...I'll be watching this thread for solutions!
Chopped nuts and seeds make a good replacement for cheese that you would sprinkle on something.
To replace spreadable cheese, try nut butter or hummus.
To replace hard cheese - just eat something else. There is vegan "cheese" at the store but I find it unappealing.
Ice cream - there is a really good coconut milk-based ice cream that our natural food store carries . It's costly but as an occasional treat, its very good. It's also not difficult to make your own ice creams based on almond, soy, or coconut milk.
Yogurt - there is soy yogurt but I just go without when I'm off dairy.
I find it much more constructive to think of alternatives not as replacements, but as available foods. Cheese has a pretty distinctive flavor and so if you're trying to find a precise replacement, you probably won't.
My daughter is VEGAN. She likes VEGAN sour cream and cream cheese. She hasn't found any non-dairy cheeses she likes though.
You can even find some Almond yogurt. She likes the almond/rice/soy ice creams.
We all like Almond milk. You can find it in unsweetened or slightly sweetened, or very sweetened. I like the Almond Breeze chocolate milk.
just don't eat it. you don't really need these things.
when i was vegan, i never ate the substitutes either.
You can make tasty panna cotta (and undoubtedly ice cream) from almond, coconut, and (new!) almond-coconut blend "milks," now available in the dairy case. I'm particularly fond of Almond Breeze's unsweetened almond-coconut. Supposedly, you can make yogurt from them if you add sweetener to feed the bacteria that normally eat lactose.
http://veganepicurean.blogspot.com/2...rsion-one.html
Here's a nice, fairly comprehensive list of reviews of different dairy alternatives: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24336.0
Are you allergic to all dairy, or just cow? I know people who can tolerate goat and sheep dairy, so obviously that opens up whole avenues of delicious food.
Kara
Don't know if it is all dairy or just cow dairy. I figured out that dairy was the thing causing the problem through trial and error. I haven't had any dairy for 3 weeks. Then to test it, I had a burger with cheese on it last weekend. Immediate reaction.
Also, to make this more difficutlt, my boyfriend is very allergic to nuts, so I can't do anything with almond it in.
I have to admit though I've avoided all kinds of foods at various times for various reasons, dairy products are the hardest for me to give up--which is probably a sign I should try harder.
I used to raise sheep, and sheep's milk is delicious. It makes yummy cheese, yogurt, and added to coffee is fantastic. So, find a sheep farm, look for authentic feta made with sheep's milk, and yogurt made with sheep or goat milk.
Also, my husband uses coconut creamer, and we get ice cream with a coconut milk base. Yeah, you don't need these foods. They are treats!
Since you need to avoid nuts too, I suggest looking for some allergy cooking books at the library or blogs online. There are many of both available that cut all the major allergens. It's not difficult, you just need to learn to make different foods if you're used to eat accustomed to eating a lot of dairy.
A good place to start would be making a list for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, of things that do not include dairy or nuts. What can it include? Any fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, eggs, meats/poultry/fish. That's a lot of foods that are allowed. If you're still stuck, consider asking all the foodies here to help add to your list.
If lactose sensitivity is your problem, there are enzymes (lactase) you can take.
Nope, its an allergy. My throat starts swelling shutQuote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
I have used the sliced rice or soy cheeses that comes in different flavors like American and cheddar. The other day a friend was over and I made toasted cheese sandwiches. After he was done I asked if he could tell it wasn't regular cheese, and he said he was fooled and couldn't tell. I also put shredded non-dairy cheeses into burritos and other recipes. It is noticeably different and not as good, but acceptable to my taste buds.
Many of the dairy subs contain casein, so be aware that they are not all "dairy-free."
Milk is the only thing I substitute -- I like the Silk Lite, just wish it was more white than tan. The rest I just cut them out of my diet. If fat is not an issue, Turtle Mountain makes a good chocolate soy ice cream.
For all but special occasions when you might want to seek out a substitute for a formerly favorite food, I've found it's really best to just eat other stuff. If you have an allergy to dairy, seek out all the treats of a non-dairy culture, since lots of the world's peoples have never eaten dairy, yet have hundreds of wonderful savory and sweet foods that you can discover.
I think, myself, that the worst way to change eating habits is to cling to the "way it used to be" and try to accept substitutes, which are seldom satisfying, and end up disappointed. It's like the people who decide they want to be vegetarian, and ignore all the absolutely wonderful vegetarian options from a world cuisine, only to put fake pork chops or soy bacon on their plates.
My advice would be to forget substitutes and widen out your experience of different foods from various cultures and find NEW favorites, that will be so satisfying that the urge to eat dairy, for example, will just disappear on its own.
JMHO
If you want something frozen, but it doesn't have to be ice cream, you might want to see if you can make fruit-based frozen bars yourself or if the commercially-made available ones are dairy free. I don't know, but it's worth a look. Personally, I prefer things like the Edy's fruit bars to ice cream most of the time.
look up raw vegan recipes for desserts.
Allergies suck, I'm so sorry! But you know, DH and I pretty much gave up dairy and not only did we lose weight but we don't miss it like we thought we would. One of the resources we use on a daily basis for simple, inexpensive substitutes is a book called "How it all Vegan"...tons of great recipes for dairy substitutes as well as just a lot of good recipes that don't call for dairy at all.
Vegan cookbook is a good idea - except boyfriend refuses to give up dairy.... so far if a recipe calls for cheese we make me a separate portion that doesn't have the dairy.
I also tried goat cheese - per the suggestions here - and I didn't have a reaction to it. It looks like I'm only allergic to cow-based dairy. If only goat cheese wasn't so expensive!
Trader Joe's and Costco have better prices for goat cheese. TJ's also has varieties beyond chevre. If you can tolerate sheep's milk, romano cheese is really good on pasta and vegetables in place of parmesan - but always read the label, because domestic cheeses are almost always made with cow's milk even if that type of cheese is traditionally made with goat or sheep milk. Imported feta is usually sheep's milk.
Hmmm....just a thought but have you tried organic dairy? I have a friend who is horribly allergic to conventional chicken because of the hormones in it, but she can eat organic chicken no problem.
There is a great cookbook for meat eaters who are reluctant to give up dairy, called "The Engine 9 Cookbook." It was written by a bunch of burly firemen who gave up dairy. Maybe something to consider just so you guys can share more meals together (I'm married to a carnivore so I know exactly what you're going through).