One of the most challenging foods to give up for various health reasons is dairy. It is delicious and there is really nothing that can compare to a good piece of cheese or glass of milk. However, as I mentioned, for various health reasons, throwing away the cheese may be more beneficial than some realize. For those who have to endure a diet without dairy, I have provided a list of items that may provide comparable substitutes. This chart is not comprehensive, but it does provide some good insight into options available to explore and try, based on my current knowledge of the industry.
| Item to Give Up/ Avoid | Substitution |
| Cow’s Milk | Most of these options are fortified with at least calcium, and may prove to be just as tasty:
· Almond Milk · Cashew Milk · Coconut Milk · Soy Milk · Rice Milk · Hemp Milk |
| Butter/Margarine | The below options are ideal in different situations:
· Olive Oil – when making a substitution in baked goods or other recipes · Avocado – when trying to “butter” a piece of bread or |
| Cow’s Milk Yogurt | Some alternative dairy product companies such as “Silk” have options available that are dairy-free and taste similar to Greek yogurt:
· Coconut Yogurt · Almond Yogurt In addition, many different online recipes exist for making your own yogurt with items such as almonds! |
| Cow’s Milk Cheese | Cheese is very difficult to replace and substitute for. Unfortunately I have not found a substitute that is as tasty or comparable. Some alternative dairy product companies have options available that are dairy – free that may be worth considering:
· Cashew Cheese · Daiya Cheese |
| Creamer | There are some brands of creamer available that are dairy – free that may work for those who are looking for a comparable addition to their coffee. I often tell patients to try to go for coconut milk as it tends to be thicker than other alternative milks.
· Silk Brand coffee whitener · Coconut milk · Almond milk · Other alternative milks Another option is to make a bullet proof coffee by blending coffee with coconut oil – this not only whitens the coffee, but also provides a smooth and creamy taste. For a great recipe, see one of my past blogs: https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/bullet-proof-coffee-the-dairy-free-recipe/
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| Sauces | For making soups, pasta sauces, etc., I will use canned coconut milk, and add in extra garlic or onions to increase the flavour. Canned coconut milk can be used as it, or can have the separated liquid removed from the top to make the sauce thicker. Try it out, you may be surprised as to how good it tastes! |
| Salad Dressing | For substitutes to some milk – based salad dressings, you can choose to make your own home-made versions with the canned coconut milk. Another option is to go with an oil – based salad dressing that is void of dairy. If you are buying a salad dressing from the store, I would caution you to read all of the labels. You may be surprised at how many salad dressings actually contain milk. |
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Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!