I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Dairy Alternatives
“I would love to eliminate milk and cheese from my diet, but I don’t know what I would eat!”
That is the number one refrain that I hear from people who have contemplated with the idea of going dairy-free. Fortunately, there are many satisfying alternatives available for those who wish to stop eating milk and cheese. I made the decision to not consume cow’s milk years ago, after reflecting on the effect it had on my body.
Why Not Cow’s Milk?
Ever wonder why you feel bloated or lethargic after having milk or cheese? It’s not just your imagination. You may be lactose-intolerant. Ironically, most of the world’s population, an estimated sixty percent, are lactose-intolerant (i.e. they lack the enzymes necessary to digest milk properly). This affects people of color disproportionately, including Asians, Africans, and Latinos, as well as people of Eastern European descent. Consumption of milk has also been linked to allergies and other medical conditions in some people. For more information on this subject, read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.
Additionally, unlike during our grandparents’ time, much of the milk in stores today is loaded with antibiotics, steroids, and hormones, which causes adverse health effects, especially in children.
Alternatives and Recipes
There are increasingly many alternatives for those who wish to reduce the amount of dairy they consume or cut it out entirely. You can find these in any grocery store or make your own at home.
Instead of butter, try: Olive oil
Instead of cow’s milk try:
Rice Milk, Coconut Milk or Nut Milk (You can use cashew, sesame seeds, almond, walnut, pecan or brazilnuts)
Instead of cheese try: Nut cheese or Rice cheese
Recipes:
Olive Butter
Pour olive oil in a small container. Place in freezer until a solid consistency a few hours (or overnight). When ready to use, you can let butter thaw a bit to soften.
Want an extra kick? Add a clove of garlic and a dash of sea salt to make garlic butter. Appetizing!
Almond Milk (from Rawsome by Brigitte Mars)
1 cup almonds
1 quart water
1 tablespoon honey or 2 dates
Liquefy contents in a blender. Strain through cheesecloth (or nut milk bag). Keeps for four to five days.
As summer draws near, I will have recipes for homemade ice cream and milkshakes. Mmmmmm…..stay tuned!
Have you tried any of these alternatives to dairy? Which ones are your favorite?
April 3rd, 2010 at 11:57 am
Olive Butter sounds interesting. I will have to try that. I made the switch form 2% milk to Almond Milk about four months ago and I feel an improvement. But at the same time I cut out sugar, coffee and a lot of other things so there was just an all around better feeling going on with my body. But I am in love with almond milk. I tried being a vegan for a week and it worked but it was hard not having sour cream and cheese on my veggie burrito. Hard but not impossible.
April 4th, 2010 at 11:07 am
The olive butter is something, I will give a try. Can you believe, I have never tried coconut milk. That is on my list foods to try.
Mmm..can’t wait for the ice cream and milkshake recipes.
Take care!
April 4th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Hi Evelyn! Olive oil has a smoking point that makes it unsuitable for baking (use normal non-virgin instead). Also, love your recommendation for coconut milk cos I could only think of Almond Milk and Oates Milk (not sure what this is but they say it’s non-dairy)! And love your outdoorsy picture on top-right of your blog!
April 4th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
@ Sly: Almond milk is delightful! Almond milkshakes are a little taste of heaven, lol. I feel you on the sour cream. I used to love it, but I found that guacamole is a great substitute.
@Evelyn: Let us know what you think after you try the coconut milk. I think you’ll like it.
@Kelly: Welcome! I haven’t heard of oat milk, but it sounds interesting…
April 5th, 2010 at 8:52 am
I am lactose intolerant. I made the switch to soy milk a long time ago. This past week I made the switch from soy milk to almond milk (didn’t want to start overdoing the soy).
I’ve done good avoiding dairy milk, ice cream, and butter. Cheese on the other hand is my sweet seduction. I’ve been cutting out more and more, because although its so good, my tummy never appreciates it afterwards. I want to try the rice cheese.
April 5th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Thanks for this reminder….I love love love cereal and so I consume a lot of milk. My mom is vegetarian and so I tried soy milk but honestly the taste is too strong for me but I discovered almond milk which I loved! Unfortunately I got lazy (the best price is at a store a long distance away) but I think I’m gonna come off the cow stuff again, thanks to your reminder. I’m like you, Kandi, Idk if I’ll ever say no to cheese…love the stuff.
April 5th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
@ Kandi: Congrats to you for making the transition! Cheese is one of the hardest things to give up. Let me know what you think about the rice cheese. Have you tried nut cheese before?
@ Shumpy: You’re very welcome.
It’s easier than you think to make your own almond milk. I’m sure you’ll love it!
April 6th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Never tried nut cheese.
April 7th, 2010 at 8:30 am
I’ll include some recipes on the blog soon. I use it for my tacos! Also, some health food stores carry nut cheese too.