Choosing to be dairy-free is not as easy as it may seem. There is dairy/lactose in almost everything you eat, and while you may think that you’re doing well on avoiding it, you actually may not be. Some people choose to be dairy-free because they want to change their eating habits, or if they’re like me, they’re lactose intolerant. I’ve become very conscious of reading labels to make sure that what I’m buying has little to no dairy in it. About 25 percent of the U.S. population is lactose intolerant, and there are many dairy-free options that are readily available. Here are some of my favorite dairy-free substitutes.
Soy Milk
Choosing soy milk over regular milk was always a thing for me. Soy milk not only tastes better (in my opinion), but it can be used in cooking and baking and no one knows the difference! There are many brands and types of dairy-free milks, so you will never run out of options.
Yogurt
Yogurt is something kind of new to me. Growing up, I hated yogurt. The texture is weird and it’s sour. Now, though, I love yogurt. The fact that Silk and Yoplait (along with a few other brands) have dairy-free options means I can now successfully have yogurt for breakfast (with granola of course!).
Ice Cream
I’m the type of person who always needs a sweet treat before bed, so finding a dairy-free ice cream was at the top of my list. I’m a Ben & Jerry’s fan, and thankfully they have an entire line of dairy-free ice creams in many of their signature flavors like Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, Coffee Caramel Fudge, and Cinnamon Buns. Aside from Ben & Jerry’s, So Delicious and NadaMoo! are two other brands that have dairy-free options.
Cheese
Everyone loves cheese, and living without it is just wrong. The Bluff Country Co-op, located on 2nd street, sells dairy-free and dairy alternative cheese. Other brands like Daiya, Follow Your Heart and Punk Rawk Labs Dairy-Free Nutmilk Cheeses allow you to indulge in your cheese cravings without the after effects…if you know what I mean.
Though living dairy-free can be hard at first, once you get the hang of buying dairy-free products everything becomes a little easier.