For people who are allergic to milk or are lactose intolerant, there are several dairy-free and lactose-free options that can be substituted for cow’s milk and other milk products used for drinking, cooking and baking. What are your favorite dairy-free alternatives? Please comment below.
Milk
The following dairy-free products can be used as a milk substitute for drinking, on cereal and in baking (but should never be used as a substitute for baby formula):
- Rice milk – made from brown rice and safflower or canola oil. Most are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
- Soy milk – usually made from filtered water, soybeans, brown rice syrup, sea salt, and could have other added ingredients. May be fortified with vitamins and minerals.
- Almond milk – usually made from water, almonds, a sweetener, salt, carrageenan, and a binder. May be fortified with vitamins and minerals.
- Other milk substitutes include other nut milks, oat milks, banana milk!
Butter and spreads
- Margarines – Many margarines contain whey, a fraction of milk that is not allowed for someone with a milk allergy. However, there are some margarines that are truly dairy-free (free of whey). Margarine can be used in place of butter, including in cooking and baking.
- Non-dairy spreads – There are some spreads that come in a tub that can be used in place of butter spreads. Most are soy-based, some are rice-based and have butter flavor added.
Cheese
Cheese is difficult to replicate in taste and texture, but there are some soy-based, nut-based and rice-based cheese alternatives that strive to do so. Be careful of cheese alternatives that contain casein.
Sour Cream
There are some sour cream alternatives on the market. They are either soy or rice based.
Yogurt
There are several brands of soy-based and coconut milk based yogurt alternatives.
Ice Cream and Desserts
- Ice cream – There are some very good ice cream substitutes. They are either soy-based or rice-based or both. They come in many flavors just like ice cream. Another alternative to ice cream is sorbets, but check to make sure that they are dairy-free.
- Other frozen desserts – Look for ice cream sandwiches, fudge bars, ice cream bars and other desserts made from soy and/or rice.
- Whipped cream – There are some whipped toppings that are dairy-free, but read the labels to make sure they do not contain casein.
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