A milk and dairy free diet

What to avoid in a milk and dairy free diet and suggested alternatives.

Following a dairy free diet is more common that we would think.

What to avoid

Always read the labels on packaged items.

• Cow's milk of any type, including whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed,dried, condensed, evaporated, etc. Goat's and Sheep's milk of any type, including whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed,dried, etc. Other dairy products: Butter, ghee, cream, cheese, , yoghurt
• Whey (a milk protein) - you may find it in muesli cereals like granola or cereal clusters, butter substitute spreads, cakes or biscuits, some brands of tomato ketchup.
• Caseinates (a milk protein) - you may find it in packet soups, dairy free coffee whitener, some sausages.
• Lactose (a milk sugar) - you may find it in cakes or biscuits, butter substitute spreads, some pre-packed sliced ham and chicken, some deli meats.
• Skimmed milk powder - sometimes it is used in some children's cereals, some deli meats, like sliced ham or chicken.
• Batter made with milk, pancakes, crepes, Yorkshire pudding, chocolate and cocoa products, custards, milk puddings
• Ice cream
• Foods fried in butter
• Malted milk, milkshakes, smoothies with a milk, ice cream, or yoghurt base
• Coffee-mate
• Creamed sauces and soups, white sauce
• Ready-made pasta dishes - eg lasagne, pasta Alfredo, macaroni cheese
• Pizza

Suggested Alternatives

Choose organic products wherever possible

• Dairy-free coffee whitener (if not sensitive to caseinates and sugar)
• Soya milk, rice milk, oat milk, nut milk - you can find them in most grocery and health shops
• Coconut milk/cream
• Vegetable margarines (check no milk solids/skimmed milk/whey) - e.g.. Soya or olive oil margarine, from Health Food shops and some supermarkets
• Soya cheese, tofu (soya bean curd) - 9 varieties - Health Food Shops (some soya cheeses may contain sugar and yeast)
• Soya yoghurt
• Soya ice creams
• If milk cheese is not tolerated, use cheese substitutes
• Chocolate - Dairy-free, Carob
• Biscuits - many biscuits are milk-free, i.e. contain vegetable not animal fat, e.g. some digestives, fig bars
• Some Cereal Bars
• Some creamed biscuits (check for whey, lactose and caseinates, if sensitive)

An exception

Some people have to avoid cow's milk but can have goat's milk or sheep's milk. For those, goat's cheese, sheep's cheese, goat's or sheep's milk yoghurt are excellent alternatives.

There are people that avoid milk and dairy because of intolerance, allergy, or food sensitivity, however these are not the only reasons.

The batter on fish is usually made with water.