Butter, cream, crème fraîche, cheese and ice cream – I love them all, but they don’t love me.
It took me decades to figure out dairy products were causing all my irritating sinus problems – congested nasal passages, a constantly froggy throat, waking up each morning feeling like there was a weight on my chest. I don’t know whether you’d call it a mild allergy, or an intolerance, or something else (it’s actually quite hard to find information about this) but it’s unpleasant, and happens every single time I eat dairy products.
It’s obviously not life threatening, but was annoying enough for me to embark on a quest to find dairy-free alternatives for all my favourites. But I wasn’t going to accept just any old swap – it had to be something that was just as tasty and satisfying as the one I was giving up.
In the years since, the Vegan movement has picked up a lot of steam, which means the variety of products you can now pick up in supermarkets has exploded (to be clear, I’m not a vegan, but since lockdown began I’ve been substantially cutting back on the amount of meat I eat, and now have a veggie-heavy, almost completely dairy-free diet). In that time I’ve also learned a lot more about the environmental impact of dairy farming too, which has only strengthened my determination to find plant based alternatives.
After lots of trial and error, I’ve struck upon some delicious alternatives that you might like too.
DAIRY-FREE PRODUCTS THAT TASTE LIKE THE REAL THING:
1: OATLY BARISTA MILK
The first dairy product I ever swapped out was cow’s milk for soya. To be completely honest, my initial motivation to switch was probably based more on trend at the time, rather than any real health benefits – but the more I found out about some elements of the dairy milk industry (not all areas, obviously, if you want to make sure you’re only buying ethically produced dairy products, look for the RSPCA Assured logo) the more comfortable I felt that I’d made the right decision.
Then I switched to Oat milk, as I found the taste richer and more pleasant, and loved its slightly nutty flavour. I can’t start the day without my frothy coffee, so one of my biggest issues I had was finding a plant milk that foamed up nicely for my latté. The answer: Oatly Barista milk. It’s light and fluffy and usually holds its froth right down to the last sip (if you do get distracted by life/work/children I find a little whisk brings the bubbles right back again).
2: FLORA PLANT BUTTER
Is there anything better than warm crusty bread, smeared with melted butter? Real New Zealand dairy butter is one of the things I thought I’d never be able to replace; I tried about five different alternatives, but they all tasted way too ‘margarine-y’.
Then I discovered Flora plant butter and was totally sold. It’s creamy and smooth, and tastes almost exactly like regular butter. It melts just like dairy butter, and is perfect for baking.
3: BEN & JERRY’S DAIRY-FREE ICE CREAM
Three words: Oh my God. In my opinion there is literally no way to tell this isn’t dairy ice cream. Rich, creamy, smooth and packed full of all the deliciousness you’d expect from Ben & Jerry’s, minus the environmental impact.
Replacing the cow’s milk is either almond milk or a sunflower seed base, and all are 100% certified vegan.
4: VALSOIA
This Italian brand actually has a range of dairy-free products, but (as yet) I’ve only tried the Valsoia ice cream cones, sticks and sandwiches. The gelato is either soya, almond or coconut based, and tastes just as good as their dairy alternatives.
My favourite product has to be the soya ice cream sticks coated in crackly, sweet dairy-free chocolate. Yum!
5: ALPRO GREEK-STYLE FRUIT YOGHURTS
These are thick, creamy and tangy, with a sweet fruity layer on the bottom. These are amazing tipped into a bowl with some fresh fruit and chia seeds stirred through them – one of my favourite dairy free brekkies or guilt-free desserts – and are not just tasty, but filling too.
The Alpro Greek-style plain yoghurt is also my favourite dairy-free alternative for crème fraîche – I like a dollop on top of baked potatoes and steaming bowls of bean chilli, or added to the fresh lettuce and tomato in a marinated chicken wrap.
Do you have any delicious dairy-free substitutes you’d add to the list?
READ: When Life Gives You Peaches – How to Reduce Fruit Waste
• vegetable image courtesy of Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
