OUR FAVORITE DAIRY SUBSTITUTES

Well this is a long over due post.

Lord knows that when I found out three years or so ago that my oldest daughter has severe food allergies I was only mildly surprised. I, myself, have food allergies. I hoped my children would escape this ailment, but no such luck. My daughter is allergic to dairy, nuts and eggs. It is what it is. I have done my best to make sure she doesn't feel left out or singled out at school or functions. What this meant for me was that I had to be diligent in reading labels. Once I started doing that, I realized how much crap is in the "food" we eat. So I started making my own versions of things or buying organic versions. My family is much healthier for it.

After almost two years of making all of my daughter's food from scratch and trying several brands of dairy substitutions out there. I felt like I finally had the hang of it. Then we were thrown a huge curve ball. My husband was diagnosed with MS. His symptoms weren't severe but were pretty bad for someone who isn't used to constant pain, numbness, and dizziness. We did A LOT of research and found out that some patients showed great improvement and managed symptoms by eating a strict diet.
He kept a food diary for about a month to see if he did indeed have dietary triggers. What he found out is that he can't eat a lot of things. I wont go into the whole list, but it includes most fats and fatty foods, dairy, gluten or refined grains, sugar, the list goes on and on.

Well I went into action researching what he could eat and how I could alter his favorite foods so he wouldn't miss everything. I already had a decent start with reading labels and knowing my way around the organic sections of our favorite grocery store and our local Wholefoods.

Which brings me to the point of this blog. I have been meaning to keep track of our menu for quite some time. It has been three years now that we have been eating extremely healthy and keeping both my husband and daughter symptom/allergy free. In that time I have had another beautiful daughter. She too, is allergic to dairy.

There are certain brands that I have found work for my family. I still try different brands or get excited if I see a new product. I like to bring new items home for everyone to try just in case they are getting sick of the same stuff.

Here are some of our favorite dairy substitutes:
Silk DHA Omega-3 Plain Milk (Soy Milk)
The only one that my daughter will drink. I found it tastes similar to cow milk, it doesn't have that vanilla flavor or extra sugar that most soy milks have either. I like it in my cereal.
Turtle Mountain So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (green carton)
The only milk that my husband can have because it doesn't contain sugar, rice, soy or dairy.
I use this milk when making pancakes for the whole family, it works great as a substitute. It does have a mild coconut flavor.
Silk Creamer Original (red carton)
I've only used this in my coffee. I don't like the flavored versions as they taste too artificial to me.
So Delicious Vanilla Creamer (blue carton)
I use this to bake chocolate ganache with. SO GOOD!
Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
It's vegan and 0 trans fats. I use this as my main butter substitute as well as a fat/shortening sub for baking. It makes really good butter cream, though it has a yellow tint so I can't get really white frosting out of it.
Daiya Cheese Shreds
Both cheddar and mozzarella versions are decent for cooking and taste similar to the real thing. I use these for grilled cheeses, quesadillas, sprinkling in noodles or on certain dishes. My daughter likes to eat them out of the bag. They also make a wedge style cheese that I use on my sandwiches that is pretty good. The pepper jack variety is good. I haven't cooked with it yet.
Rice Vegan Cheddar Slices
This is the go to as a sub for kraft singles. My daughter loves this for a snack and in her lunch box. Though it can be a little sticky right out of the wrapper.
Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock
Most bouillon and chicken stocks have whey in them, ie dairy. This brand works for my whole family as it has the bare minimum in ingredients and tastes good. My daughter likes it plain over noodles.
Turtle Mountain So Delicious Ice Cream
Now, I can't say enough about this brand. They go to great lengths to make allergy free items for everyone, including my dear husband. AND they taste pretty good. I love their fudge bars, both soy and coconut milk versions. It made me cry the first time I opened a box, and we were able to all have the same, fun, dessert together. Their ice cream is good, my daughters love it. The also make sorbet, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars. All YUMMY!
Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Yogurt
I personally like this brand over some of the other soy/non-dairy brands out there because it has a coconut flavor. I find that some other brands taste a little off or just "fake." As someone that used to eat a lot of yogurt before, this is my go to brand. They also make a greek yogurt, I haven't tried it yet.
WholeSoy & Co Yogurt
Now this is the only brand my daughter will eat. Personal preference, I guess. She only likes vanilla flavor as well.
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
These are a favorite because they make the mini chips.
Wholefoods Vegan Chocolate Chips
Sweet Chocolate Dream Chocolate Bars
for that chocolate fix we all need.

There are tons of brands and products out there. These are just a handful that work for my family. All of these can be found at Wholefoods. I was able to find most of them at our local Kroger/Fred Meyer, which has a great organic section. I hope this, if not informative, helps some of you in your own quests to be dairy free. I plan on posting more about our diets and what we eat on a daily/weekly basis once I get the hang of the blogging on a regular basis thing.