Today’s the day, you have decided to cut dairy from your diet. Whatever your reason for cutting it out —whether you’re managing inflammation, balancing hormones, improving digestion, healing your skin issues, or just trying to feel your best—making the switch can feel a bit daunting at first, but it’s completely doable (and even empowering) with the right tips and tools.
Tip #1: Know your facts. Dairy is anything made from milk. It is important to learn what that includes. Common items are milk, cheese, and butter but this also includes yogurt, ice cream, and whey. Educating yourself on what diary IS helps you to identify which foods contain it. Always check pre-made and packaged foods by turning the package over and looking at the nutrition label, under the nutrition facts will be a line that reads “This item contains milk.”
Tip #2: Remove it from your home. Decision fatigue is a real thing. Removing anything that contains dairy from your fridge, pantry, or freezer removes all the extra thought that goes into deciding what you can and cannot eat. Set aside 30 minutes to clean out the fridge and freezer and purge your pantry. This can be so cathartic. Removing these items allows your home to be a stress free, comfortable place to enjoy eating.
Tip #3: Let it be known. Talk to your family and friends about your desire to better your health by eliminating dairy. Your loved ones will love you, no matter what you prefer to eat/drink/consume. When you are eating out, politely let your server know you would like your dish or drink to be dairy free. If someone asks what they can make for you for a special occasion let them know your favorite brand of dairy free alternative or even give them a naturally dairy free option like a fruit bouquet, sorbet, or dark chocolate.
Now that you know what dairy is, removed it from your home, and told your loved ones about your preference, what are some tools for making this doable on the daily?
Beginner Tool: Simple Swaps. Make the transition super easy by simply swapping out traditional items for their dairy-free alternatives. Today you can easily avoid dairy by using plant-based butter, ice cream, yogurt, and even cheese. The types of dairy free milks available are almost endless including almond milk, oat milk, cashew cream, coconut milk, and so many more! Thankfully the grocery store kindly places these items right next to the traditional dairy ones so these swaps are super easy to find. Best of all, even most coffee shops will happily make your favorite drink with oat, almond, or coconut milk. These simple swaps make for a seamless transition with little effort needed.
Intermediate Tool: Trying new alternatives. When you are ready to experiment with healthier alternatives there are a few tools you can keep on hand. First olive oil is your new best friend. Anything you once cooked in butter you can now make using a small amount of olive oil. Next are seasonings. You may not realize it but you can actually enhance the flavors that are naturally present in your foods by simple seasoning with salt, pepper, herbs, and aromatics. Mashed potatoes made with roasted garlic, salt and pepper are incredibly flavorful with no butter or milk needed. Sautéing vegetables with olive oil, salt, lemon pepper, and parsley brings out their bright vibrant flavors. A baked potato seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh chives is both delicious and filling. Lastly, a new seasoning staple – nutritional yeast. Usually located on the baking aisle of your grocery store this season adds a nutty, cheesy flavor to anything you put it on including popcorn, pasta, sauces and dressings.
Advanced Tool: Utilizing a dairy free cookbook. As you start feeling the incredible effects of your dairy-free lifestyle you may be ready to try venturing out into more homemade goods. Finding a good cookbook, blog, or instagram recipe account can be a to-go tool for your success. Remember you do not have to recreate the wheel, so many wonderful creatives have figured out great recipes and have put them out there ready to go for you! Work smarter not harder. Arm yourself with a few good recipes as a guaranteed tool for dairy free success.
Check out the Free B’s tab to get a printable checklist to help you with your dairy free kitchen clean out.