Some people are moving towards a dairy-free diet due to a variety of reasons. Some need it to meet certain health conditions such as lactose intolerance while others simply want to reduce their impact to the planet. Since dairy products are a usual part of our daily diet, it sounds so challenging to switch to a dairy-free diet.
However, there are actually alternatives for these everyday products that would totally help you make the switch without missing out on the goodness of dairy products. Whether you’re looking for a milk substitute or finding an alternative to replace butter in a recipe, this article would surely help you greatly.
Milk Alternatives
Cow’s milk is one of the basic dairy products that we have in our daily diet. It is a good source of calcium and vitamin which are essential for our health. There are actually plenty of alternatives for cow’s milk. Almond milk is the most popular because of its pleasant taste plus it doesn’t cost much and it’s easy to make.
However, if you need to cut down on calories, soy milk is a better alternative for you. Unlike almond milk, soy has a distinct flavour but you can opt for sweetened or unsweetened varieties depending on preference. There are still plenty of good alternatives to explore such as coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk, cashew milk, and many more.
Yogurt Alternatives
Yogurt is another healthy dairy product that is made from a combination of milk, lactic acid and bacteria. The process is almost the same with non-dairy alternatives; it only uses a non-dairy base instead of milk. Cultured soy is one of the most common alternatives for yogurt. You could also opt for coconut yoghurt made from fermented coconut milk if you’re looking for other flavour alternatives.
Butter Alternatives
Looking for non-dairy alternatives for butter is not that complicated with so many available products in the market. Although there are already plenty of available plant-based margarines, some people want natural alternatives to their cooking. Coconut oil is one of the easiest alternatives for butter in a recipe.
You can add the same amount of coconut oil on the butter needed for the recipe. You could add a pinch of salt to neutralize the coconut flavour. On the other hand, if you need butter alternative for sautéing and caramelizing, olive oil is a better alternative than coconut oil.
Ice Cream Alternatives
Although we don’t really eat ice cream every day, it is one of the most popular dairy dessert many people love. There are already plenty of dairy-free ice cream available in the market making it a lot easier to find the flavour that you like. Instead of regular cow’s milk, these ice creams use nut milks to make it dairy-free.
Looking for dairy-free alternatives is not that complicated these days with the variety of products we have in the market. With these simple guides, you now have an idea which ones are good alternatives for what you need.
