If you grew up in America, chances are you were raised on a diet that included lots of cow's milk. Even as adults, those in the western world often consume milk on a daily basis. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, most people don’t drink milk or eat many dairy products beyond infancy.

For many people, dairy foods like coffee creamer and cream cheese are such an ingrained part of life that we can’t imagine what it's like to eat dairy-free. Thankfully, there are ways to cut dairy ingredients out of your diet and take advantage of the health and environmental benefits that come along with it.

If you want to know how and why to go dairy-free, you’ve come to the right place.

Why Go Dairy-Free?

There are plenty of reasons why someone might choose to go dairy-free.

For starters, some nutritional or dietary conditions require people to eat only a little dairy or cut it out of their diets entirely. Lactose intolerance — an inability to digest the sugar found in dairy products —  affects about 65% of all people. Feel terrible every time you eat dairy? You might be lactose intolerant. In a culture where drinking and eating dairy products are so ingrained, lactose intolerance may feel rather limiting. 

But the truth is, most peoples’ bodies expect them to cut out dairy after infancy. If you don’t, you might experience a range of health issues.This is because the majority of  the carbohydrates in milk are a type of sugar called lactose. The enzyme used to digest lactose is called lactase. If your body can’t produce this enzyme that’s needed to properly digest lactose, you could experience an upset stomach, excessive gas, and bloating. Even if you’re not lactose tolerant, dairy consumption may cause your skin to suffer. Several studies link it to acne prevalence. Furthermore, dairy products contain lots of saturated fat. When you eat too much saturated fat, and not enough healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, you face an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.. All in all, it’s clear that dairy is far from a superfood, and is something worth replacing in many folks' diets. 

Aside from the health considerations, there are other reasons why you might decide to go dairy-free. Many farms don’t follow best practices when it comes to how the animals are fed and treated. Unless you are buying meat or dairy that is grass-fed, cows may not be able to graze outdoors and could be living in substandard conditions that undermine the health of the cows. So, you may consider going dairy-free just to have a positive impact on the world and well-being of these animals. 

Nutritional Considerations

If you’re interested in learning how to go dairy-free you should first be aware of the key nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that you’ll need to get from sources other than a daily glass of milk or chunk of cheese. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of foods that those on a dairy-free diet can eat in order to prevent nutrient deficiency.

Calcium

The mineral most frequently associated with dairy is calcium, an essential nutrient for bone health and overall wellness. Yes, dairy is a very rich source of calcium, . but luckily, you can also find calcium in plant-based whole foods such as: 

• some beans, including chickpeas, red beans, and white beans
• leafy greens like kale and spinach
• soy milk fortified with extra calcium
• tofu fortified with extra calcium

For adults, 1000 mg of calcium per day is the recommended amount, and kids and people over 50 need a little more. So in addition to the foods listed above, there are also calcium-fortified breads, juices, and cereals to help you reach the daily recommended amount. You may also consider a daily calcium supplement. 

Vitamin D

Cow’s milk is often fortified with additional vitamin D, so if you’re a regular milk drinker, you’re most likely you’re getting the required amount . If you cut out milk, you’ll need another source of Vitamin D. While good old-fashioned sunlight does help your body produce vitamin D, most people don’t spend enough time outside to get this benefit. Many vegan milks are supplemented with vitamin D, or you can take a vitamin D supplement. 

Iodine

You probably get most of your daily required amount of iodine from iodized salt and dairy products. In fact, salt used to be the number one place where Americans got their daily iodine dose, though this has tapered off in recent years. The reason for this is that different foods contain different levels of iodine based on soil content. So depending on where your food comes from, you may or may not be at risk for iodine deficiency.

While most American diets, even dairy-free ones, aren’t lacking in iodine, you can up your intake by eating more seaweed products or by taking a supplement. It may be a good idea to speak with a nutritionist or dietitian to find out whether you need more iodine.

Protein

Lastly, you’ll need to consider your protein intake if you decide to cut out dairy. Men and women need 56 g and 46 g of protein per day, respectively. Whole milk provides a particularly rich source of protein, it’s not the only source of this macronutrient. Beans, eggs, and dairy alternative milks like soy often contain plenty of protein for your daily requirements. OtherAnother great sources of protein include nuts, seeds, and nut butters. 

Dairy-Free Alternatives to Favorite Foods and Drinks

The great news is that it’s easy to find dairy alternatives at your grocery store.

Let’s start with milk. T are so many different dairy-free varieties available today. Rice, almond, soy, hemp, oat, cashew, and coconut milks come in a variety of flavors. While not all are high in protein, when combined with certain cereal or added to  nutrient-dense smoothies, your body will get what it needs.

One thing to keep in mind is that many of these vegan milks have added sugar — target unsweetened milks if you want to cut down on your sugar intake, especially if weight loss is one of your goals.

You can also find plenty of vegan or dairy-free yogurt, butter, and ice cream at most grocery stories. Same goes for different cheeses. But, always make sure to check the ingredients — whey, sodium caseinate, or casein are actually proteins derived from milk that you should avoid if you want to follow a dairy-free diet.

As for foods that you might always eat with dairy products, you can still enjoy them without the dairy. Here are just a few examples:

• Cheese - for a spreadable non-dairy cheese, try our herb tofu "goat cheese" recipe
• Smoothie — instead of cow’s milk, use almond milk or soy milk and try adding either an avocado or nut butter if you want even more of a creamy texture
• Ice cream - you can use a variety of different ingredients and make a creamy dairy-free "nice cream". Check out this recipe for cookie dough nice cream using frozen bananas and non-dairy mylk as the base
• Sandwich — skip the cheese or opt for a vegan alternative. Use vegetable slices, avocado slices, or hummus to add more texture and flavor
• Dip — instead of a yogurt or sour cream-based dip, try hummus, guacamole, or vegan queso
• Dessert - there are so many options for dairy-free desserts, here are a couple of our favorites: banana coconut cream pudding and Okinawan sweet potato bars

Dairy-Free Meal Plans Do the Work For You

If trying to figure out how to go on a dairy-free diet seems like a little too much work for your busy life, you might consider using a non-dairy meal delivery service.

One of the best on the market is Thistle, which provides breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that average between 250 and 550 calories per meal. Each gluten-free and dairy-free meal contains plant-based ingredients that are free of artificial sweeteners, refined white sugars, and any other artificial preservatives or dyes.

In short, Thistle provides wholesome and healthy ingredients in perfectly prepared plant-forward meals so you don’t have to worry about it. The nutritional benefits you typically get from dairy are instead found in the whole, plant-based, ready-to-eat meals that we deliver straight to your door. 

With Thistle’s non-dairy meal delivery service, you can ditch the cow’s milk and still get tons of bone-strengthening calcium and muscle-building protein via ingredients like green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, okra, tofu, sesame seeds, and tahini. And if you want to avoid dairy, but don’t want to go vegan or vegetarian, Thistle offers some meals that include meat protein. Regardless, our subscription non-dairy meal delivery service provides an amazing selection of high quality delicious meals, and easy flexibility — we have a flex plan, and you can pause your subscription at any time. 

Ready for a dairy-free diet but don't want to deal with juggling all the planning and prep required? Give Thistle a try. 

Final Tips for Starting a Dairy-Free Diet

. Beginning a dairy-free diet can be a big adjustment. Here are a few basic tips:

• Always check the ingredients if you're trying a new food — dairy is hidden in more places than you think, such as bread, which often contains whey, and lunch meats, which may contain lactose or caseinates. 
• Have plenty of snacks on hand — milk-based products can often settle in the stomach for a while; cutting these out may leave you hungrier than usual
• Non-dairy doesn’t actually mean dairy-free — these products may contain some proteins derived from milk.

Whether you have a dairy intolerance or are looking to change-up your eating for other health reasons, a dairy-free diet is totally possible. With these tips, you can start today.

Sources:

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance#:~:text=Approximately%2065%20percent%20of%20the,people%20affected%20in%20these%20communities.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-protein.htm#:~:text=How%20much%20high%2Dquality%20protein,high%2Dquality%20protein%20per%20day.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calcium-supplements/art-20047097