Four Sweet Dairy-Free Treats

5.31.2012

Most of you know that Violet is unable to eat dairy products, but now I'll be joining her in that quest as well. I have a couple of my own mild health issues that my doctor has suggested could possibly be improved by eliminating dairy from my diet. I'm willing to give it a go if it will help me get medication free and healthy, but I am definitely going to mourn the loss of my good friend, Cheese. Oh, cheese...

On the bright side, one good thing is that it will force me to prepare meals that are Violet-friendly rather than giving her something different from what we are eating. Another plus is that I already have a lot of dairy-free food substitutes in my repertoire and am an expert label reader as a result of her condition.

I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until last night I realized (in addition to cheese) that I will also be unable to eat a lot of the sweet after-dinner treats that I love. (AKA ice cream, chocolate, and, oh yeah, chocolate) After a mild nervous breakdown I decided to think things through like a rational person and instead of imploding dug through our stash of sweets. After furiously reading a few labels I discovered much to my relief that I can eat DARK chocolate. (at least most of it is dairy-free). Then I started brainstorming a list of a few other sweets that I can indulge in and came up with four good ice cream alternatives:

1. (most) Dark Chocolate
2. Italian Ice
3. Fresh Fruit
4. (most) Sugar Cookies

So I think I'm going to survive (other than the cheese thing). And if anyone knows of any good dairy-free or vegan blogs I'd love to add them to my blog roll. Thanks in advance and wish me luck!
xo, Lauren


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18 comments:

  1. JayMay 31, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    my boyfriend is allergic to dairy too so since we moved into our first appartment I've been on the search for stuff he can eat. Things like organic soy cheese, all sorts of nut milks and rice milk. When opting for soy groceries I tend to buy organic products. The problem with (animal butter, more precisely cow milk butter) can be easily solved by substituting it with margarine or any other kinds of vegetable butter. Another thing that works great for us too is baking cookies by my own. If you need any advice please don't hesitate to ask me: jay_artandloveandme.blogspot.com. If you want I can also send you some great pizza dough recipes and delicious cookie and cake recipes (all super-easy and quick to make) :)

    Oh, I forgot - just some food for thought: A cow has 4 stomachs and is basically busy ruminating their food all day which humans don't. So it's very logical to me that there indeed are humans, like your sweet Violet, out there who can't tolerate dairy.

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM

      Thanks for the great tips! I agree that cow's milk probably wasn't intended for us one-stomached people :)

      Delete
  2. UnknownMay 31, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    Are you allowed to have goat cheese?? It isn't dairy per se and I find it to be just as yummy when I'm avoiding cheese due to a bout of migraines. Just a thought....I will even put it on noodles and make "goat cheese mac and cheese." I swear it is still delish!

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:31 PM

      Goat cheese still contains lactose, although not as much. I've heard that some people who are lactose intolerant can eat it with no problems. I may try it if the dairy thing works out for me and see how it goes!

      Delete
  3. eRinMay 31, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    Hi Lauren! I had to avoid most dairy for a few years (could still eat cheese, though, thank goodness!) but really, really, really missed ice cream. Luckily, there are some pretty good dairy free ice cream substitutes (Trader Joe's has some good ones!).

    I like Oh She Glows (http://ohsheglows.com/) for vegan recipes, she has a lot of tasty-looking sweets and treats, too.

    Good luck with everything!!

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:31 PM

      Thanks for the website - I'll definitely be checking it out!

      Delete
  4. AnonymousMay 31, 2012 at 12:43 PM

    Daiya Cheese is great (not a soy product and it melts)- i make pizzas with the mozzerella one and the coconut milk ice cream,so delicous is the brand I think, is awesome!

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:32 PM

      We use Daiya cheese for Violet and she likes it a lot. I've tried it and I think maybe I could learn to love it? Although perhaps not as much as the real deal :)

      Delete
  5. Emily AnnMay 31, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    I have been dairy free for almost 7 months because my almost 1 year old has a dairy allergy/intolerance and I'm nursing. It is HARD at first but then you adjust and like you said you already know a lot about substitutes! I sub rice milk for milk and Earth Balance for butter or I just use olive oil....yeah, things aren't as creamy but not too bad.

    I love this blog:
    http://www.mspimama.com/

    and found this helpful to have on my phone:
    http://www.godairyfree.org/Food-to-Eat/Food-Label-Info/Dairy-Ingredient-List.html

    Email me with any questions and good luck! :)

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:33 PM

      Thanks for the websites! Definitely will be checking them out. I had to go on an elimination diet for a couple of months while I was still nursing Violet but I was in a bit of a fog and don't remember much of it lol! I know it wasn't fun though :)

      Delete
  6. carlaMay 31, 2012 at 2:55 PM

    PPK is AWESOME!! Post Punk Kitchen that is. Also try the Kind Diet book - lots of yummy (vegan) snacks (Plum Oatmeal cookies are in the oven as we speak!) and really good healthy recipes. I went Vegan before I became pregnant with my daughter (I swear that's how we got pregnant - I was SUPER healthy at that time!) and I am trying to head back in that direction. The Kind Diet talks a lot about what dairy-free products are out there and you can decide how dedicated you want to be. I just use the recipes but the information she writes about is really interesting. That book really helped me transition off of cheese (sigh) though I never had much other dairy in my diet to begin with - ick tummy issues - but when I was pregnant? Sheesh I could eat mac and cheese and have clear skin and no issues. Anyway there are lots of great vegetarian/vegan recipes out there but you can definitely add meat to them - just no dairy!

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    1. LaurenMay 31, 2012 at 8:34 PM

      Thanks for the recommendations! I really want to make sure I have a lot of variety so that I still get all of the nutrients and things I need.

      Delete
  7. RachelMay 31, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    Oh goodness I dont think I could give up cheese. Or ice cream. But dark chocolate and fresh fruit are good alternatives for dessert. Good luck!

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  8. Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)May 31, 2012 at 8:48 PM

    I had to give up dairy, wheat and corn when I was breastfeeding my little guy because we couldn't figure out what was wrong with him and I have to say I'm with you on the cheese - there is NO good alternative to cheese (I'm not a soy fan and Daiya cheese tastes like cheese slices and has no nutritional value...). I eat goat cheese (there is cheddar and mozzarella too!) now because some people who can't tolerate cow dairy can tolerate goat but it still is hit or miss really.

    Coconut ice cream will be your friend - you will have NO idea you're not eating dairy. It comes with chunks of (dairy-free chocolate) and other yummy things... There are also coconut and almond yogurt alternatives, but you just have to read the labels because there are other crappy things they put into to it...

    Also one more thing I just learned - apparently almonds are very high on the list of pesticide usage so try if you can, to opt for organic (with milks etc.).

    Ok I'll stop now! Have fun and be strong! :)

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  9. BarbaraMay 31, 2012 at 8:50 PM

    I find that Everybody Likes Sandwiches often has vegan items on her blog or suggestions for how to substitute to make it vegan. www.everybodylikessandwiches.com

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  10. KatieJune 1, 2012 at 10:36 AM

    I had to go dairy free for six months with my baby. It wasn't so bad as long as we were eating at home. Eating out is a whole different animal.

    Did you know oreos are dairy free? Also coconut ice cream is suprisingly delicious. I've also heard of a coconut milk based greek yogurt, but never tried it. Also, Fleishcman's stick margerine is dairy free and you can bake with it (a lot of margarines still have some dairy in them, but this one does not).

    Is it lactose you're avoiding or milk protein? You have a little more wiggle room if it's just lactose, since there are some good lactose-free products out there. Milk protein is harder :-(

    Here's another dairy free blog for you: http://milkallergymom.blogspot.com/

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  11. SarahJune 1, 2012 at 11:43 AM

    After having gone dairy free while nursing , I've had to go back to being (mostly) dairy free. I discovered I can have goat cheese (which was a huge relief). Possible suggestions for sweet alternatives: coconut milk ice cream (way tasty and very decadent) and Trader Joe's dark chocoloate covered pretzels. kblog.lunchboxbunch.com has a number of good vegan recipes (and links to other blogs). Good luck!

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  12. Kate Giovinco PhotographyJune 13, 2012 at 4:30 PM

    There is a fabulous rice cheese out there that melts and doesn't contain soy. It is called Rice Shreds.

    Vegan Blogs:
    Oh Dear Drea http://ohdeardrea.blogspot.com/
    Vegan Mother Hubbard http://www.veganmotherhubbard.com/

    Here is a link to Best Vegan Blogs: http://www.veganblogs.com/

    ReplyDelete

 

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