Unrelated to my dairy speak for the day… I went to The Fhitting Room’s newish Flatiron location this morning for my birthday workout. Studios that give free birthday classes rock my world. This new studio is STUNNING. I already knew I loved their signature workout and this new downtown studio really puts the icing on the cake. Also, I’m going to be really sore tomorrow.
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Now let’s talk about dairy-free stuff…
People frequently say to me “Oh I could never go dairy-free because I love ______”. I don’t blame them, for me going gluten free would be SO hard because I love bread more than I love most things in life. The truth is, you’d be surprised how easy it is to stop eating something when you know it will make you feel better.
It took me awhile to realize that dairy was causing a lot of my stomach pains and frequent nausea. At this point in time I eat roughly 95% dairy free. I love Indian food and consider chicken korma worth the inevitable belly ache. I also try not to drive myself too crazy about what secretly has dairy in it at a restaurant. The only time I’m super cautious is when I’m traveling. Disney World is not the place to find out how much dairy my poor belly can handle.
While yeah, I miss cheese and making quesadillas for dinner when I’m feeling lazy, I’ve learned to cope and cook sans dairy in my own apartment. Here are some of my favorite dairy-alternatives.
Favorite replacement for shredded cheese: Daiya. While it doesn’t taste exactly like shredded cheese, it does the trick if you’re making a quesadilla or tortilla pizza and melts pretty well.
Favorite replacement for parmesan cheese: nutritional yeast. This stuff kind of looks like fish food, but hear me out. On top of pasta or sautéed with kale and chickpeas if gives off a deliciously cheesy flavor.
Favorite replacement for brie cheese: Kite hill. The first time I tried this stuff I almost started crying I was so excited. The flavor is pretty spot on yet it’s shockingly dairy-free and has a simple ingredient list.
Favorite replacement for butter: Earth Balance. These sticks of “butter” are really great for greasing up a pan and I love this stuff with matzoh brei. Do not, I repeat DO NOT use it for baking though. I learned that the hard way making toffee bars one time.
Favorite replacement for ice cream: Lots of things. Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, so of course I’ve tried every dairy-free option out there. So Delicious makes a heavenly coconut based chocolate chip cookie dough. It’s so good I honestly don’t let myself buy it anymore. Here in NYC the Van Leeuwen truck is almost always parked outside my apartment, tempting me with it’s delicious vegan pistachio ice cream. When in doubt though, frozen banana does the trick.
Favorite replacement for cream cheese: Tofutti. I think what makes cream cheese so delicious on a bagel for me is the texture and creaminess. Tofutti mimics both those things pretty perfectly.
Favorite dairy-free protein: Sun Warrior classic vanilla: I don’t drink protein shakes all that often, but when I do Sun Warrior is my powder of choice thanks to it’s subtle taste.
Question: What other dairy-free favorites should I check out?
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