How to Start a Dairy-Free Diet?

Being rich in nutrients like calcium, protein and vitamins, dairy can play an important role in your diet. Fortunately, it's not the only source of those nutrients as many people choose to follow a dairy-free diet because of problems like allergy or intolerance, personal preference, or ethical reasons.

While completely cutting out dairy from your diet may seem difficult, with the right nutritional substitutions, going dairy-free can be a healthy, stress-free option. Take a look at this article to learn about the health benefits of a dairy-free diet and few tips on nutritional considerations to help you get started.

What Is a Dairy-Free diet?

In simple terms, a dairy-free diet excludes all (or most) dairy products. This includes milk from any animal in addition to foods and drinks that contain milk, such as cheese, yogurt, butter, and cream.

Foods to Eat

• Plant-Based Smoothies: Select soymilk or almond milk over dairy milk. Add nut butter or avocado in place of yoghurt to make it creamier.

• Sandwiches without dairy: Omit the cheese and make sure the bread is free of milk or milk powder. Grab some avocado, hummus, or vegetable slices to add taste.

• Dairy-Free Dips: Make sure no store-bought or restaurant-served dip contains sour cream or yoghurt. Try making vegan queso or guacamole at home.

Foods to Avoid

In general, you’ll want to avoid:

• Cow's milk and other animal milks

• Foods made from milk (such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream)

• Foods that contain or are prepared with milk (such as baked goods and salad dressings)

• Foods that milk may contaminate for strictly dairy-free people (such as dark chocolate)

Nutrients to Consider

1. Calcium

Your body contains the greatest calcium of all the minerals. You can replace cow's milk with plant-based substitutes like rice and almond milk to get the recommended daily calcium intake.

2. Protein

For your body to make and repair cells, it needs protein. Nuts and seeds, tempeh, and tofu are plant-based protein sources. Sources of non-plant-based protein include fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meats.

3. Vitamin D

One fat-soluble vitamin essential for calcium absorption is vitamin D. For those seeking plant-based milk substitutes without dairy, fortified soymilk, almond milk, and other plant-based milk are great.

Are Vegan and Dairy-Free the same thing?

Though they do have similarities, they're not quite the same.

• A vegan diet eliminates any product that's made from an animal. This includes dairy, meat, eggs, and fish.

• A dairy-free diet excludes all or most dairy products. This includes milk and any foods made with milk.

One way to think of it is that while all vegan food is dairy-free, but not all dairy-free food is vegan.