My dairy alternative staples
Making the decision to eliminate dairy from your diet can be a hard thing to do. You might wonder, What about my coffee creamer? Will I ever have ice cream again?!
Cutting out dairy is an important part of following an anti-inflammatory diet, and it has become necessary for many who have lactose intolerances (so I'm caught on both counts). Thankfully, with the increasing demand for dairy alternatives, many great products have become available. However, it can still be a process of trial and error to figure out what's actually good and what's not worth your money (because let's face it, these alternatives can be expensive!). So I'm here to share the top products in various ategories that have served me well.
Here's a tip: all vegan products are by definition free of animal products, including dairy. That took me some time to figure out because I am not vegan, so many vegan products did not seem like they were marketed to me. However, vegan can be an easy keyword to help you find dairy alternatives.
Note: I usually do all my grocery shopping at Kroger, because that is closest to me, so I have included prices that are up to date at that store to give you an idea of price comparison. I also like Kroger because they have a brand, Simple Truth, which focuses on natural, organic and plant-based options for a relatively affordable price. That being said, I have no connection to any of these brands; these are all my honest thoughts based on my personal experiences.
Milk
When it comes to milk alternatives to drink, rice and oat milk are my personal favorite kinds. However, almond milk is my go-to because it is most widely available and usually the cheapest. My staple almond milk is the Simple Truth Vanilla Almond Milk because it is one of the most affordable options ($2.50 for 64 ounces with a Kroger card). Sometimes I go with the regular version for a little less sugar (they also have unsweetened versions, but let's be honest, that's taking things a little too far for me and my sweet tooth!). Simple Truth has a chocolate milk product, too, if you're looking for a treat!
Cheese
I'm relatively new to the vegan cheese scene, but there are a few options I like. These are often made with a base of chickpeas.
The one I have had most often is the Daiya Dairy-Free Cheddar-Style Vegan Cheese Shreds. I've also had their mozzarella-style option, but I prefer to use cheddar for most things.
Note that these can take a while to melt, but be patient with it. The first time I used a product like this, I was microwaving the mozzerella-style shreds over a bowl of pasta. I had to put my food back into the microwave a few times to cook longer, because the vegan cheese was heating but not melting. I started to be concerned that this was some sort of radioactive substance that was just not going to melt, but we got there eventually!
I find that these Daiya products always have a distinct flavor. I can’t quite describe it, and it is fine in moderation, but it can be off-putting to me in large amounts. So while I’ve tried their mac and cheese and pizza, which rely heavily on the cheese flavor, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them unless there was no other option.
Simple Truth (Kroger’s brand) has their own vegan cheese as well, that comes in slices in addition to a shredded version. I’ve only tried their shredded cheddar option, which does not seem to be available anymore, but I'm including a link to their shredded mozzarella-style option. The shredded cheddar version was more finely shredded then Daiya’s, and I found that the flavor was more subtle. I still buy Daiya’s, but I would pick the Simple Truth option if given the choice. Hopefully they bring the shredded cheddar style back!
Coffee creamer
When it comes to coffee creamer, I like oat milk options because they have a thickness and creaminess that can’t be found in creamers made with almond milk (which is the most common alternative).
My all-time favorite is the Planet Oat Dairy Free Oatmilk Caramel Creamer, pictured above ($3.99 for 32 oz at Kroger). This gives my coffee a richness and caramel flavor that I really love.
I have also enjoyed the Chobani Plant-Based Caramel Macchiato Coffee Creamer ($5.49 for 24 oz at Kroger). This one tastes amazing but is not as cost-effective. I also have used and liked the Silk Sweet Oat Latte Dairy Free Oat Creamer (I got it on sale for $3.28 for 32 oz at Kroger). I had the plain version, but they do have some seasonal flavors: oatmeal cookie and maple brown sugar!
Ice Cream
Yes, it is possible to avoid dairy and still enjoy a good ice cream!
To me, SO Delicious is the brand that has created the gold standard for dairy-free ice cream. They have a variety of types, based on coconut milk, almond milk, cashewmilk, and a new base they called WonderMilk (the last of which I have not tried yet, but it is supposed to be very close to cow’s milk in its creaminess).
My all-time favorite ice cream is the SO Delicious Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert in mint chip ($5.29 for one pint at Kroger). They also make a version of that flavor with no sugar added. I love this one because mint chip is my favorite ice cream flavor. While this ice cream is definitely not as creamy as ice cream made from cow's milk would be, it is pretty darn good.
I also really enjoy SO Delicious’ cashew milk options. Cashew milk is not as widely available, but it tends to be more thick and creamy, which is great for ice cream. Their Cashew Milk Salted Caramel Frozen Dessert, for example, is fantastic ($5.49 for one pint at Kroger). I also love the snickerdoodle flavor.
They also make ice cream bars! (Watch out for their ice cream sandwiches if you also avoid gluten, though, because those do use flour.) I’ve had their Dipped Salted Caramel Cashew Milk bars ($5.49 for 4 bars at Kroger) many times and I highly recommend them.
Simple Truth also has some dairy-free ice cream options. At $4.29 per pint, these are cheaper than So Delicious’s options. They don’t have as many flavors, but I have tried a few and like the Sea Salt Caramel Oatmilk option the best.
I have to give Simple Truth major props for making the first dairy-free product I’ve seen that comes in an option larger than a pint. That same sea salt caramel flavor also comes in a three-pint container ($6.99 for 48 oz). If you want to stock up or are feeding more than one person, this is an amazing option! Eating dairy-free can be expensive, especially for a family like mine where several of us cannot have dairy, so I was so excited to see this being offered and hope that more companies will follow suit.
I hope that this round-up of my favorite dairy alternatives has given you some new things to try! Do you see any of your favorites on this list?