Vegans !

[Dairyfreedaisy]

sorry for clickbaity title, just a bit desperate for advice here from vegans or dairy free people

I’ve been unwell for a while and we have discovered it is due to lactose and dairy. I’ve removed it from my diet altogether, but I’m struggling with substitutes and so far I haven’t liked all the diary free things I’ve tried in place of chocolate, biscuits, ice cream and just general dairy based snacks and treats. I miss being able to eat chocolate without being unwell and I’ve got some dairy free chocolate to try but i didn’t like the taste or texture

does anyone have any go-to yummy vegan/dairy free treats or favourite brands/shops?

ive been contemplating going vegan for the last decade and never quite doing it so this has been my motivation to do it once and for all

also does anyone have any good places for recipes recommendations for dairy free baking and cooking or cookbook or website recommendations? I’d like to start meal making from scratch but a lot of things use cheese or cream so didn’t know where to start

thanks xx

Ooh and Gaz Oakley does a very good vegan Christmas recipe book.

You are so lucky being vegan now; the choice is a million times better than it was a couple of years ago!

Sadly Fry’s chocolate is no longer vegan. It has milk in now. Nesquik isn’t vegan but it is dairy free.

Be careful with biscuits, cookies, pastries and cakes! A lot of them will either have butter, milk or lactose-powder. Check the ingredients!!! Don't be too trusting if it's sth you've baked before and it had "no milk" in the recipe becaue a lot of what they sell at the supermarket will have one of these to improve the flavour! Savoury stuff you cook at home (without milk) when bought at the supermarket can have milk and/or lactose added.

Oggs cakes are AMAZING. I buy in Sainsbury's, but probably stocked elsewhere too. Also love Flora vegan block and Violife as some PPs have suggested.

Bbq Pringles are no longer vegan, apparently they started adding milk again. God knows why?!

veganfooduk.co.uk/pringles-explain-why-texas-bbq-flavour-is-no-longer-vegan/

Sainsburys does an amazing free from chocolate cake for £6.50.

Loads others have already stated
Biscuits
Oreos, Bourbons, Biscoffi (and the spread, Choc chip Hob Nobs, some digestives, Maryland vegan cookies
chocolate
in my extensive experience the best is Vego bars, followed by Galaxy v expensive though so needs to be rationed
cheese
use this tip do not eat ANY vegan cheese for at least 6 months, you need to make your brain forget what cheese tastes like. Then start eating vegan cheese Applewood smoked cheddar about the best. Most of the time I don’t really bother with cheese or combine it with a spicy Mayo or pickle to disguise it a bit.
I tend to eat a lot of Nakd bars, the chocolate orange one and the bakewell tart are my faves.

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/lazy-day-foods-free-from-celebration-chocolate-cake-650g-serves-10-

Loads others have already stated
Biscuits
Oreos, Bourbons, Biscoffi (and the spread, Choc chip Hob Nobs, some digestives, Maryland vegan cookies
chocolate
in my extensive experience the best is Vego bars, followed by Galaxy v expensive though so needs to be rationed
cheese
use this tip do not eat ANY vegan cheese for at least 6 months, you need to make your brain forget what cheese tastes like. Then start eating vegan cheese Applewood smoked cheddar about the best. Most of the time I don’t really bother with cheese or combine it with a spicy Mayo or pickle to disguise it a bit.
I tend to eat a lot of Nakd bars, the chocolate orange one and the bakewell tart are my faves.

Party rings

Galaxy vegan orange or caramel and sea salt chocolate is lush.

Violife cream cheese is so nice if you want to make a "cheese" sauce. I just melt it and add some veg stock to it. Makes nice fish pie sauce Altho I don't suppose you will be eating fish!!

Quirk battered chicken nuggets are really nice - they taste like McDonald's ones!

We are dairy free, the Swedish glacé ice cream is really good.

We use flora DF spread. Apparently the Tesco range of mushroom sausages and plant bacon is really good but I haven't tried it myself

I am vegetarian and this is why I wont go vegan. The substitutes are mostly disgusting and very fake. And yes vegan "cheese" is horrid.

OP - I belong to a local vegan facebook group - I initially joined as people were discussing how to merge in families different eating habits and preferences. (I am veggie but other members of my household are not, and so how do you cook, compromise, shop etc? ). So perhaps search locally to you for vegan groups - on mine people are always suggesting new products/shops. It sometines links in with the sustainable movement - so if you have a plastic-free shop they may have good connections.

Tesco dark chocolate digestives are vegan and lovely .

But these....

groceries.morrisons.com/products/alpro-double-chocolate-almond-mousse-ganache-553274011

One of the best things I've ever eaten 😋

@JemimaHumdrum Thanks for the warning, that could have been awkward!

I started by googling vegan versions of meals I enjoy and now I eat so much more variety and delicious food.

The choice for vegans is widening daily luckily.

My favourite butter substitute is Naturli in a tub.

A lot of supermarket vegan cheese is coconut based which I find unpleasant. Good texture but with an aftertaste.

The Vegan Kind online supermarket stocks a variety of vegan cheese that is nut based, not coconut.

My favourites are Honestly Tasty blue cheese and also their Camembert for baking. Fetamorphosis is a good substitute for feta. I also like Fauxmagerie Brixton Blue and Balham Blue. They also have a parmesan substitute called Oh Grate.

I haven't found a decent Cheddar substitute yet.

Same disclaimer as everyone else - don't try vegan cheese too soon after the real thing!

In terms of milk I have oat milk from my local milkman. It is sweet but no more so than dairy milk IMO. It is fine in coffee but I prefer Alpro Soya Light in tea as it is more bland.

I actually like dark chocolate anyway. My favourite is Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts. For milk chocolate Galaxy Orange is nice.

The happy pear have good vegan recipes

Alpro hazelnut milk makes a lovely cold drink on its own tastes and looks a bit chocolatey and great for getting some extra protein.

Can still get some of the vegan recipe in places like poundland, just the other day I found the vegan bourneville fingers in co op as well so I stocked up on them!

@spongedog Sorry, you're wrong. Vegan milk, ice cream, etc is amazing and delicious, not 'disgusting' and 'very fake'. You are the one missing out! (And contributing to cruelty, but I presume you know that.)

Can't comment on cheese as I don't eat it 😂

@Purplehonesty2 but the actual mcdonalds chicken nuggets are dairy free so no need for OP to sub those!!

True. But I don’t think vegans eat chicken?! I thought she said she wanted to go vegan

I'm not vegan but completely intolerant to dairy.
I'm a chocolate fiend. The only vegan marketed chocolate I like is the Nomo caramel. Otherwise, I treat myself to nice dark chocolate (Lindt or Lidl for everyday, or Choco Loco, Love Cocoa and Seed and Bean for nicer ones).
Alpro chocolate pots are okay too.
Oatly chocolate ice cream is pretty decent for a sub.

I've started making my own cakes, biscuits, etc which I tend to have better results with. I'm intolerant to gluten, dairy & now soya. I don't bother with a lot of the Free From stuff. Expensive and always a disappointment.

Have you tried digestive enzymes? My dd uses lactase as she is lactose intolerant but loves a proper latte. She takes a lactase enzymes at weekends so she can enjoy the latte without getting the cramps.