Reducing dairy

[coachmylife]

I've just been reading about the carbon footprint of different foods - thought I knew a fair amount, but was really taken aback by the dreadfulness of milk/cheese etc.

(Book is this one.)

So I've decided I'm going to make more of an effort to reduce our mindless cheese and milk consumption. We'll still have it, but as a treat, not as an everyday thing.

I need some ideas...

First, nice packed lunch sandwich/panini fillers - current favourite is pesto/mozzarella/tomato which is terrible in every way. Needs to be quick, veggie, and nutritious - though not necessarily nut free, as two of the kids can take nuts to school now.

Second, what would you substitute for feta? I'm not really looking for 'vegan feta', more something that would make a good alternative. We mostly have it crumbled on salads.

Third, is there any sort of vegan alternative to either extra mature cheddar or parmesan that's worth trying? I tend to hate 'alternatives', as I think they're generally the worst version of the thing they're trying to substitute, but we will REALLY miss grating cheese onto pasta.

Finally - thoughts on milk alternatives? What are you all trying at the moment? I've been through all sorts, and get so depressed by the combination of taste (yuck) and waste (tetrapaks) that I just give up...

Our council do, thankfully, recycle tetrapaks but I’m aware not all do.

I’m looking into going vegan, cheddar, yogurt & semi skimmed milk are the only animal products I consume at the moment so I’m interested to see what suggested.

I did notice Boursin now do dairy free, could that be a lunchtime option?
www.boursin.com/product/boursin-dairy-free/

I’ve just watched a couple of this guys videos
youtube.com/c/HealthyCrazyCool
The happy pear have lunch suggestions

I'm dairy intolerant, I tend to stay clear of 'alternatives' just because they were quite nasty tasting, however things have moved on a lot since I was diagnosed. My daughter is now intolerant so I've been looking into things again...

A distant family member has a vegan cheese business and apparently they're all the rage, they do cheddars and soft cheeses I think. (Not advertising but a Google will give you a range of companies). The cheese and garlic spread from free from Asda is nice. Also if you're using milk in coffee, oat milk doesn't curdle, I used to drink tons of almond milk, it tends to be less of an invasive taste. Different milks are better for different things, almond is better for Yorkshire puddings for example. Erm what else.... I'm sure I'll be back in a few 😂

You can get vegan pesto.
Hummus is good.
Nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.
We tend to use soya milk with occasional oat milk.
I was a massive dairy fiend, and I’ve given it all up. Cheese is the biggest one I struggle with.

Oat milk is amazing, so creamy, I prefer it to cows milk, Oatly barista edition is the best I’ve tried so far. Apparently Morrison’s do a good own brand oat milk that’s less the half the price, haven’t tried it yet though as only been vegan for three weeks.

Not sure about cheese yet as I haven’t tried any, but I heard cashew cheese is really good. Also heard Apple wood smoked vegan cheese is nice.

Yes, cashews make a good alternative to cheese white sauces for lasagnes etc.

@AnxiousWeirdo

I'm dairy intolerant, I tend to stay clear of 'alternatives' just because they were quite nasty tasting, however things have moved on a lot since I was diagnosed. My daughter is now intolerant so I've been looking into things again...

A distant family member has a vegan cheese business and apparently they're all the rage, they do cheddars and soft cheeses I think. (Not advertising but a Google will give you a range of companies). The cheese and garlic spread from free from Asda is nice. Also if you're using milk in coffee, oat milk doesn't curdle, I used to drink tons of almond milk, it tends to be less of an invasive taste. Different milks are better for different things, almond is better for Yorkshire puddings for example. Erm what else.... I'm sure I'll be back in a few 😂

Please do name them!

I've been looking for decent dairy-free cheese for years.

Meanwhile I buy as much as I can that's organic.

As an alternative to parmesan I toast sesame seeds and blend with nutritional yeast - really yummy!

Vegan pesto and roasted vegetables make a good sandwich in a nice ciabatta. Houmous and falafel is always a hit too.

I've been vegan for a short while and can't offer any good alternatives to feta or cheddar I'm afraid. It's just not the same so I tend to avoid altogether!

There are very few acceptable cheese alternatives.
However, "Follow Your Heart" Parmesan substitute tastes good sprinkled over pasta.
They do a substitute for grated mozzarella which is ok for homemade pizzas, too. Although I slightly prefer Mozzarisella, that's the vegan cheese a lot of pizza restaurants use. A little goes a long way!

We make panini with vegan pesto, vegan mozzarella and tomato. Not as good as the real thing but tasty when you get used to it.

I haven't found any acceptable alternative to cheeses like cheddar, feta or halloumi (the violife ones are vile). But Nush cream cheese is ok.

Do you eat fish? I would struggle if I didn't eat fish and meat tbh! I guess I'd eat more things like hoummous, aubergine dip, falafel, etc.

Oatly Barista is the best milk. I wouldn't drink anything else.

Oh and smashed avocado is a good one.

The dairy free yoghurts can be good, especially as a side in curries and with desserts.

It's worth just removing cheese from your diet for 4 - 6 weeks & then trying a few vegan cheeses. It takes a while for your taste buds to adjust, it's a bit like stopping sugar in drinks.

Humous is great on pasta, soya milk & flora original make a good white sauce (I also add a veg oxo cube) ideal for mac n cheese or lasagne.

I have soya milk in drinks & on cereal, my favourite is Aldi sweetened.

My favourite vegan cheese is Tesco mature but my DM makes a brilliant cashew cheese that is lovely on pasta.

Alpro Greek style yogurt is my favourite yogurt.

@EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology

honestlytasty.co.uk/ 😊

I haven't tried them but no one I know has said a bad word so that must say something!

Thanks @AnxiousWeirdo.

This is so helpful, thank you all.

We don't eat fish at all, and only some of us eat meat, sometimes.

I can't see us giving up dairy completely any time soon: until other people are forced to give up their steak and burger habits, I just can't make my family knit granola every day. But I do want us to do more than we are doing at the moment, and that particularly means stopping the mindless eating of dairy products (endless cups of milky tea for me; slice after slice of cheese in the evenings for DH).

So - any recommended recipes for vegan pesto? Or good brands? We tend to hate pesto in jars...

How about vegan mozzarella? What's it even made from??

I will try dairy free yoghurt. I have toe-curling feelings about all these things, tbh, as someone who tries to eat real 'proper' food at all times (butter not margarine; very little pre-prepared food etc. etc.) But I'm coming to terms with the fact that the milk we consume so thoughtlessly is absolutely the product of an industrial complex, and not 'natural'.

Most dairy-free cheese is made from coconut.

Mozzarisella ingredients:
Ingredients: preparation based on Bio SuRice® 46% (water, sprouted brown rice 20.8%, salt, apple vinegar), water, cold-pressed coconut oil, sunflower oil with oregano infusion, lemon juice. Thickeners: agar-agar, gum arabic, xanthan gum, carob seed flour (FROM ORGANIC FARMING).

"Follow your heart" mozzarella ingredients:
Filtered Water, Palm Fruit Oil† (22%), Modified Corn and Potato Starches (22%), Natural Flavorings (Plant Sources), Less than 2% of: Bamboo Fibre, banulsifiers: (Vegetable Glycerin, Sunflower Lecithin), 90-Caking Agent: Cellulose, Acidity Regulators: (Calcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate), Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Pea Fibre, Pea Starch, Stabilisers: (Carrageenan Vegetable Source), Xanthan Gum).

I don't eat soya either and don't like coconut-based yoghurts so I have Nush yoghurts (almond milk) which are tasty.

I don't like margarine - we have a tub of vitalite that we use for sandwiches, but for toast and other things that need that buttery hit, we use Naturli or Flora Plant. They're no Kerrygold but they're pretty good.

Houmous is a tasty healthy filling.
Also my all time favourite is marmite and peanut butter on toast or in a sandwich. Pumpkin seeds optional.
Marmite and tahini toasted is delicious, tastes a bit like bacon

If you are trying to avoid tetrapacs, our local Milk man delivers oat milk in bottles. Also dairy intolerant- went through a phase of trying alternate cheeses. Follow your heart is a good make, but tend to avoid as much as possible now as I'm trying to stick to natural foods. Avocado or smashed chickpeas or hummus good for sandwiches. Falafels in wraps as well

I have to be dairy free for my DC who have allergies. In all honesty the substitutes are all vile - and I've been doing this for 8 years and my taste buds haven't adjusted. I long for extra mature cheddar. There are also other environmental implications of things like almond, oat and soya milk. Also most cheese substitutes don't have calcium in them (violife doesn't for example) and most don't have any protein so they are not subbing like for like. Substitute cheese is essentially salty coconut oil in a yellow block. If I were in your shoes I'd just cut down on dairy but still consume it. Maybe try to have 4 dairy free meals a week or something.

You can make your own oatmilk (I haven't worked out how to use it in hot drinks without it 'cooking' if you see what I mean) . but it's great for porridge, brownies etc. If anyone knows please let me know!

I make lovely mac n' cheese with NO cheese , even dh who's a cheese lover couldn't tell. There are 2 ways to make the "cheese" sauce. One; blend a whole tin of white beans using the herbs etc. you like and marmite\yeast spread , flavouring. The other is to make a white sauce with plant milk, olive oil, garlic herbs etc and the yeast spread.

It is very difficult to get a good plantmilk without the tetrapack thing. The best one for coffee and tea for dh , not me I don't have any milk in my hot drinks is Rude Health Organic Barista almond milk.

Oh sorry, for the mac n' cheese topping I mix breadcrumbs with the Engevita yeastflakes ( I also add some to the sauce sometimes) and olive oil.

My go to feta replacement is marinated tofu. Get a pack of firm tofu and press it. Chop into feta sized cubes. In a small Tupperware, mix white vinegar, lemon juice, salt (quite a lot), garlic granules and nutritional yeast. Put tofu cubes in, shake up and leave in the fridge. Delicious, salty, healthy (ish, salt!) and no dairy.

Yes Beeeep You can buy it ready marinated too. (nicer if you make it of course!) Shame so much tofu in the shops is in plastic here. (Fr.).