Dairy free food

[ElfCakes]

I have recently identified that dairy is making me feel unwell so am looking for recommendations for food substitutes please!
Especially looking for recommendations for cheese and chocolate and yogurt!
Also if anyone can advise ways to help my tummy feel better when I've eaten something that makes me feel not good that would be great! (Crampy, bloaty sick feeling tummy and windy )
Thanks!

I've never found a vegan cheese that's easily available in the supermarket that tastes or melts like normal cheese. You can buy nut based cheeses from small producers online which are a bit nicer. Nutritional yeast flakes add a savoury, cheesy flavour to things like sauces and pasta.

Chocolate - if you like dark chocolate, that's usually dairy free.
Coconut and soya plain yoghurt are both nice.

I’ve found that the Cheddar-style block from Sainsbury’s is virtually identical to cows’-milk Cheddar. It crumbles slightly but also has a firm block texture. You can grate it, melt it, or cut it into chunks or slices – basically, this is a perfect all-purpose cheese. Sainsbury’s also do the best Greek style alternative to feta.

The best cheese for pizza is definitely Violife grated mozzarella. Violife is one of the most popular vegan cheese brands, and in most supermarkets. I don’t make my own pizzas all that much. Pizza Express do an amazing vegan pizza now sold in supermarkets. It’s quite expensive though so I usually get Goodfella vegan falafel or spicy vegetable salsa pizzas.

The best substitute for Parmesan is Follow Your Heart Italian-style shredded hard cheese alternative. I’ve only seen in on Ocado though, so if you don’t shop with Ocado, Violife’s Prosciano block is a good substitute. I’m also impressed with their Mediterranean block which has a taste and texture that’s very close to real halloumi.

Sheese creamy is a near-perfect imitation of regular cream cheese. It has the same thick, creamy and smooth texture, as well as the slightly sour flavour. It’s my go-to for baking! If you can’t get hold of it, try Asda’s own brand. It has a creamy texture and the sharp tang of cream cheese but is just slightly grainier and a little more watery in texture.

Nutritional yeast can also be used for adding a cheesy flavour to dishes. It’s ideal for putting in sauces. Jamie Oliver has a good recipe for macaroni cheese using both nutritional yeast and vegan cheese. www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/vegan-mac-n-cheese/

Nomo's vegan chocolate bars are the best there is. And I’ve tried an awful lot of vegan chocolate. There are dozens of great vegan alternatives out there but nothing comes close to replicating the taste, texture and melt of milk chocolate like Nomo. If you can’t get hold of it, try the Ombar Mylk for some seriously creamy chocolate, with just the right melt! Nomo is usually in the Free From section, but I’ve seen Ombar by the regular chocolate in Sainsbury’s.

The applewood smoked cheddar "cheese" is a bit melty but it's a bit 'hamburger cheese' ish.

To be honest, I'm entirely dairy free now because I realised like you that dairy was doing me no good, and I just don't eat cheese substitutes because they are often just coconut fat and potato or rice starch. For dairy subs I liked the alpro Greek style or vanilla, but actually found that because soy protein is very similar to dairy protein (which is why the subs are better) it had a similar effect so I've cut soy out too.

I've heard people say good things about the oatly range, the custard and cream fraiche subs (but I don't eat grains either so they are no good to me!)

I quite like the cream off a can of coconut milk. I put it in the fridge and then scoop it off the top, save the watery bit for a smoothie or something, and serve it as you would cream or ice cream (as in with fruit or stewed rhubarb or similar)

Try the ‘Accidentally vegan’ site, OP. There’s a multitude of foods that are dairy free.

Thanks so much for these! This is exactly what I was hoping for!

Please - keep it coming

A lot of the vegan cheese are so heavily processed, a crazy marvel of Frankenstein food, to such an extent that there is more bad than good.

I do my own vegan parmesan with cashews (1 cup), nutritional yeast (2 heaped tablespoons), a teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend and that's it.
I won't melt of course, but it is lovely in soups, risottos, salads, ....or even as it is straight out of the jar.
70% cacao or more chocolate is dairy free.

More than looking for alternative, try to learn to love new things like a chia pudding with raspberries for breakfast.

OP for the best selection of free from foods - try and go to the largest supermarket you have nearby- these will stock the most ranges. I go to a massive Tesco near me only for this reason. They sell all the 'Swedish glace' range which are dairy free frozen ice creams / all the dairy free chocolate etc . also don't only look in the free from section - I stumbled upon a vegan chocolate cake in the bakery section with all the other foods for example x

Applewoods vegan cheese is the best I have found. Violife also do a reasonable feta sub but you can't cook it
Dark choc is usually ok, but it depends on how sweet you like. I like the Divine range, which has the bonus of being fair trade, too.
As for non dairy milk, it depends on how sweet you like. I have tried quite a few. Oatly barista doesn't curdle in coffee.

Don’t forget the Asian and Chinese supermarkets. You’ll get a fantastic range of herbs, spices, chickpeas, tofu etc. Lidl does a brilliant selection of dark chocolate and a lot of them are dairy free and taste delicious. Especially the orange, raspberry or salted.

Tesco has started doing a range of vegan friendly dressings including blue cheese, beetroot, agave & mustard, etc. Don’t forget the Tesco’s have a vegan food range, including cheeses, such as violife, which is lovely grated and applewood, which I think is delicious. I think most vegan cheese is better grated and as it’s quite expensive, it helps it stretch. A lot of their other vegan range actually be in amongst the non-vegan products, in order to cater to those trying to decrease their meat intake.They’re only £2 each and taste delicious. I know you’re not vegan and I’m not pushing you to be vegan, it’s just if you think along the lines of looking for vegan food it helps you pick non-dairy products.

Fry’s do a good range of vegan meat replacement foods, so you’re not going to get cross contamination risks. There schnitzels are lovely.

Dominoes have recently released a vegan pizza. However apparently being vegan is more important than dairy free and they refuse to let you add meat to the vegan pizza so only good if you’re a big vegetable pizza fan

I dislike all cheese substitutes and especially Violife but it might be that I had too much of it and that put me off.
Mozzarisella is OK and I think it's what restaurants use as a cheese substitute on their vegan pizzas.
I miss cheese on burgers but prefer avocado instead of dairy free cheese (a burger with avocado and bacon is a nice treat )

I love milk chocolate and am yet to find a dairy free milk chocolate that is anything like as nice as the real thing. I don't think I've tried Nomo yet though so I'll give it a try. You can get vegan Galaxy now which is OK.

I tend to get my chocolate hits from cake (easy to make dairy free with spread instead of butter) and dairy free ice cream, I like Oatly chocolate fudge ice cream (I buy it from ocado and i think Tesco stock it too).

My favourite yoghurts are Nush almond yoghurts. I'm not a fan of coconut but that's an option if you like it. Plus there's loads of soya options (but I had to cut out soya too).

PS You could try probiotics to help your digestive system

"I’m also impressed with their Mediterranean block which has a taste and texture that’s very close to real halloumi."

You see I absolutely love halloumi and I thought the Violife Mediterranean "cheese" was nothing at all like halloumi and was in fact one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten

Pre and probiotics definitely. I also find a cup of peppermint tea helps

Try working out if you have lactose free dairy products. Lactose is the sugar in dairy.

If you are going dairy free then you need to make sure you are getting enough calcium, iodine and vitamin D.

I've been dairy intolerant for 20 years and haven't found an edible vegan cheese yet - I find them all repulsive and some go straight through me. Once you have had some time dairy free it is worth seeing if you can tolerate some hard goats cheese - it's relatively low lactose.

I like koko yoghurts (you can find in Waitrose).

For a treat you can get dairy free mini chocolate and salted caramel pots. I can't remember the brand but you can also find in Waitrose.

@AnotherEmma

"I’m also impressed with their Mediterranean block which has a taste and texture that’s very close to real halloumi."

You see I absolutely love halloumi and I thought the Violife Mediterranean "cheese" was nothing at all like halloumi and was in fact one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten

Yes, I found it nothing like halloumi either. I'm bad with cow's milk so did pick at a small bit of real halloumi recently and it is so nice. Shame I can't eat more, but the med. block is nothing like...although it would probably work well sliced and toasted in a sandwich.

I can’t do cows milk at all but am fine with goat and sheep so do give it a careful go.

That means a lot of Greek and Bulgarian feta types are open to you.

Agree with TheSandgroper - you may well find you can tolerate cheese made with goat and sheep milk, I can.

Good mozzarella should be made with buffalo milk, though I’ve never tried it. That’s another to keep in mind.

Thanks all - I'm taking note of all of this to try some different things out!

Agree with PP, Mozzerisella is the only vegan cheese I've found that works on pizza. It's what Zizzi and Pizza Express use.

Hotel chocolat regular dark chocolate is great, and they do a vegan milk chocolate range.

Nigella Lawson chocolate olive oil cake is dairy free and absolutely amazing - I've made it countless times and it's always a hit.

Alpro and oatley custards and creams are both really good, and oatley barista milk is the best I've found for both drinking and cooking

The coconut collaborative do some delicious dairy (and soya) free desserts (including chocolate) and yoghurts. Only mentioning soya as many people who are intolerant to dairy struggle with soya too.