Going Dairy-Free for Beginners

Published by Laura Kersting on May 9, 2022

What Does Dairy-Free Mean?

Let's start with the basics. Dairy is any food/food product that contains milk from cows, sheep, or goats (mammals). Dairy-free means the food/food product does NOT contain milk or milk products from cows, sheep, or goats (mammals). This includes milk and foods such as ice cream, butter, yogurt, cheese, and heavy cream.

Non-Dairy vs. Dairy-Free

These 2 terms may seem interchangeable, but they are not. Dairy-free as mentioned above is the absence of all milk and milk products in food. Non-dairy refers to products that may contain ingredients derived from milk. Examples of these milk-derived ingredients include casein, whey, lactose, and non-fat and dry milk powders. To determine if a product contains milk read the food label very carefully and look for the statement, "contains milk".

For more information on reading labels for food allergies check out my Allergy-Free Shopping article.

Is Dairy-Free the Same as Lactose-Free?

There is often confusion about lactose-free vs. dairy-free when it comes to following a dairy-free diet. The simple answer is these are not the same. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk and milk products. People who have lactose intolerance are unable to digest this sugar lactose. This does not mean they have a milk allergy. It simply means their bodies are not able to digest the lactose properly thus causing unpleasant symptoms.

Products labeled lactose-free still contain milk, just not lactose. If you have an allergy to milk and/or follow a dairy-free diet, do not consume products labeled "lactose-free".

Dairy-Free vs. Vegan

The terms dairy-free and vegan are also sometimes misunderstood and confusing. A person following a vegan diet will not eat any animal products or by-products. Vegan products are dairy-free, but dairy-free products are not all vegan. For example, a product labeled dairy-free may contain eggs so therefore it is not considered vegan.

Pro Tips

Focus on foods you CAN have - Here is a list of foods to help you get started.
- Eggs
- Meat (beef, chicken, fish, pork)
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Nuts
- Soy
Look for hidden sources of dairy - Read labels carefully, especially prepackaged and processed foods. Here is a list of common names for dairy hidden in food products.
- Milk
- Animal-free dairy
- Butter
- Casein/caseinates
- Cheese
- Cream
- Curds
- Custard
- Dairy product solids
- Galactose
- Ghee
- Half & Half
- Hydrolysates
- Ice cream, ice milk, sherbet
- Lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate
- Lactate solids
- Lactitol monohydrate
- Lactoglobulin
- Lactose
- Lactulose
- Milk fat, anhydrous milk fat
- Nougat
- Pudding
- Quark
- Rennet, rennet casein
- Sour cream, sour cream solids, imitation sour cream
- Whey
- Yogurt, yogurt powder
Self-advocate when eating out - Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions.
- Ask about how the meal is prepared.
- Ask to speak with the chef if you are unsure.
- Watch out for butter, or other hidden sources of dairy in sauces, vegetables, and meats.

Going dairy-free for beginners, oat milk

Dairy-Free Substitutes

These substitutes are available at most local grocery stores, Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

Milk

Rice milk - Rice Dream, Pacific Foods, Trader Joe's Rice Drink, Kirkland Rice Milk, Good Karma Rice Milk
Soy milk - Silk, Edensoy, West Soy
Hemp milk - Living Harvest, Pacific Foods, Nutiva
Oat milk - Planet Oat, Chobani, Oatly, Pacific Foods, Silk
Nut milk (almond, cashew, macadamia) - Silk, So Delicious, Pacific Foods, Califia Farms

Cheese

Most dairy-free cheeses come from plants, fats, and/or proteins. Nuts such as cashews or almonds are commonly used. Some brands use seeds such as sesame or sunflower. Other dairy-free cheeses are made from oils like coconut or palm oil. Dairy-free cheeses are also made with soybeans and tofu, or tapioca, rice, and potatoes.

There are several brands of dairy-free cheese to consider if you have a milk allergy.

Treeline - made from cashews.
Follow Your Heart - made from palm oil.
Kite Hill - uses almond milk.
Daiya - makes dairy-free mozzarella slices and shredded cheese made from cassava and arrowroot plants.
Trader Joe’s - has a dairy-free mozzarella cheese made with cashews.
Violife’s - made with coconut oil.

Butter

Try these plant-based, dairy-free butter.

Earth Balance
Spectrum Vegetable Shortening
Coconut Oil is also a good substitute for butter in some recipes.

Ice Cream

Here are a few of the most popular dairy-free and vegan ice cream brands available at some local grocery stores, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or online. Remember to check the ingredients carefully for other allergens.