How to Live Without Dairy Products

Whether you have an intolerance to dairy products or have simply chosen to eliminate milk and dairy from your daily diet, making the change can be a bit frustrating at first. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to dairy products which can help you learn to live without your old favorites. Read on to learn how to live without dairy products.

Instructions

1. Get sufficient calcium in your daily diet, as dairy products tend to be the best sources. Consider taking a calcium supplement between 500 and 1000 mg daily; however, green leafy vegetables and canned fish (with the bones still included) are also great sources of calcium.

2. Drink an alternative "milk," such as soy, rice or almond. Many people find that they prefer one particular brand of rice or soy milk, so allow yourself to experiment with a number of kinds to find the one you like the best.

3. Replace normal cheese with soy cheese. You can also try making your favorite white sauces with nutritional yeast instead of real cheese. Nutritional yeast is full of B vitamins and can be added to salads, soups, popcorn, pizza, pasta and more to add a delicious and nutritious cheesy flavor.

4. Learn to live without dairy without giving up delicious ice cream. New dairy-free desserts hit the market everyday, and range from sorbets, soy ice cream, rice ice cream and even creamy banana ice creams that leave the old milk and sugar ice creams in the dust.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider keeping yogurt in your diet if you are quitting dairy due to lactose intolerance. Because yogurt contains living, friendly bacteria, it is often easily digested by those who cannot consume other dairy products. Make sure that the label says "Live, Active Cultures."

• Keep your eyes open for hidden sources of dairy, as many packaged foods will include powdered milk, cheeses and other dairy products.