#100b: A Guide to Replacing Dairy
This episode includes a FREE downloadable resource with recipes and helpful links! Get it now at: www.doctoryami.com/dairyfree
Where does dairy show up in our diet?
Americans consume a lot of dairy. In fact, according to USDA data, in 2018, Americans consumed 646 pounds of total dairy per person per year, which is 107 more pounds per person compared to 1975! We drink lots of fluids milk too, 146 pounds per person per year. But our consumption of cheese is incredible. In 2018, we consumed 40 pounds of cheese per person per year! We also consumed 13 pounds of yogurt, 6 pounds of butter and 18 pounds of ice cream per person! So basically, dairy is everywhere and it is a pervasive part of the American diet.
Why do we love it so much?
Mammalian milk is intended to grow babies and contains a mixture of fat, sugar, milk proteins and growth hormones. Each species produces milk that is composed of a varying percentages of these ingredients. Incredibly, the hooded seal produces the fattiest milk at 60% fat which is important because their babies only nurse for about four days before they are weaned. During their short nursing window they drink 16 pounds of milk per day!!! By comparison, human milk is only about 3-5% fat, but human babies breast feed for a few years. The Black Rhino has milk with the lowest fat percentage at only 0.2% fat. Black Rhinos nurse their babies for 2 years. Milk is a great source of calories, but it also contains other components that likely interact with our bodies and brains to give us feelings that we enjoy. This is beneficial when we are babies because it increases our chance of survival, but as older children and adults, it may start to benefit us less and increase our risk of harm. When we consume cow’s milk, I believe that what we really enjoy about it is the fat and milk sugar components. This explains our love for cheese (very high in fat) and ice cream (high in fat and sugar). You don’t hear people say that they are addicted to low-fat or fat-free cheese even though it has protein in it and the same goes for low-fat and sugar free ice cream. The fat is where it’s at. My point here is don’t fool yourself by drinking milk or consuming dairy by justifying it’s protein content.
Why should we consider not consuming it?
Although we have had a long love affair with dairy in the United States, we may have been a bit seduced by the purported benefits which does not align with reality. A recent review article released in The New England Journal of Medicine entitled “Milk and Health” and co-authored by Dr. Walter Willet and Dr. David Ludwig concluded that “the health benefit of a high intake of milk products has not been established and concerns exist about the risks of possible adverse health outcomes. Therefore, the role of dairy consumption in human nutrition and disease prevention warrants careful assessment.” Potential risks of cow’s milk consumption include increased intake of IGF-1 (which is a growth hormone that can increase cancer risk), increased exposure to progestins, estrogens, and other hormones, exposure to infections present in milk, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, increased risk of type II diabetes, increased prostate cancer risk, increased endometrial cancer risk, cow’s milk protein allergy (affects 4% infants), atopic diseases such as eczema and asthma, increased total mortality rate compared to consuming plant-based foods, and a 5-10 times increase in greenhouse gas emissions compared to plants. In addition, in the review article they concluded that based on several studies that increased milk intake did NOT decrease hip fracture risk and was not protective against obesity as some milk companies had advertised.
In addition, lactose intolerance is a very common medical condition that occurs naturally as humans age. As much as 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant after childhood and in some ethnic groups there may be a prevalence of up to 90%. Lactose intolerance is caused by the loss of the enzyme lactase which breaks down the sugar lactose. When we are low in this enzyme the natural sugar in milk does not get broken down which causes flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. I also see constipation commonly and removing dairy from the diet leads to relief in a significant percentage of children that suffer from this chronic condition. Dairy may also be a part of chronic abdominal pain, acne, menstrual pain and menstrual dysregulation.
Other Veggie Doctor Radio podcast episodes discussing dairy:
Episode #81: Evidence-based Risks of Drinking Milk Featuring Pediatrician Dr. Jackie Busse
Episode #80: Going Dairy-Free with Olympian Dotsie Bausch from Swith4Good
Episode #41: Dr. Angie Sadeghi, Plant-Based GI Doc, on Diet, Our Gut and Why She Ditched Dairy
This episode includes a FREE downloadable resource with recipes and helpful links! Get it now at: www.doctoryami.com/dairyfree
How to replace dairy in your diet
Here’s the GREAT news: it is actually really easy to replace dairy in your diet! And it is becoming increasingly easier with new products on the market every day that are delicious and convenient. However, if you prefer to work with whole foods, I’ve got you covered. It just takes a little mindset adjustment and practice and you will be adapted to your new dairy-free lifestyle.
Milk
There are currently about 20 different plant-milks that are commercially produced, but the most popular are soy, almond, coconut, oat, rice, hemp, oat and pea. Milks can be made from beans, grains, nuts and seeds. Plant milks have been consumed for centuries, in fact the term has been used to describe plant milk since the 13th century. There are 36 different plants that have been used to make milk. Many of these are available in your local grocery store, but what is even better is that you can make many at home yourself. In recipes, you can use these milks to replace cows milk 1:1. Easy, breezy! Try different types and find one that you like, the flavors and textures vary greatly between types.
Cream
Cream from cow’s milk is essentially a thick, high fat substance that gives a rich creamy texture to foods. We encounter cream in savory as well as sweet dishes and really contributes to mouthfeel. Cream is easily replaced with whole plant foods, but there are also commercial more processed products available. Whole foods that can be used to replicate cream include cashews, canned coconut milk/cream, silken tofu, potato, cauliflower, chickpeas AND aquaphaba (chickpea juice!). These ingredients can be used in different ways to produce the creaminess you are after.
Butter
Butter is delicious because it is pure fat. Therefore, in order to replicate butter without using animal milk, oils must be used. There are many delicious options for plant-based butters, but I caution that they can be consumed in excess because they are quite scrumptious. There are many commercially-produced plant-based butters on the market now including: Earth Balance, Smart Balance (dairy free), Country Crock Plant Butter, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Vegan, Miyoko’s, Pure Blends, Simple Truth, Wayfare Whipped, and Melt. Make sure that you are using non-hydrogenated. Depending on what you need butter for though, you can use avocado or other whole foods as well.
Yogurt
There are more and more plant-based yogurts available commercially, but this is also something that you can make at home and isn’t too complicated. I have a recipe for a vegan greek yogurt that is amazing and I make in my InstantPot! Commercially-produced yogurts are made from soy, coconut, almonds, cashews, flax, oats and peas. I even found a subscription based yogurt company with no additives called Lavva that has some really interesting ingredients including plantain!
Cheese
There has been an explosion of commercially-produced cheese alternatives on the market. There are many popular brands including cultured artisan cheeses by Miyokos, and other brands like Daiya, Field Roast Chao Cheese, Follow Your Heart, Kite Hill, Treeline, Vromage, Violife, and So Delicious. My favorite sliced cheese is the Field Roast Chao Cheese creamy original. It is so yummy in sandwiches and melts pleasantly. The artisan cheese brands will appeal to cheese lovers that love fancy cheese and cracker trays. However, some of these brands are also rather processed so it is best as an every-once-in-a-while sort of thing. However, you can also use whole foods to get that cheesy flavor that you are after. There is a popular inactivated yeast called nutritional yeast that is yellow in color and has a cheesy flavor that can be added to sauces and dips to replicate and cheesy flavor. In addition, tofu and cashews can often be used to produce cheese-like textures.
Ice-cream
I think that Ice Cream is literally America’s favorite food. It’s at least in the top 5. It’s no wonder, it’s really really yummy! Plant-based ice cream is exploding and now you can find ice cream varieties made from soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, cashews, oats and more. I even had chickpea ice-cream when visiting a shop in Portland, Oregon and it was so so so so amazing. Ice Cream is delicious because it is high in fat and sugar so keep that in mind when enjoying. However, there are whole foods options and homemade options. Banana “Nice”-cream is easy to make with frozen bananas, a splash of plant milk and a blender!
I hope you now realize that replacing cow’s milk dairy in your diet doesn’t have to be difficult or painful. There are so many options from the very convenient to the deliciously homemade. Just get started with experimentation and trial and error and before you know you, you’ll be dairy-free! For recipes and links go to www.doctoryami.com/dairyfree.
Resources:
If you’d like a FREE PDF download with recipes and helpful links,
Download the guide for FREE: doctoryami.com/dairyfree
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The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.
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