Dairy-free is the New Dairy

Moooooove over gluten, dairy is the new star ‘free from’ food.

Is it just me or is the dairy-free food group going through a renaissance just as the gluten-free food aisle did a few years ago….? It sure seems to me like there are new dairy-free options popping up all over the place, and color me happy about it. Neither my oldest son nor I can eat much dairy without it causing problems, and we certainly have company in that arena. I’ve heard that the only people who can successfully digest dairy are those (heritage-wise) from Northern European countries, but I don’t know how accurate that is. It seems some people react to the casein, some to the lactose, and some just to all of it. Dairy is a wide category though and it’s important to note that some people can handle things like yogurt, kefir, and some cheeses because of the way they are made with cultures, and for some people it’s a matter of quantity. They might eat a little cheese a couple of times a week and have no problems, but eat dairy every day and lots of problems. And of course there seem to be more vegans all the time so they are definitely driving this dairy-free trend as well.

We tried Daya’s new gluten-free and dairy-free Alfredo style mac and cheese and were pleasantly surprised by the taste. I added cracked pepper on top and it was quite close to a regular gluten and dairy-full Alfredo. We were impressed for sure! I added stir-fried smoked salmon, broccoli, garlic, and onion on top which certainly made it taste less like it was out of a box, but the next day we ate leftover Alfredo just plain and it was great. I’ll be stocking up on Daya for quick and easy dinners.

I’ve also been making my son pizzas with vegan pesto from Trader Joe‘s and shredded dairy-free mozzarella style cheeses. One is from Trader Joe’s and the other is from a company called Violife whose whole line looks promising. He likes both cheese brands and thinks they taste very similar.

We both like different dairy-free yogurts. He likes the vanilla coconut yogurt from Trader Joe’s and so do I but it has more sugar than I like, so I eat So Delicious‘s unsweetened version of vanilla. I was curious what other dairy free goodies are now out there that I should try out on my son and I, so I checked out what New Hope discovered at Expo West and found some tasty-looking treats to share.

(The following portions of this post was provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.)

Culina Botanical Yogurt Alternative
One of the best nondairy yogurts we’ve ever tasted, Culina won us over with its ultra-creamy cultured coconut base, floral botanical add-ins (the Strawberry Rose flavor was beautiful) and lack of plastic packaging. Instead, each yogurt is packaged in a terra cotta flower pot lined with a food-safe, biodegradeable glaze.

Bla Bla Foods Valling Oat Milk

Swedish moms favor giving välling, a thick, creamy oat beverage, to toddlers before bedtime for a filling, healthy boost of vitamins, minerals and calories. Bla Bla Foods’ version features organic gluten-free oats, organic coconut milk powder and organic pea protein. Add two tablespoons to warm water and stir to prepare

Ripple Nutrition Chocolate Dairy-Free Protein Shake
A single-serve, ready-to-drink plant-based beverage that packs in 20 grams of plant protein derived from peas. Sweetness and flavor comes from the addition of organic cane sugar, monk fruit extract and cocoa powder.

Mooala Organic Oatmilk Unsweetened Coconut
Oatmilk was a trending plant-based dairy option at Expo West, and Mooala earns points for launching an unsweetened, USDA Organic blend. This version is blended with organic coconut cream for improved consistency.

Malk Sprouted Organic Oat Malk Original
This brand’s dedication to simple formulations and conscious sourcing shine through with this USDA Organic, sprouted oatmilk. Bonus: Malk also pursued The Detox Project’s Glyphosate Residue Free Certification to quell worries about glyphosate-contaminated oats, which is printed on the back of the product packaging.

Milkadamia Macadamia Buttery Spread
This beloved nondairy milk brand launched a plant-based buttery spread at Expo West that employs silky, rich macadamia oil to add body and flavor. We also like how no palm oil is used in this formulation.

Wildbrine Plant Based Creamery Cultured Cashew Brie Alternative Beet Blush
The fermentation experts at Wildbrine bring their expert knowledge of microbes into the plant-based dairy category with this excellent cashew brie. Tinted with a hint of beets, this USDA Organic plant brie will steal the limelight at cheese parties.

Sprout Living Drinkable Oats Matcha Plant-Based Instant Powder Mix
Infused with antioxidant-rich matcha, this oat-based meal replacement also contains nutrient-dense sunflower seed protein, spirulina, golden flaxseed and so much more. We dig the USDA Organic certification, too.

If you try any of these, let me know how it goes! I’m looking forward to trying all of them, especially the brie because brie! and that Culina yogurt because the packaging is superb. If you have a favorite dairy-free food to share, I’d love to hear about that too. Thank you for reading and please share with any vegans or dairy intolerant people you may know.