Are Your Dinner Guests Lactose Intolerant?Dairy Alternatives That Will Keep Everyone Happy

How to ensure your dairy-intolerant guests 
have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Food Allergies and Preferences
Years ago you just had to count how many people were showing up for Thanksgiving dinner. How many kids and how many adults - that's it. But things are different now. Today, if you have more than two people coming for dinner, I would be willing to bet that someone has a food allergy or preference. It's important to take that into account when you are planning your menu. 

Since more than half the world is lactose intolerant, there's a good chance that at least one of your guests has an issue with dairy. It's important to ask ahead of time so you can plan accordingly.

Even if your guests tell you about their problems digesting dairy products, you may still be a little confused about what to do to your recipes so that everyone can enjoy the meal. I'll introduce you to some great dairy substitutes but first let me tell you what it means to be dairy intolerant.

What is Dairy Intolerance
A person is dairy intolerant if:
they are allergic to casein, the protein in milk, or
they are lactose intolerant and lack the enzyme lactase needed to digest milk.

Dairy includes milk and milk products such as:
Butter
Buttermilk
Cheese
Cream Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Gelato
Ice Cream
Powdered Milk
Sour Cream
Yogurt
Any other food made from the milk of mammals. That includes dairy cows, goats, sheep, and camels. I must admit I haven't seen camel milk in the store recently, but you can actually buy camel milk from a company called Desert Farms in Santa Monica, California! Who knew? 

Some people tolerate dairy from goats and sheep (and maybe even camels) better than from cows but always check with your guests before you toss some goat feta in the salad.

Eggs are not dairy. Someone who is just avoiding dairy can eat eggs.

Dairy Alternatives
There are some delicious dairy-free products available that you can use in your recipes to accommodate your dairy-free guests and, in most recipes, your dairy loving guests may not even be able to taste the difference!

Milk and Cream
There are many alternatives to dairy milk. Soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, and hemp milk, to name a few, can all be used as a replacement. For everyday use, I probably enjoy almond milk the best. Whole Foods carries their own brand that is organic. These non-dairy milks can be used in most recipes that call for 1%, 2%, or skim milk. If you need a more creamy, dense milk to replace whole milk or cream, you can buy soy creamer or coconut creamer.

Substitute 1%, 2%, or skim milk with non-dairy milk.

Substitute whole milk or cream with non-dairy creamer.

Butter 
Instead of butter, you can use Earth Balance. This buttery spread is vegan, lactose and casein free, gluten free and is non-GMO and it melts like butter. I've used it for years - it's great. They even sell a Shortening Stick that is handy for pie crusts. Olive oil is a healthier alternative to use on vegetables and in some baked goods. 

Sour Cream
If you want to make your mashed potatoes or twice-baked potatoes super creamy, blend in some Tofutti Sour Cream but make sure you get the one that is non-hydrogenated. For some odd reason they still continue to make one that contains trans fats. The non-hydrogenated one looks like this.

Tastes just like sour cream.

Dairy-free mashed potatoes are a snap by using Earth balance and Tofutti sour cream. To make them more moist, add the water from boiling the potatoes or some almond milk. 

Ice Cream
If you are looking for an ice cream substitute to top that dairy-free crisp, there are plenty of non-dairy frozen desserts. So Delicious makes some wonderful dairy-free ice creams made from coconut milk, almond milk and soy milk.

Cheese 
No need to skip the cheese and crackers now that Miyoko's Kitchen offers a wide selection of delicious artisan dairy-free "cheeses".  

Have a Happy Dairy-Free Thanksgiving!

Shredded Kale And Quinoa Salad With Red Grapes, Bell Pepper, And Sunflower Seeds Vegan and Gluten Free

Adding quinoa to a kale salad turns it into a meal!

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Inspired at the Airport
My daughter and I just spent a lovely four days in Sedona. Besides the beautiful red rocks and relaxing spa treatments, we were blown away with the food. One restaurant was better than the other. So when we got to the Phoenix airport to go home, we were kind of bummed that our last meal would probably be terrible. I mean, when's the last time you had a good meal at an airport?

We were pretty shocked when we walked into Chelseas Kitchen in Terminal 4. The restaurant itself was large and beautiful and the food was definitely NOT what you would expect at an airport (unless you are in the International Terminal in SFO.)

Chelseas Kitchen at the Phoenix Airport

The dish that inspired me the most was their kale salad (they were kind enough to make one without the parmesan cheese). It was mixed with quinoa, bell pepper, juicy red grapes, and sunflower seeds. To me the red grapes were the best and most surprising ingredient. I never thought of throwing a grape into a kale salad and their sweetness just made the flavors explode. And any time you add a grain, such as quinoa or rice, to a salad, it turns the dish into a hearty meal.

When I got home, I immediately tried to replicate it and I think I did it. They use more oil than I do but since I need to knock off a few pounds from the vacation, I cut down on the dressing.

So here it is, my dairy-free, gluten-free version of Chelseas Kitchen's "Shredded Kale & Quinoa Salad. I honestly think it's now my FAVORITE kale salad recipe. You should try it!

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Shredded Kale and Quinoa Salad 
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 4 meal-size or 6 side salads]

1 cup dry quinoa
 water
4 packed cups thinly sliced raw kale
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, small diced
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
* If you don't have hemp oil, just use two tablespoons of olive oil instead of one.

To prepare quinoa: Rinse quinoa in cold water. 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.

(To cook your quinoa in a pressure cooker, cook for 5 minutes with 1 1/4 cups of water.)

While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, place the kale in a large bowl with the lemon and oil and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 20 minutes to "marinate."

Marinating the kale in lemon and oil makes it tender.

Add the quinoa and the remaining ingredients to the kale. Mix thoroughly and serve.

Per meal-sized serving (4): 326 calories, 12 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 796 mg omega-3 and 5,038 mg omega-3 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, and 575 mg sodium.

Per side salad (6): 217 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 530 mg omega-3 and 3,358 mg omega-3 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 383 mg sodium.

Vegan Chia Seed Kheer - Dairy And Gluten Free!

Vegan Kheer made with chia seeds.
Each serving provides over 1 g of omega-3 and 4 g of fiber!

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Kheer
My absolute favorite way to finish an Indian meal is to eat kheer, a rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron and garnished with nuts and raisins. But kheer is made with dairy, which I can no longer tolerate. White rice is also featured in traditional kheer, which doesn't add much nutritional value. I wanted to create a healthy version of this wonderful dish that I can enjoy and feel good about eating. I think I did it!

This recipe uses chia seeds and cashew milk to create the creamy pudding. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and are a good source of fiber and calcium. Dates and a little stevia are used to naturally sweeten this dessert without using processed sugar. Feel free to adjust the amount of cardamom and saffron to suit your taste . 

Serve with Vegan Saag Aloo or any of your favorite Indian food recipes.

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Chia Seed Kheer
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Suitable for a Raw Food Cleanse
[makes six (1/2-cup) servings]
Requires high speed blender
Allow 1 1/2 days for soaking and thickening

1/2 cup raw cashews
Water to soak cashews
3 medjool dates
2 1/4 cups water
pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or to taste)
2 packets stevia powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoon slightly crushed pistachios
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons seedless raisins

Soak the cashews in water for 6 hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, soak the dates in 2 1/4 cups of water with a pinch of saffron for 6 hours or overnight. 

Soak cashews

Soak dates and saffron threads in water 

Drain the cashews and rinse. Place them in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec. 
Place the dates and all of their soak water with saffron threads in the blender.
Add vanilla, cardamom and stevia and process until it forms a smooth cashew milk. 
Taste the cashew milk and add additional cardamom or stevia if desired.

Process to make sweetened cashew milk

Pour the cashew milk in a 1-quart container and stir in the chia seeds. Stir vigorously with a fork for 1 minute.

Let the mixture sit for another 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated. 

Keep stirring until chia seeds are separated

Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the chia seeds to absorb the cashew milk and the pudding to thicken.

To serve, place pudding in small bowls and top with pistachios, almonds and raisins.

Top with nuts and raisins and serve!

Per serving: 155 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1.1 g omega-3 and 1.7 g omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 3 mg of sodium.

Lactose Intolerant? Going Vegan? You'll Need A Substitute For Milk. Here's How To Select The Best Non-Dairy Milk Alternative!

What's the best milk for your morning breakfast cereal?

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You Might Be Lactose Intolerant
Do you get bloated or nauseous after eating dairy products or do you get gas pains or cramps in your abdomen? If so, you may lack lactase, an enzyme that is needed to properly digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. An astounding 65% of adults worldwide lose the ability to produce this enzyme after weaning. The problem varies greatly with ethnicity. About 20% of North American whites have this issue while three out of four African Americans and about 50% of Latinos are lactose intolerant. Given that the average American consumes over 600 pounds of dairy per year, there may be quite a few people walking around out there feeling lousy! I personally cannot eat dairy without getting severe stomach cramps. 
Vegans and those who are lactose intolerant continually search for delicious and nutritious dairy substitutes. And now it's easier than ever.

In Search of the Perfect Milk Substitute
Years ago, all non-dairy milk products came in little boxes that sat on the shelf, unrefrigerated. Those products are still available and are quite convenient when you want to store them in your pantry or pop them into your lunch box. But today there are many "fresh" non-dairy milk substitutes that are found in the refrigerated section of your supermarket and they are quite superior in taste.  Every week for the past month or so I bought a different brand. I have now tasted them all and analyzed them for their nutritional content. You may be quite surprised at what I found.

Almond Milk
I tried 2 brands of unsweetened almond milk, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze and Silk Pure Almond. What sets almond milk apart from the others is their very low calorie count, Silk Pure Almond being the lowest with only 30 calories a cup. Nutritionally they were both very highly fortified with calcium at 450 mg per cup and also contained 50% of the daily requirement of vitamin E. They were the only milk substitute that has zero grams of sugar.  Cow milk contains 12 to 13 grams of sugar per cup. Both almond milk brands contained more sodium than the other types of non-dairy milk, 150 mg to 180 mg per cup.
I found almond milk to be absolutely delicious.

Creamy and delicious
Very low in calories
More calcium than cow's milk
High in vitamin E
Highest in sodium
Make from Non-GMO almonds
Gluten free

You can also make your own raw almond milk very easily if you have a high speed blender. 

Soy Milk
I've tried both Silk and Earth Balance soy milk and they are both creamy and delicious. They are also a significant source of protein, providing 7 grams per cup, while the other non-dairy milks have 1g or less. This compares very favorably with cow's milk which provides 8 grams per cup and has the advantage of not having saturated fat or cholesterol. Some avoid soy products because they fear that they increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence but recent data shows that soy might, in fact, reduce the risk. 
Warning: Soy milk can give you some gas - after all, it's bean juice! Introduce it into your diet gradually.

Creamy and delicious
Very high in protein
Contains the same amount of calcium as cow's milk
Silk contains 320 mg of ALA Omega-3
Organic soy milk is made from non-GMO soybeans
Gluten free

I also make my own soy milk with a SoyaPower Plus.

Original Rice Dream
Vegans have been enjoying Rice Dream for years and now it's offered in the fresh, refrigerated version. It's thinner than some of the other milks but it is delicious. What surprises me the most about this product is that it's very high in calories (120 per cup) and contains a high amount of "natural" sugars (10 g per cup) - as no sweeteners are added. To compare, Silk Pure Almond contains 1/4th of the calories and zero grams of sugar.
So if you are watching your weight, this might not be your best option.

Thinner consistency but delicious
Higher in calories and natural sugars
Contains the same amount of calcium as cow's milk
Gluten free

Coconut Milk
So Delicious makes some wonderful ice creams, coconut creamers and other products so I was anxious to try their dairy free coconut milk. It's hard to believe this thick and creamy milk has only 45 calories. I actually found the milk to be too thick for my cereal although it's great in a smoothie. It also is high in saturated fat (4 grams per cup). There are some who think that saturated fats from coconuts are not only safe but provide health benefits. I'm not yet convinced of that and while I feel it is probably fine to enjoy this coconut milk beverage frequently, I probably wouldn't use it as my only source of non-dairy milk. That aside, I didn't actually enjoy it nearly as much as almond, soy or rice milk.

Low in calories
High in saturated fat
Very thick and creamy (almost too thick)
Contains 1/3rd the amount of calcium as cow's milk
Made from non-GMO coconuts
Gluten free

To Summarize
There are many wonderful dairy free, gluten free alternatives to cow's milk for those of you who are lactose intolerant, vegan or on a low cholesterol diet.
Calories
The lowest calorie products are almond milk and coconut milk. Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened almond milk has the lowest amount with only 30 calories per cup. The highest calories are from Rice Dream Enriched Refrigerated Original. Soy milk contains about the same as skim dairy milk. 
Fat
All of the non-dairy products contain a modest amount of total fat ranging from 2.5 grams to 4.5 grams per cup. All, except So Delicious Coconut milk, contain insignificant amounts of saturated fat. So Delicious Coconut milk contains 4 grams of saturated fat per cup. To compare, whole dairy milk contains 8 grams of total fat and 5 grams of saturated fat. Skim milk contains neither.
Calcium
There seems to be a race among our food providers to see who can load us down with the most calcium. I worry about that because I fear that people are taking too many calcium supplements .  If your doctor has you taking 1,000 mg of calcium supplements a day and then you drink 2 cups of Almond Breeze, you just got another 900 mg of calcium. And that's not counting the calcium you are getting from tofu, greens, fortified orange juice, etc. So be aware of what you are consuming from all sources. 
Also, you should note that for the optimal absorption of calcium, you need to consume magnesium at about a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. Fortified foods, such as these milk products, add lots of calcium but don't add much magnesium. 
Sugar
Dairy milk has lots of sugar (12 to 13 grams per cup) - that's why people are lactose intolerant - they can't digest the lactose sugar. Except for the Original Rice Dream, all the non-dairy milk alternatives are very low in sugar with 1 gram or less per cup. Rice dream contains a whopping 10 grams per cup. 
Protein
If you need a good source of protein, soy milk provides 7 grams per cup, nearly as much as dairy milk. The others tested do not provide a significant amount of protein.
Sodium
All dairy and non-dairy milks have about 80 to 120 plus mg of sodium per cup except for So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage which only has 15 mg. 

Of course at the end of the day you have to love the taste of the product and that is something you have to determine for yourself. (I guarantee you that all of these will beat the taste of non-fat, skim milk!). You also will have to pick one that satisfies your dietary needs. I hope this paper helps you in the search for YOUR perfect non-dairy milk alternative!