05livingwithoutdairy

Living Without Dairy
Many people say to me, "I might be able to give up meat, but never DAIRY!"
Well folks, it's easier than you think. Alternatives are available and they are delicious!

LIVING WITHOUT DAIRY
The last carton of cow's milk has just gone into the bin. That packet of cheese and creamy yoghurt is
completely finished. You're steadfastly refusing to buy anymore dairy products. So, what do you do now?
Don't panic because you will be absolutely amazed to find a huge range of products on the market which
taste as good as their dairy counterpart and, better still, are healthier for you.

HEALTHY EATING
Many people avoid dairy products for health reasons. In fact 90% of the world's adult population (in Britain
the figure is probably 25%) is deficient in the enzyme needed to digest milk properly. Also, allergy to
cow's milk may affect 75 in 1000 babies, causing frequent diarrhoea, repeated vomiting, persistent colic,
eczema, bronchitis and asthma.

POOR COW
Many more people avoid dairy products because of the plight of the dairy cow and calf. To produce milk, it
isnecessary for the cow to produce a calf. The calf is torn from her mother within hours or days of birth.
Instead of producing 3 litres of milk a day for her calf, as would be natural, she is engineered to produce
30 litres for human consumption.

10% of all calves born die within a few days of birth and calves are still raised for veal (anaemic white
meat) in this country and abroad.

The natural lifespan of a cow is around 20 years or more but they may be slaughtered at 30 months for
meat. Cows are also slaughtered at any age if they are are not easy to handle, if they are ill (they
commonly suffer from painful mastitis and other diseases) or have problems calving.

Just because you have given up dairy milk doesn't mean you have to drink black tea or miss out on
icecream or chocolate.

SOYA GOOD
Adopting a vegan diet has been made much easier with the advent of a wide range of soya products.
Soya is a bean which, when processed, can be made into a wide variety of different tastes and textures.
The most common use is as a 'milk' but other soya products include tofu, miso and tempeh.

Soya milk can be bought in a variety of forms (sweetened and unsweetened) as well as different flavours
(chocolate, strawberry, carob or vanilla). It is available in all wholefood shops and supermarkets. Soya
milk can be used as a straight substitute for dairy milk when cooking. You can use it in tea or coffee,
make rice puddings, cakes, custard or sauces with it.

If you don't like the taste of one soya milk, try another brand. They all have their own subtle flavours.

Tofu is a soya bean curd and comes in a block with a firm or silken (soft) texture. It may also be bought in
different flavours such as plain, marinated or smoked. The good thing about plain tofu is that it can be
flavoured in a huge variety of ways and used as a basis for savoury or sweet dishes.

Tempeh is a fermented soya bean product and has been used to make a product that tastes very much
like 'bacon'.

Miso is another fermented soya bean product and comes in the form of a paste. It can be used in soups,
stews or sauces.

OTHER NON-DAIRY MILKS
Apart from soya milk, you can also buy oat milk, rice milk, pea milk and coconut milk. These are all
available from wholefood shops and can also be used as a straight substitute for dairy milk in a variety of
sweet and savoury dishes.

VEGAN FOODS AVAILABLE IN THE SHOPS NOW:
milk, margarine, cheese(hard/soft), yoghurt, ice cream, chocolate, rice pudding, pouring cream, whipped
cream, mayonnaise, and milk shakes

SHOPPING WITHOUT DAIRY
Many supermarkets now sell an increasing number of vegan foods. In fact the major supermarkets all
have their own brand soya milk and vegan margarine. However, if you want a really good range of vegan
foods you would be wise to seek out your local wholefood or healthfood shop. Most towns have at least
one, some have several. Here you will find a good selection of vegan foods including non-dairy milks,
margarines, cheeses, yoghurts, icecreams, chocolate and mayonnaise as well as a whole host of other
vegan goodies.

The Vegan Society's paperback guide The Animal Free Shopper will give you a list of products suitable
for vegans to eat (as well as other non-food products). However, if you do get stuck just ask one of the
shop assistants for help. If the shop cannot help with a product enquiry, you may have to contact us or the
product manufacturer direct.

Aim to eat a varied wholefood diet and choose foods from the following food groups on a daily basis
Cereals e.g. barley, rice, oats, rye, wheat (bread, pasta), etc
Pulses e.g. beans, peas, lentils (cooked, sprouted)
Nuts & Seeds e.g. peanuts, cashews, hazels, walnuts, brazils, nut butters, pumpkins, sesame,
sunflower seeds, etc (raw, cooked)
Vegetables (raw, cooked)
Fruit (fresh, dried, tinned)