Dairy Sensitivity and Dairy Substitutes

When she was first at college, my daughter came home and told me a friend of hers at college was sensitive to dairy. She was interested in learning what she might have instead of milk and other dairy products.

What are the potential problem components of dairy?

Most people who have a dairy allergy or sensitivity are reactive to either the proteins in dairy or the milk sugar, lactose. Lactose intolerance is very common in adults and can be identified by a lab test. Dairy has a number of proteins that may cause allergies or sensitivities, the two most common being casein and whey. There is a less common protein called butyrophylin as well. I personally am sensitive to both whey and butyrophylin, so I have been eating mostly dairy-free for a while.

Do you or a family member suspect dairy may be causing some of your digestive or other symptoms? How do you find out? You can pay for a lab test, but you can also find out by elimination and then reintroduction.

Start by eliminating all dairy-containing products for at least three weeks. Since milk is one of the major food allergens, all food products with labels are required to list it. Don’t eat anything containing milk, cheese, or butter.

After three weeks you can begin to add back dairy into your diet to see whether you have any reactions. First start by eating some butter a couple of times during the day along with your other regular food. Make a note of any symptoms that your feel on that day or the next day. If you do not feel any symptoms, then eat some cheese on the second day after that. Again, make note of any symptoms. Keep following this process by introducing yogurt, and finally, milk. If you feel symptoms at any point, then eliminate all dairy for at least one more month and try the reintroduction process again.

I have some symptoms; can’t I just eat a little?

If you do not have symptoms with butter, then it is probably safe for you to eat it. Butter does not contain lactose, and it has almost no proteins. Most cheeses do not have lactose, so cheese and butter are fine for those with a lactose intolerance. Yogurt and lactose-free milk may also be fine for those with a lactose intolerance.

If you allergic to any of the proteins (casein, whey, or butyrophylin), you should avoid all dairy. If dairy proteins are creating an immune response in your body (immunoglobulins IgE, IgG, IgA), this can put you at risk for a number of autoimmune disorders including celiac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Crohn’s disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

What are some substitutes for dairy?

Fortunately these days there are numerous substitutes for all forms of dairy. Instead of butter I use either olive oil or coconut oil. If you want a sweet taste, then virgin coconut oil is great to use. If you need something that is neutral, refined coconut oil or avocado oil are best. Extra virgin olive oil is excellent for savory uses.

There are cheese substitutes made from soy, cashews, and tapioca. I like Daiya cheese substitute, which is made from tapioca; Daiya makes mozzarella and cheddar flavors. There are non-dairy milks made from soy, rice, cashew, hemp, almond, or my favorite — coconut. There is even a coconut milk “nog,” a substitute for eggnog. There are ice cream substitutes made from soy, almonds, cashews, rice, or coconut. My favorite non-dairy brand is “So Delicious” because it seems to have the fewest problematic additives. These products are increasingly available at major grocery stores. I find many of them at Kroger and Fresh Market in Aiken, and there are even wider selections at Trader Joe’s and Sprouts in Augusta.

With a little bit of planning, dairy allergies and sensitivities can be easily managed. If you need help determining whether you might have a food sensitivity, please call me for a free 20-minute phone consultation.

Try this yummy dairy-free ranch dressing.

Ranch Dressing

  • 1/2 cup avocado mayonnaise
  • 3 tbsp coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground pepper

Add coconut milk and spices to a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise. Enjoy as a salad dressing or veggie dip!

Picture of Ginger Hudock

Ginger Hudock

Ginger Hudock’s eclectic background includes degrees in vocal performance, finance and nutrition. She worked as the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance at USC Aiken for 25 years before beginning her nutrition career. Her writing has appeared online at TheMighty.com, in addition to a monthly nutrition column for Aiken’s Bella Magazine. You can read more of Ginger’s articles about food, nutrition, faith and personal finance at her blog www.GingerHudock.com.
Picture of Ginger Hudock

Ginger Hudock

Ginger Hudock’s eclectic background includes degrees in vocal performance, finance and nutrition. She worked as the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance at USC Aiken for 25 years before beginning her nutrition career. Her writing has appeared online at TheMighty.com, in addition to a monthly nutrition column for Aiken’s Bella Magazine. You can read more of Ginger’s articles about food, nutrition, faith and personal finance at her blog www.GingerHudock.com.

In the know

Related Stories

Healing Water for My Soul | Palmetto Bella

Healing Water for My Soul

My love for healing water is the whole point for so many of the stories I tell and that I’ve told on the pages of Bella Magazine this year. The drops of healing water in my life are the moments of loving connection with others where I get the opportunity to share life with them, and they with me, with no strings attached. Some of these encounters this year have been a brief passing moment as I exchanged glances and a smile with someone, and other encounters have been for long chapters of my life that continue. There are so many times in this chaotic year when I have felt

Read More »
Gearing Up Your Health in the New Year | Palmetto Bella

Gearing Up Your Health in the New Year

2020 isn’t going to win any awards for the difficult and unpredictable year it’s been, with its controversial presidential election, pandemic, economic hardships, racial tensions, and widespread fear and uncertainty about health and quality of life going forward. Thousands have succumbed to a newfound virus called SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) that continues to elude medical doctors and scientists. Many of us found out that we aren’t as healthy as we thought and that we should have been taking better care of ourselves. Looking to the new year, what can we do to help our bodies become stronger and perhaps more resistant to the many pathogens out there? Perhaps

Read More »
A CAUSE FOR Celebration | Palmetto Bella

A CAUSE FOR Celebration

Appalachians tend to be very independent and content with their lives. They live close to nature and have a deeply held belief in God. They are friendly, kind, and helpful to one another, and they take care of the needs of others. Appalachians also have a strong sense of what is right, and of what ought to be. When I was still working as a nurse, we lived in a small town in western North Carolina. The population was mostly poor and set in their ways. Because they did not take kindly to people from “outside,” it took a long time for me to make friends with our neighbors, who

Read More »
HOW TO Celebrate the Holidays WITH SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS | Palmetto Bella

HOW TO Celebrate the Holidays WITH SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS

In 2008 I finally figured out that the health problems I had been experiencing for over a year were due to food allergies and sensitivities. There were a number of foods that caused my symptoms, the primary ones being gluten grains (wheat, rye, barley), corn, soy, and milk. I began to feel much better during the summer after I eliminated these foods. During the fall I began thinking about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals that would be coming up. I could not eat the traditional turkey dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, or my mom’s pecan pie. Even the canned cranberry sauce was off-limits for me because it

Read More »