July is Dairy(-Free!) Month
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I don’t know why it took me so long to post about this, but early in June, someone informed me that it was Dairy Month. Which made me think, there’s never going to be a Dairy-Free Month, let alone any other month for food allergies (although May is an awareness month for allergies and asthma or something like that). So, why not make July unofficially Dairy-Free Month?
Maybe you’ve read this blog a few times but aren’t totally dairy-free yourself, or you’d like to know how to get started with replacing more of your foods with dairy-free substitutes. Here are a few things you should have in your pantry before July rolls around:
- Earth Balance
This is the best vegan butter you can find, trust me. You won’t be able to tell the difference between this and real butter. The vegan buttery sticks are great to replace unsalted butter for cooking. There are lots of different types of butter in tubs depending on what kind of taste you’re into – original, whipped, olive oil, all kinds of great stuff. They even make vegan shortening. This brand is amazing and my baking wouldn’t be the same without it.
- Teese Cheese
One out of my two favorite brands of cheese. There are lots of different types of Teese: Mozzarella is great for pizza, cheddar is made for melted sandwiches, and creamy cheddar is perfect for mac and cheese. They even have a nacho cheese! You really won’t be disappointed by any of the cheeses you try.
- Daiya Cheese
If you’re too lazy to shred your cheese, or just want more brands to have in the rotation, Daiya is another great vegan cheese option. You can buy it shredded or in wedges. You can find Daiya cheese on Tofurkey pizzas, too. Very tasty, and a little creamier than Teese.
- Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
This is a great product for the skeptics, and also a nice dairy-free option that is not soy. Every flavor I’ve had of this ice cream is great (and I already reviewed my favorite one) so I don’t think you can really go wrong. Find a flavor close to one you like in your normal brand and you’ll be hooked.
- Tofutti Anything
This was one of the first brands I got hooked on when I started eating dairy-free in college. My mom bought me some Tofutti Cuties and I thought they were just so tasty! My personal favorite of those is mint chocolate chip. However, the products I buy all the time are Tofutti “Better Than Sour Cream” and “Better Than Cream Cheese.” They’re essential for baking, for making chip dip, for topping bagels, and for fooling party guests. I make the best chip dip ever out of the sour cream and people are always bowled away that it’s vegan.
One little note – some products used to have trans fats in them, but they started taking them out of their foods, so I can’t guarantee all of their products are trans fat-free but I know they have non-hydrogenated versions of the cream cheese and many other products are also trans fat free. Also, some of their products are not vegan, but all are dairy-free.
