Living Dairy Free

I've been dairy-free for about a year now. This has meant removing milk, cheese, cream, and butter from my diet. Considering the number of (favourite) foods that rely on dairy products (pizza, soups, pastas, risottos, hot drinks, cakes, chocolate ...) for many people it is quite a challenge to stay dairy-free. However, there are options that you can take. The first is just to bite the bullet and avoid all of these foods. Another option is to try products containing no lactose (milk sugar) such as goat and sheep milk and cheese or even special lactose-free dairy milk. A third option is to search for dairy substitutes such as milk made from soya, rice, nuts or oats. This is my preferred option - these milks can taste great (depending on which brand you choose) and they can be used for any purpose that dairy milk can. However, there is a downside to some of these milks. Check the packet for the list of nasty ingredients that are included. This is not true of all dairy-substitute milks, but it is true of a great many of them. They are also quite expensive (the good ones at least). Cue my new toy and ultimate solution. The milk machine (see picture below).



This wonderful device allows me to make my own milk very cheaply, where I have full control of how the milk tastes and what goes in it. It has taken me a few goes to find recipes that are tasty, but the wait was worthwhile. In the next few weeks I will share these experiences.