Dairy free

Why should I consider going dairy-free?

The term 'dairy-free' is generally used to describe a diet that avoids cows milk and products made from it including cheeses, yoghurt's, cream, crème fraiche, buttermilk and all the milks. You will want to avoid cow's milk and go "dairy free" if you are vegan or have other dietary preferences, or you may have dietary intolerances and allergies which mean you want to steer clear of dairy products too.

What has avoiding dairy to do with allergies and intolerances, eczema & asthma?

Cow's milk is made up of various proteins and sugars. Some of us find the proteins difficult to digest and others are lactose intolerant which means they are intolerant to the sugars (lactose) in the dairy products. Both groups of people would benefit by following a dairy free diet. Others choose a dairy free diet as it has been seen to help ease the symptoms of asthma and eczema especially in children. Avoiding dairy has been shown to reduce mucus production. Following a dairy free diet is worth a try for other symptoms too, for example IBS, other stomach discomfort and high cholesterol. Maybe worth a try for you?

Dairy free alternatives

There are so many non-dairy foods and milk alternatives to choose from. Grain, nut and bean milks, rice milk, soya cheeses and creams, even dairy free chocolates! One thing is sure, you will not go hungry.

Does dairy free include goat's milk too?

Just a note about goat’s milk - although goat's milk has a very similar protein and sugar make up as cow's milk, some people who found discomfort with cow’s milk are fine with goat's milk but we have not included goat’s milk in our dairy free selection.

If I follow a dairy free diet, how will I get enough calcium?

If you are eliminating milk from your diet you may want to top up on calcium from other food groups like blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds, nuts (especially almonds) are all great sources of calcium.

Remember that once you have selected dairy free to narrow your search you will no longer see any other products other than those marked dairy free. This may not be a problem but just to remind you that we only mark as dairy free relevant products and so general groceries, fruit & veg etc may not be labelled even though they have no dairy content.