Let’s be clear. I love gluten and dairy! When our family toured the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Vermont, they were taste-testing strawberry cheesecake. I glanced at my daughter and said, “I’ll just try a little.” I took one bite, looked at her with a smile, and devoured it as we laughed. Then I ordered a full serving of their chocolate peanut butter and proclaimed, “We can never have this in our house!”
If you love gluten and dairy, but they don’t love you, get excited! You’re about to discover how to swap your favorite gluten and dairy foods with the best gluten-free dairy-free alternatives. In 2004, I started eating gluten and dairy-free and helping families do the same. Since then, the market has exploded, choices are tastier, and even hit a home run in texture!
WHY AVOID GLUTEN & DAIRY?
I avoid gluten and dairy because I’ve discovered that’s the best way to eat for my genetics. When we align our diet and lifestyle with our DNA, our body is less stressed. Stress is our number one obstacle to vibrant health and is associated with most chronic dis-ease – from sticky pounds, digestive issues, low-energy, and even insomnia.
If you don’t know how to eat for your genetics, you can learn more about it at EatForYourGenetics.com
GLUTEN-FREE LIVING
Gluten-free living hit closer to home when we discovered it was a health issue for our daughter. I’d already been eating gluten-free for a decade or so. But, this Mama went into full gear, finding alternatives that put a smile on her face. It’s silly but true!
Gluten is a general name for proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. You can think of gluten as the glue holding food together. It’s found in many types of foods and even non-food items like personal care products. An excellent resource for gluten-free living is celiac.org, where you can find out more about gluten, what it is, and where it’s found (which can be tricky.)
Discovering your favorite gluten-free products takes some trial and error. For every product, there’s someone who says “YUM!” and another who says ‘‘YUCK!” Trust the process and be patient until you find your favorite replacements. Here are my family’s favorite alternatives for gluten…
Bagels:
Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Everything Bagels
Bread:
Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread
Rumi’s Passion Gluten-Free Challah Bread (or Google ‘gluten-free bakery near me’)
Brownies:
King Arthur Gluten-Free Fudge Brownie Mix
Cake:
King Arthur Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
King Arthur Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix
Chips:
Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps
Cornbread:
King Arthur Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix
Flour:
Namaste Foods Organic Perfect Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Oats:
One Degree Gluten-Free Sprouted Rolled Oats
Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Oats
Pancakes:
King Arthur Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
Pasta:
GoGo Quinoa Organic Macaroni Pasta
Trader Joes Brown Rice Quinoa Spaghetti
Banza Chickpea Pasta / Mac and Cheese
Pretzels:
Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten-Free Mini Pretzels
Tortillas:
Maria & Ricardos Quinoa Flour Tortillas
DAIRY-FREE LIVING
I discovered a link between dairy and health while breastfeeding our daughter. Turns out the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
Dairy is a general name for any foods made from animals’ milk products (cow, goat, and sheep.) Dairy foods include butter, milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and any packaged product that says it contains milk, casein, or whey.
Note: Many people think eggs are dairy, but eggs are from chickens, not cows, goats, or sheep.
Like gluten, discovering your favorite dairy-free products takes trial and error. Hold on until you find your favorite replacements (the hardest is usually cheese!) Here are my family’s favorite alternatives for dairy…
Butter:
Nanak Desi Ghee Clarified Butter
Caution: Ghee is milk fat, with very little milk protein, and tolerated by most non-allergenic dairy-sensitive individuals.
Cheese:
Violife Shreds Just Like Cheddar
Violife Shreds Just Like Mozzarella
Violife Wedge Just Like Parmesan
Violife Provolone Smoked Slices
Cream:
Ice-cream:
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Made with Coconut Milk
Milk:
365 Everyday Value, Organic Almondmilk Unsweetened Vanilla
Califia Original Protein Oat Milk
Yogurt:
So Delicious Dairy Free Coconutmilk Unsweetened Vanilla Yogurt
There you have it! Those are our family’s favorite gluten-free dairy-free staples and how we’ve managed to avoid gluten and dairy to eat for our genetics. Gluten-free dairy-free living seems hard when we focus on pain: losing something we love. When we focus on the pleasure of feeling symptom-free, eating according to our genetics becomes easier. We’ve trialed many foods over the past couple of decades, and suffice it to say, the industry has come a long way in taste and texture. Enjoy!
About the Author: Dr. Sue
Sue McCreadie, MD (aka Dr. Sue), is a Pediatric Physician and Breakthrough Coach for Midlife Mamas. For over two decades, she’s helped thousands achieve vibrant health as a wellness expert. Bringing three daughters into this world, she lost four along the way, and crossed the pregnancy finish line a digestive–hormonal–emotional mess. But, over the following decade, she found a deeper meaning for miscarriages, reclaimed vibrant health, and grew emotional resiliency. Dr. Sue is obsessed with living her soulFULL purpose and helping other growth-minded Mamas do the same. She believes we are in this together to rise up, realize our dreams, and feel fulfilled in every facet of our lives.