How to ensure you get these nutrients without dairy
If you choose not to consume dairy products for personal reasons or an intolerance, it is essential to ensure you get in the nutrients that dairy may have been providing before you removed it from the diet.
As we saw above, whole milk is almost a nutrient powerhouse, providing a little of everything. Dairy products are one of our primary calcium sources in the diet, which we know is vital for bone and teeth health. Additional sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, fish where you eat the bones such as sardines, poppy seeds, chia seeds, and almonds, as well as fortified foods such as bread (most flours as fortified) and plant milk.
When looking at bone health, we also need to talk about vitamin D. While calcium helps build and maintain bone health, vitamin D helps effectively absorb calcium. Therefore, the two work together. Most plant milk is now fortified with vitamin D and calcium, but our primary source of vitamin D is the sun. In the UK, we are recommended to take a supplement throughout the winter months. Still, if you know you rarely get total body exposure throughout the rest of the year, I advise you to continue taking the supplement all year round.
Phosphorus is also essential in bone and teeth health. As well as dairy products, it is found naturally in protein-rich foods such as meats, poultry, fish, nuts and beans.
Another mineral worth mentioning is iodine. Alongside fish, milk and dairy products tend to be the primary sources in the diet. Therefore, iodine is essential to think about if you are removing dairy from the diet. As with calcium, vitamin D and B12, most plant milk is now fortified with iodine, so ensure you do find one that is. Other foods include some sea vegetables and iodized salt.