With more and more vegan and dairy-free options available, you may be led to believe that dairy is a poor food choice. However, we are going to bust that myth right here. Unless there is a specific reason for removing dairy, such as intolerance, dairy can be an extremely healthy addition to your diet.
Dairy intolerance
One of the main reasons for not consuming dairy products is if you have a dairy intolerance. This could be lactose intolerance, in which case you react to the sugars in the dairy, or casein intolerance, in which case you react to the proteins in dairy. Common symptoms include: bloating, gas, low mood, irritability, low energy, brain fog, nausea or changes to bowel movements.
The main carbohydrate in dairy is lactose, made of the two simple sugars glucose and galactose. The body produces a digestive enzyme called lactase, which is used to digest lactose. However, throughout life, some people lose the ability to break down lactose. As a result, three out of four people worldwide are lactose intolerant.
Nutritional value of dairy products
Let’s look at the benefits of dairy and why, if you are okay with tolerating dairy products, they should be incorporated into your diet.
Whole milk is relatively healthy; it provides a little bit of everything the body needs. Whole milk contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12, vitamin D, potassium, iodine, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Pretty impressive right? Nutrient composition does vary slightly by dairy type. For example, dairy from grass-fed or pasture-raised cows contains more fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids.
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.
Dairy-free alternatives
As you walk around the supermarket and read through menus, you will notice more and more plant-based options available. A vast range of plant-based milk is available now, including soya, almond, oat, coconut, hemp, hazelnut, cashew, rice, walnuts, and lactose-free milk. When choosing which to go for, look at the ingredients list. Many of these milk has sugar added to enhance the flavour. This is something to avoid where possible. There are many brands out there that don’t use sugars. The next thing to look at is fortification. As mentioned above, many brands now fortify their products with nutrients you will find in traditional dairy milk. This is brilliant. If you can find an alternative with no added sugar and the addition of vitamins B12, D, calcium and iodine, that would be a fantastic alternative.
Plenty of dairy-free cheese options are available now; however, most of these tend to be higher in fats and provide little to no protein. On the other hand, cheese is a good source of protein, so bear this in mind when choosing your dairy-free alternative.
There are also plenty of dairy-free yoghurts available now. Like with dairy yoghurt, choose brands without added sugars where possible. Soya yoghurt is brilliant as it is a good protein source, like regular yoghurt. Soya yoghurt with a handful of nuts and berries can make a great snack.
To conclude
If you can tolerate and consume dairy products, there is absolutely no reason to exclude them from your diet. Dairy products provide a vast range of nutrients, from protein to vitamin B12 and calcium. If you opt for dairy-free alternatives, ensure you know exactly what is in the product and what it is made from.
Nutritionist Becs
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