Whether you choose to include or exclude dairy, you can make a choice to eat the clean version of the foods in this category, as well as clean substitutes. This will affect your health in a positive way, and you will get to a point where you enjoy the clean version of the food even more than you enjoyed the non-clean version. Here are some ideas as you clean up the dairy and dairy substitutes in your diet.
Yogurt
When you are choosing yogurt, look for organic. Try Greek yogurt because you will get much more protein than the regular kind, and make sure your yogurt contains probiotics rather than the type that has been stripped of any goodness. If you eat flavored yogurt, be sure to choose a brand that uses natural sweeteners, and try to avoid those that use refined sugar.
There are many choices for non-dairy yogurt, which include coconut yogurt and soy yogurt. Use the same standards that you use when choosing a dairy yogurt, always avoiding refined sugar.
Milk
When choosing milk, insist on organic. This ensures that you will not be consuming bovine growth hormone. Some conventional milk does not contain it either, due to popular demand, but there is no guarantee and the easiest way to ensure that you don’t consume this in your milk is to stick with organic. In general, try to stick to slightly lower fat varieties of milk, such as 1 percent.
If you are going for the non-dairy type, there is a wide variety of healthy, non-dairy milk substitutes such as almond milk, rice milk, cashew milk, and hemp milk. Don’t forget to read labels, though, to ensure that your milk substitute is clean.
As consumers demand more variety of healthy milk alternatives, there are occasionally those individuals who want to cash in on the fad and create less-than-healthy choices in hopes that undiscerning consumers will simply buy now and think later. A truly clean milk substitute won’t contain an endless list of ingredients that you cannot pronounce.
Ice Cream
If you have a sweet tooth and wish to indulge, you can do so without feeling guilty about it. For a completely guilt-free, dairy-free “ice cream,” simply freeze bananas and then blend when completely frozen. You can add anything you choose for flavors, such as vanilla or cocoa powder. There are even recipes that use avocado as a base for homemade ice cream.
For dairy ice cream that is clean-eating approved, consider making your own at home. Use organic cream and milk, and then add honey as a sweetener along with the other ingredients you choose. Fortunately, there are many easy recipes available online.
Butter and Cheese
These two types of dairy are often used to enhance taste in meals. Butter should always be organic and unsalted. If you wish to avoid it altogether, substitute avocados and Greek yogurt when baking, and use things like avocado as a spread or topping for your toast and other items.
Cheese can be eaten on a clean diet in moderation. Look for fresh cheeses, rather than the type that can be bought months ahead of time before expiring.
Dairy is a large category, and there are many options to choose from each type of it. Learn the rules, and you will be able to enjoy dairy in your clean-eating lifestyle. By using these tips, you will know what to look for when searching for dairy products.
