I cook a lot of vegan meals and cashew cream has been a lifesaver. Its a wonderful substitute for heavy cream in cooking. You can find the recipe here: http://talronnen.ca/recipes/cashew-cream/

Avocados were really the invaluable key to success for me; they are such a fantastic cheese sub on mexican food and sandwiches or burgers!

Plain coconut milk kefir makes a good dressing on indian food, or as a sour cream sub especially with some lemon juice.

I agree with the other posters - avocados and coconut milk are the best. Avocado is now my favorite burger topping. I was instructed to go dairy-free a few months back due to an allergy, and I thought I'd miss cheese a heck of a lot more than I do. Once you break the habit, it's really not that hard.

how do you replace cheese? And yogurt?

I'm right there with you, I would really love to do that someday.

I also agree regarding the coconut milk and avacado. Gonna have to try the refried beans! I wouldn't be nearly as happy if it weren't for nut milks and butters. Or even just lightly ground nuts used in curries etc. I tried Rice and Hemp milks (cannot have soy) and they just didn't have the right texture and density. I am thankful for not having a nut allergy.

It's amazing how, the further along you are in not having a food or food group, the easier it is to add new flavours and textures because you start to lose that "this is what is should feel/taste/smell/look like" ideal. Or at least, after three years of eating gluten-free after 24 years of eating glutenous things, I have noticed that.

Pureed beans of any kind, almond milk, and nut butters blended into sauces.

i'm so obsessed with cheese that it was actually the first word i ever said and my parents referred to me as "the dairy queen" until my early 20's. but in the last month or so, it's come to my attention that cheese makes me really, really sick. at first i started subbing in soy products - soy cream cheese, soy milk, soy pepperjack (wha!?), but my stomach doesn't react well to those either. i've been leaning heavily on avocados, peanut butter, and coconut milk (which is amazing in coffee!) since then...

i'm so excited by this post! can't wait to see what everyone else suggests.

I loved beans when I couldn't eat dairy because I was nursing. Don't know what it is about it but I ate them all the time!

I cut out dairy almost a year ago and I agree with avocados wholeheartedly-one of my favorites. Homemade hummus adds a rich taste and creamy texture where I might normally put cheese (on sandwiches, with crackers etc). Almond milk, I think, is the best over cereal. And to add creaminess to sauces or soups I cook a combination of cauliflower, peeled red potatoes, mushrooms and any sort of canned bean in chicken broth and puree with an immersion blender, and add where needed- not quite the same, but it will add a soft thickness to a soup that you'd get by adding cheese or cream.

I love almond milk and use it now exclusively and while I have enjoyed coconut milk yogurt, I'm really stuck on Greek yogurt. And Parmesan cheese. I love me some nooch, but I just don't think I could ever give up Parmesan.

I wonder if it's what Unrulylis says, above. Maybe I'm stuck on the "ideal" umami from the Parm or the "ideal" texture of the Greek yogurt.

Someday I'd like to play around more with going dairy free!

we cook vegan at home and use lots of daiya shreds, they are tapioca based, non dairy & gluten free. available in mozzarella and cheddar styles. they melt great and taste great and still allow me to eat pizza, quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches.

i also use cashew cream and a quicker version with pine nuts, this works great for lasagna type meals.

I made smoothies with banana and coconut milk, used daiya "cheese", which was pretty good once I learned where to use it (the mozz is no good, it's oddly sweet). I also used cashew cream and made a raw "cheesecake" out of nuts. It was hard but I def. felt better not eating it!

Oh, also a saving grace was So brand coconut yogurt!

Have you tried almond milk or coconut milk instead of rice milk? I think both are a lot tastier and have a lot more nutrition.

And cheers to you. Elimination diets are tough.

I also had to cut out dairy after giving birth to my son and it was (and still is) hard!

The biggest losses for me are greek yogurt and cheese. I've found that avocados and hummus work well for most things, but I still haven't found a good substitute for Parmesan cheese. My pasta sauce just hasn't been the same....

Have you tried Daiya? It's "cheese" made from casava root. I'm not a huge fan, but I know a whole whack of folks who love it.

http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Is it a milk allergy, do you think, or lactose intolerance? If it's just lactose intolerance, there are a few cheeses that are lactose free. Swiss cheese is, and there are goudas that are as well. Goat cheese (and all goat's milk products) are okay for most lactose intolerant folks to eat as well.

That said, are you ever right on with refried beans and avocados!

Same boat with #2 child. I'm near the end of my 3rd pregnancy and am already going non-dairy. Coconut milk anything is the magic. I will say this, though. With my daughter, it was cow's milk that was the problem, and sheep's milk, though to a lesser extent. Goat's milk was A-OK and I developed much love for goat's milk cheeses.

As far as substitutes go, try thinking less about similar texture and focus more on similar taste. i.e., instead of looking for a vegan parmesan for your pasta sauce, think about toasted and ground pine nuts. For yogurt, try tapioca -- it comes in sizes other than the large pearls.

My wife is vegan and since my weakness is all things creamy, I've spent the last 5 years adapting my favorite things. The challenge has really made me fall in love with cooking again, and now that I have some staples that I know work I can fulfill just about any whim that catches me. Here's what I keep in my arsenal:

Tofutti cream cheese and sour cream: Both the sour cream and cream cheese have amazing texture and flavor, it's hard to distinguish from the real deal. It makes for killer ranch dressing or caramelized onion dips, and you can make your own flavored cream cheese spread for bagels.

Silken tofu: Helps get a creamy texture. I mix with a generous amount of garlic and spices to make a stupidly delicious ricotta substitute in lasagna.

Veganase: is almost indistinguishable from real mayo, on it’s own or mixed with miso mayo or sriracha it’s incredible on sandwiches.

Cashew cream or tahini sauces are not only unbelievably creamy but also add a tiny bit of sweetness that’s heavenly in alfredo sauce.

Nutritional yeast flakes: kind of the vegan's parmesan and adds great flavor (and nutrients!) to just about any savory dish. We sprinkle it on popcorn and pizza and add a scoop to almost whatever we’re cooking up for a little bit more flavor.

Diya shredded cheese: the best faux cheese product that's come out in a long while, all the vegans I know have been enjoying dishes they thought they'd never be able to have again. Vegan cheddar biscuits anyone?

I think you do learn to adapt and think of food differently. While I'm not exclusively dairy free, I eat dairy-lite because of my child's dairy allergy. And it can be hard, because between three food allergic family members I have to cook meals without gluten and dairy, and I can't use a lot of common dairy substitutes like soy, nut milks, coconut, avocado, etc. We've just learned to think of food differently. We can use vegan soy-free margarine or palm shortening in cookies. We pop popcorn in bacon fat and skip the butter topping. Shredded cabbage and sliced olives add a lot to a taco without cheese. Baked potatoes can be dressed with olive oil instead of butter.

I agree with the hummus comment. We have semi cut out dairy - almond/soy milk and sometimes soy yogurt but still use mozzarella on occasion. We use hummus a lot on sandwiches and pasta (with sour cream) a lot! It's creamy, thick (albeit thinner with sour cream) and yum! It's been sooo much better for my stomach.

I too had to cut out dairy while nursing, and we still eat mostly dairy-free because of my son's allergies. Soy and egg also a no-go for him.

Our substitutes are:
- coconut milk yogurt (at Wholefoods and others)
- coconut milk creamer (this is definitely the best in mashed potatoes)
- Earth Balance Soy Free spread
- Nutritional Yeast (just a little in a bolognese or meaty stew gives the same kind of mellow background richness that parmesan does)
- for baked goods and treats, I usually use recipes from theppk.com

I've adjusted my diet the past two years after finding a wheat and dairy and soy intolerance. And I'm vegetarian to boot! (makes eating out pretty much impossible).

I am addicted to almond milk and find it substitutes in baking seamlessly. Coconut milk in stews, soups, desserts, and what not is perfect. I have made gluten-free eclairs and cream puffs, and discovered that creme patissiere is made better with coconut milk than almond milk, which makes for grittier texture. Almond milk panna cotta with vanilla bean and homemade jam? Oh yes. And even pizza, minus the cheese, with a dairy-free homemade pesto, on homemade gluten-free flatbreads.

My new goal is to try making coconut milk yogurt - we don't have it here in our grocery stores and I do find that I miss yogurt in morning granola...

It sounds awful, but when I was nursing my son, I used liquid Coffeemate as a milk substitute for thing like coffee and oatmeal. Just a splash here and there got me my fake dairy fix.

My mom found this lactose-free cheese that comes in a couple varieties, and its actually really good. She lives in PA and gets it at Superfresh supermarkets so you should be able to find it at your regular grocery store.

http://www.finlandiacheese.com/healthy_lactose.html

Cashew or almond milk --- love it!!

Recipe:
1 cup cashews or almonds, preferably raw
3.5 cups of water
2 teaspoons up to 1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt
agave nectar to taste
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Blend all ingredients, strain through a mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

I would suggest trying goat and sheep cheeses - all animals' breast milk offer wildly different characteristics, and you may find some that don't bother your son. Vegan-wise, I have fallen in love with half-soy-half-almond milk for drinking/cereal/etc (by far the "milkiest" non-dairy option I've tried). For cooking, unsweetened oat and hemp milk are really lovely for cream sauces.

I'm nursing my 5-month old little boy, Atticus, and dairy doesn't at all agree with him. Almond and Rice milk are my friend! I'm amazed by how difficult it is to make sure your meals/beverages are dairy-free when going out to eat.

I just love reading these comments! My favorites for creaminess are avocados, coconut milk, nuts, bananas, hummus, and vegetable purees.

coconut milk.. great for indian/thai food
cashew cream.. use it to substitute heavy cream in a recipe
you can easily make your own dairy free yogurt with soymilk
pulse some nuts (brazil nuts are great) in a food processor or spice grinder with a little garlic and salt for a parm. substititute.
You can really turn most nuts into nut milk or nut butter (brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds etc..)

We made a fabulous meal with coconut milk tonight, "Caribbean-Style Kale and Bacon"

http://necessarypleasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/caribbean-style-kale-and-bacon.html

It's definitely not for vegetarians (well, I guess you could leave out the bacon.... though my husband might holla atcha)

My daughter has a serious dairy allergy so our family meals are dairy-free. I have found that miso adds a lot of the umami flavor of cheeses into certain dishes. My favorite is a dressing/sauce made with 2T. tahini, 1T. white miso, 1 T. lemon juice and water to thin. It tastes similar to a cheese sauce. I found it in a cookbook called The Miso Book. (I think?) All of the recipes are dairy free and most are vegetarian as well. Good luck!

I went dairy free for about 2 years for the same reason. I haven't seen Tofutti Cuties on the list. In mint chip they are pretty good. Also for sweet treats Oreos are the only widely available treat I ever found.

i'm in tcm school and while i personally don't eat dairy or meat, it definitely comes up. one instructor always praises raw milk, over pasteurized. you may want to try it, as it's recommended for folks with dairy allergies or intolerances. i hear it is easy to turn it into yogurt, kefir, and the like if you don't get to drink it all up and it starts to turn.

don't worry about not eating dairy, in a short time you'll stop nursing and resume your intake!

I second braisenwoman's comment. Goats milk could be an alternative. My body doesn't do well with cows milk, but I have no problems with goats milk. See references below:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_main_difference_between_goat%27s_milk_and_cow%27s_milk

http://www.healthnews-nz.com/goatcow.html

Can I ask what kind of dairy you were consuming? Organic? Pasteurized? Ultra-pasteurized?

I've been doing some research myself, and have recently found some interesting information on raw dairy products.

Cashews are my best friend: soaked and put in the food processor, they make great "cheese" sauces, sour cream, whipped-cream-like-topping, etc. Also ground down to cashew butter for thickening/adding fat. And cashew milk!

I'm sort of obsessed.

For cheesy flavors, as well as extra umami in almost any dish, nutritional yeast and white miso are also essentials in our house.

I'm lactose intolerant and have been living without dairy for almost 10 years. The strange thing is that I've had no problems digesting it at all during my pregnancy (i'm 8 months along). I expect I'll have to cut it out again once my son is born though. :(

I've never had problems with yogurt though, or with goat cheese. It's just the cow that gets me. Coconut milk/cream are lifesavers, as are cashew milk for thickening soups, almond milk, and rice milk. Potatoes go along way toward thickening soups too in place of the cream.

Aged hard cheeses, like 2-3 year old cheddar have far less lactose in them (if any), so they are easier on the stomach as well. Might be worth a try??

I am so pleased to see this post. I agree with many of the others about the avocado, nutbutters and coconut milk especially. I have been personally dairy free for 3 and a half years now and cannot believe the difference it made for me. My sensitivity is so severe that even a misplaced cheese shred in my salad can make me sick and miserable for several days. I did not realize the constant pain and discomfort I lived with until it was entirely out of my diet. Now our household is dairy and gluten free for myself and both of our children. Sometimes you have to see the data and then the results of a trial to agree to the severe lifestyle change.

I have plain coconut milk yogurt in my fridge right now to try my hand at making homemade coconut milk yogurt. Yogurt is the one thing I had not been able to find a substitute for so far. The coconut yogurt can be expensive especially for a household with 2 teenagers.

Oh I nearly forgot I found a substitute for whipped cream the other day entirely by accident. I have canned coconut milk that is stored outside in the garage. It was pretty cold and the solids have separated in the cans. To get it to a usable state I had to whip it back together with my immersion blender, it resembled whip cream almost perfectly. So I added a tablespoon of sugar and a splash of vanilla and the kids and I were in heaven with some on our strawberries.

Find recipes that don't use dairy. A lot of Asian or Indian cuisines don't require dairy (my husband makes a mean Pad Thai) or leave the cheese out if possible. If your son only reacts to cow milk, use goat and sheep cheeses instead of ones from cow. Apparently the lactose in the smaller animals are easier for the human body to digest. Pecorino Romano makes a great substitute for Parmesean and Goat Gouda works well for other cheeses. Vegan Tofutti brand cream cheese and sour cream are life savers when you just can't do without. Soy yogurt and almond milk are great. AND. . . if you have a sweet tooth and can't do without ice cream, COCONUT MILK ice cream is AMAZING! Also, Whole Foods makes vegan pastries in their bakery and carries many vegan versions of foods. Get used to reading ingredients because a lot of times, cheese or whey is hidden in bread, pasta sauce, and other things that you wouldn't expect (like crackers?) and start asking for "dairy free" substitutes in restaurants. It'll take some conscious effort in the beginning but after a short time, it'll be second nature.

I'm a personal chef with a client going through the same situation - except she allows goat and sheep's milk and it seems to not bother the baby. I also sell cheese, and many of my customers will do goat and sheep cheeses when they're lactose intolerant.. usually it's only cow's milk lactose that's an issue. I'm not a doctor and don't want to suggest anyone mess around with their health, but it might be worth researching and asking your doctors about.

Ther eare now tons and tons of hard goat and sheep cheeses, sheep ricotta and feta, goat butter, fresh chevre.. so many styles, many of which are traditional european styles and not just replacements for "real dairy".

Obviously, a lot of people do without dairy. I was diagnosed with a Cow's milk protein allergy (and a soy allergy) about three years ago.

I eat Goat Milk/Yogurt/Cheese because I can. But its still dairy.

Almond milk my favorite milk substitute. I substitute chicken broth in alfredo sauces - tasty!

Hands down, Earth Balance is the best vegan butter. I use the soy free kind. Its delicious! And it has omega-3 fatty acids.

Daiya is the best tasting vegan cheese. Teese is okay tasting too. I've tried a ton of brands, and Daiya is by far the best.

For a great parmesan substitute, I use a variation of the "poor man's parmesan." Throw some bread and nutritional yeast flakes in a blender and blend until crumbly. Sautee in a generous amount of olive oil (or safflower oil) until browned. I sprinkle it on all my pasta dishes - so yummy that it has become more dear to me than parmesan ever was!