Why and How to Cut Dairy Out of Your Diet: 4 Easy Steps

Dairy is beyond abundant in many American foods, but not everyone wants to eat it frequently (or at all). The good news is that it’s easier to avoid than you might think — there are just four simple steps for cutting out dairy, whether you’re lactose intolerant, are going vegan, or simply want to eat more plants.

Why do some people want to cut out dairy?

• Minimizing inflammation. Although scientific evidence supporting this notion is limited, anecdotally, some people notice that, upon cutting dairy products from their diet, they experience less inflammation.
• Managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The Digestive and Liver Center of Florida recommends that people with IBS should avoid dairy. The Endo-Surgical Center of Kissimmee similarly suggests ditching dairy milk for plant-based milk to figure out whether dairy is a trigger for IBS symptoms.
• Lactose intolerance. Although people with lactose intolerance typically aren’t in danger if they eat dairy, doing so can bring on, to put it mildly, uncomfortable digestive symptoms. That tasty-looking cream-cheese bagel or chocolate ice cream is pretty much never worth the end result.
• Dairy allergies. Often referred to as a “milk allergy,” a dairy allergy encompasses all dairy products. If someone with this allergy enjoys cheese from the charcuterie board or a slice of cheesecake, it can be harmful or even life-threatening.
• Environmental justice. Some people go on a dairy-free diet simply because animal products, including dairy, have a far more negative environmental impact than plant-based foods. We detail why plant-based eating is better for the planet in our guide to the benefits of plant-based eating.

4 easy steps to cutting out dairy

Avoiding dairy is simple with a full knowledge of what dairy foods are, where dairy ingredients are found and what they’re called, and which dairy alternatives are available.

• Step 1: Reference a list of dairy foods. Then, simply eliminate these foods from your diet. Wikipedia’s list (yes, Wikipedia’s list) is especially comprehensive.
• Step 2: Understand where dairy may be hiding. Foods that don’t initially scan as dairy may nevertheless contain dairy products. The Cleveland Clinic’s list of foods that unexpectedly contain dairy is a starting point, but dairy is so commonly used in food processing that no such list can ever be exhaustive.
• Step 3: Learn the full names of common dairy additives. Words like “casein” and “whey” may seem innocuous on food labels, but these are dairy products that pop up in products that don’t seem like dairy. It’s important to watch out for these if you’re really committing to a dairy-free life. Go Dairy Free offers a helpful resource on this front.
• Step 4: Embrace dairy alternatives. From lactose-free milk to plant-based cheeses and ice creams, there are substitutes for any dairy products you consider essential. Make them staples of your grocery list for an especially seamless transition away from dairy.

Practical advice for cutting out dairy

To ditch dairy, go slow, get comfortable with reading ingredient lists, prioritize micronutrient and protein intake, eat fruits and veggies, read restaurant menus before going out, check in with yourself, and get creative.

1. Understand how to read food labels.

From potato chips’ seasonings to salad dressings’ bases, your longtime grocery staples might unexpectedly contain dairy. There’s an easy way to spot this: Read the complete ingredient list on the packaging. It’s below the nutrition facts table, and it may feel overwhelming to get through at first, but take it slow, and you’ll have no trouble understanding it.

2. Include calcium-rich non-dairy foods in your diet.

Dairy is an excellent source of calcium, so when you drop it from your diet, you’ll need to add foods rich in this vital micronutrient. Doing so is easy — soy milk, a logical substitute for cow’s milk, is packed with calcium. So too are everyday greens including spinach, as well as the classic plant-based protein staple of tofu. Learn how to incorporate the latter into your diet via our guide to the types of tofu.

3. Be intentional about incorporating vitamin D into your diet.

As with calcium, dairy is high enough in vitamin D content that you’ll need to consciously add non-dairy foods rich in vitamin D to your diet. Soy milk works great here too — just as it’s packed with calcium, it’s abundant in vitamin D. Other dairy milk alternatives, such as almond milk and rice milk, are also good sources of vitamin D. Add these to your shopping list to bridge the gap left by ditching dairy.

4. Gradually transition away from dairy.

Other than if you have IBS or a dairy allergy, chances are you’ll be just fine if you slowly, rather than instantly, cut dairy out of your life. Doing so can make the process easier.

Start by replacing one meal per week with a completely non-dairy meal, then step it up to one meal per day the next week. (Purple Carrot makes it easy; all our meals are plant-based and contain no dairy!) Go up to two meals per day the week after that, and then the week after that, go fully dairy-free, including in your snacks and desserts. By the time you take this last step, you’ll be so familiar with dairy alternatives that it’ll feel second-nature.

5. Prioritize high-protein foods.

Although protein deficiency is exceedingly rare outside the older-adult population, dairy is high enough in protein that you’re best off working other high-protein foods into your diet to maintain your intake. Before you reach for that protein shake, read the label carefully. A lot of protein products use whey, which is derived from dairy, to help you hit your protein goals.

Tofu is a star here since it’s high in not just calcium but protein, and the plant-based protein seitan is even higher in protein. Tempeh is a great choice too — as a fermented food, it may promote better digestion, which can only be a good thing as you’re changing your diet.

6. Eat plenty of potassium.

Dairy isn’t the average person’s primary source of potassium, but it does contain enough of this micronutrient that going dairy-free gives you a natural opportunity to reassess your potassium intake. That’s always a welcome step since most people don’t get enough potassium. Bananas are the food to beat in potassium-land, and potatoes (including sweet potatoes), spinach, and artichokes contain lots of potassium too.

7. Embrace fruits and vegetables.

Where dairy is somewhat of a cornerstone in the standard Western diet, fruits and vegetables don’t quite as often get their much-deserved time in the spotlight. That’s a shame since they’re often packed with vital micronutrients, including vitamin C and vitamin A, which respectively support immune health and vision. When you couple your non-dairy diet with fruits and vegetables, you pave the path toward a healthier self.

8. Look at restaurant menus beforehand.

Dairy is all but inevitable to encounter at restaurants that aren’t outright plant-based, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Go through restaurant menus beforehand to identify dairy-free options before you arrive. That’s a lot less stressful than panicking in the moment that there might not be any such options. And if you still have questions in the moment, just ask your server.

9. Ask yourself whether you’re seeing the changes you want.

If you’ve gone dairy-free to minimize your IBS, for example, check in with yourself to see if there have been any changes. If so, then great — keep at it! Take these beneficial changes as motivation to stick with your dairy-free diet amid any challenges. Although it may initially be frustrating to take extra caution at restaurants and when reading ingredient lists, your feeling better may be all the reason you need.

10. Flex your creative muscles in the kitchen.

When there’s a dairy-free will, there’s a way. Replace your favorite recipe’s dairy ingredients with their non-dairy alternatives and see what happens — new universes of flavor and texture may await. Or, try entirely new dairy-free recipes with exciting new foods you haven’t eaten all that often (well, at least not yet). With Purple Carrot’s meal-kit recipes like General Tso’s Tofu, Spiced Pepper Seitan, and Smoky Tempeh Bowls, kitchen inspiration comes easy.

Go dairy-free with Purple Carrot

With Purple Carrot’s fully plant-based meal kits, frozen meals, and quick-grab grocery items, avoiding dairy is fun and easy. You’ll get all the ingredients you need alongside full recipes — no searching the web endlessly for dinner ideas, and no navigating previously unexplored grocery aisles trying to find dairy alternatives. Shop Purple Carrot today for $100 off your first month of meal kit deliveries!