Plant Eaters' Guide To...

ditching dairy!

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It's not healthy (for humans)

Cow's milk is meant to help a baby calf grow very rapidly in a short period of time. When we humans drink it, it unnaturally stimulates a hormone in our bodies called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and unnaturally high levels of IGF-1 is bad news. It leads to cancer cell growth! Several types of cancer are linked to dairy consumption.

What about calcium?

Calcium is a mineral found in the ground, which is why plants grown in the ground are high in calcium. Cows eat tons and tons of calcium-containing plants --> their milk contains calcium. But calcium in milk comes with unwanted ingredients like unhealthy saturated fat, cholesterol, growth hormones, and antibiotics. So, let's cut out the middle cow and just eat our leafy greens!

Most people believe dairy products build strong bones. This is a myth! In fact, populations with the highest average intakes of dairy products also have the highest fracture risk!

Lower your impact

Cutting out the middle cow also cuts down on your contribution to climate change, fresh water shortages, and human waste catastrophes.

pizza... ice cream... milk and cookies... this seems like an uphill battle, doesn't it?

In fact, yes, it is. It's not a stretch to say that we're addicted to dairy products. Watch this awesome video where Dr. Neal Barnard explains the dangers and addictive properties of dairy.

But all is not lost in this fight. You can do this. Dairy was the last animal product we stopped eating, but as soon as you arm yourself with motivation (see above) and tools (see below), it gets a lot easier!

Non-dairy milks

What is the best kind of non-dairy milk?
Whichever kind you like enough to replace cow's milk! Quick tips: buy unsweetened, try to avoid carrageenan in the ingredient list

Different non-dairy milks:
Soy (protein boost)
Almond (mild, nutty & sweet)
Cashew (really creamy)
Rice (thinner and sweeter)
Oat milk (light and mild)
Hemp milk (protein boost, stronger flavor)
Coconut milk (higher fat, coconut flavor)

Yogurt

For the best store-bought non-dairy yogurt, check out this awesome guide.

For smoothies, replace yogurt with tofu!

Buttermilk

For every 1 cup buttermilk: 1 cup nondairy milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Cheese

Our favorite cheesy replacements:
nutritional yeast
cashew cheese sauce

For the best store-bought cheese, check out this awesome guide.

Creamy Dressings & Sauces

Our favorite WFPB creamy substitutes: raw cashews or tofu

Example recipes:
Creamy Maple Mustard Dressing
Cocoa Cashew Cream
Creamy Tofu Pesto

Ice Cream & Desserts

Choose WFPB creamy substitutes.
Our favorites: bananas & avocados

Example recipes:
Berry Soft Serve
Two-ingredient Banana Ice Cream
Cocoa Avocado Mousse

Questions? Hit reply and let us know!

Missed the last guide? It was the guide to plant-based snackin', and you can find it right here. First newsletter? Find all past issues right here.

Thanks for reading,

*Dairy cow photo by Flickr user mhall209, used under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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