Clean Eating Dairy And Non Dairy

I get a lot of questions about what constitutes clean dairy.

I always try to help people understand that this is a very subjective topic. The answer will essentially come down to what you personally will accept in your life and nutrition plan.

I know people who won’t touch anything other than raw, organic dairy because pasteurization is, in effect, processed dairy. And technically, they are right. Regular milk, by that definition is not clean. BUT….

We all live in the real world. Not all of us want or can afford to use only raw and organic dairy. Even Tosca Reno uses regular milk in her recipes. So lets break this down into basics that just about anybody can use.

CLEAN DAIRY

• Milk – Look for low fat or non fat. Eating clean includes reducing overall fat intake to healthier levels. Milk is a great place to do that.
• Block Cheese – Look for low fat. Avoid the non-fat stuff because for the most part, non-fat cheeses have not-so-clean ingredients added to them to help with flavor. Plus, they just taste awful. Who wants to eat rubber?
• Prepared Cheese - Avoid prepared cheeses such as shredded cheese. It’s always best to grate your own. But if you can’t or just don’t feel  like doing all that work, be sure to read the ingredient list on the packaged grated cheeses. While there are a few that are truly clean, many have added garbage that is definitely not considered clean.
• Cottage Cheese – Technically, it’s not clean. *gasp!* (Read the ingredient list). However, for many clean eaters, it is often included in day to day menus because it is such a fantastic source of low fat, non-meat protein. Plus, it’s portable, generally considered “healthy”, and can be eaten with either sweet or savory toppings. Just watch the sodium content if you are sensitive to sodium.
• Cheese Products – This is anything that comes in a container (usually). Things like cheesy dips, spreads or that stuff that comes out of a spray bottle. Avoid them like the plague. They are not clean or healthy on any level.

 CLEAN NON DAIRY

Please note that most non-dairy milks I have found are not clean. While a lot of the ingredients are vitamins for fortification, there are still some ingredients in most that are not clean. You may have to look at many packages before you find one that is appropriate for you. So far, the only non-dairy milk I have found that is JUST milk with NOTHING added is coconut milk in a can (light or regular). This doesn’t mean they don’t exist, it just means I haven’t found them yet. If you know of a good brand, please share in a comment below!

• Coconut milk – Opt for the light coconut milk in the can. Typically, the stuff in the cartons in the refrgerator section have a ton of added garbage. Find the pure stuff in the can. This is fantastic as a coffee creamer as well! (I should mention that there may be a carton or two at the market that is clean. But I haven’t found one yet.)
• Unsweetened Rice Milk – Rice milk is great stuff. It’s a bit more watery than regular milk and is often ridiculed for it’s lack of nutrients by comparison. But if you need something for your coffee or for cooking, it’s a good option because it’s sweet like regular milk but has very little flavor you can taste once it’s been added to something.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk – This is the non-dairy milk I use most often. I find it to be the most mild flavored of all the non-dairy milks and it’s just a tiny bit thicker than rice milk. I use it for cooking and baking, but not in coffee.
• Unsweetened Hazelnut Milk – This is a relatively new product for me. While I love the flavor, it seems to have an ingredient list that is a bit longer and a bit more unpronounceable than the other milks. So I don’t generally buy it. It does not impart a hazelnut flavor to cooking or baking.
• Unsweetened Soy Milk – While soy is a very highly controversial topic in the food world, I will include it here simply because I know there are a lot of you who use it. If you use it, be sure it’s organic. Any soy that is not organic has about a 99.9% chance of being a GMO (genetically modified). The soy beans are “Roundup Ready” meaning this chemical won’t kill these plants while it’s killing everything around them. This creates a whole new host of problems. There is much evidence to show that there are many health problems beginning to arise from these crops of soy, and the same applies to corn as well!! (Thank you Monsanto.)
• Hemp Milk – Admittedly, I do not know a lot about hemp milk. But I do know clean eaters who swear by it. My best advice here is to read the ingredient list and be sure it’s unsweetened.
• Non-Dairy Cheeses – I have yet to find one that actually tastes good. It’s been my experience that if you are used to regular dairy cheese, you will most likely have a hard time with the non-dairy cheeses (and even yogurts, though those are a bit easier when sweetened.) If you are vegan, it will most likely be an acquired taste. Personally, I avoid these like the plague because I can’t stand the way they taste. But if you are accustomed to these cheeses, just read the ingredient list first to be sure there isn’t a bunch of unwanted extras.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
You may be wondering where your own personal views on dairy fit into all of this.

As I mentioned above some people take their dairy to extremes (in a good way) and will only drink raw and organic. Some people won’t touch dairy for various reasons and choose the non-dairy milk they like best. Flavor plays a big part in that decision.

I think it’s fair to say that unless you take an extreme approach to your eating plan or have certain food allergies or sensitivities, you will most likely fall into the middle somewhere. It all comes down to finding a balance that feels right to you.

While I love milk, I can no longer have it. So I opt for the almond milk. While it’s not 100% clean, it’s the cleanest option for me. Your best option may be entirely different, but the point is, you need to make a choice that fits your life.