Another Struggle – How to Be Dairy Free

3/15/24 SOLSC Day 15

This was not the post I intended to write. In fact, I have three other posts drafted, and thought I would finish one of those today. Since I’ve been thinking about struggles (days 13 & 14), this one popped to mind. I’m trying to be grateful and not annoyed with life, and this topic fits right in with both of those.

I’m grateful I found a dairy-free cheese that is melty, with a yummy flavor. Finally. In fact, here’s a part of today’s lunch. (Maybe that’s what sparked this slice!)

This is a “provolone” style dairy free cheese slice.

I’m annoyed at how many different DF cheeses I’ve tried and said, “Nope!”

I didn’t want to be dairy-free. 

I LOVE cheese –  with crackers, on eggs, in casseroles, on tacos, with pasta, in salad, on a sandwich, cheesecake….OOOOO!

And then there is milk. While I’ve never been a huge milk drinker, I sure did use it a lot – pudding, soups, casseroles, eggs, pancakes, cake-cakes… Almost all chocolate candy is made with some form of milk. (Whey, milk solids, casein, milk fat, etc.) Grilled cheese with tomato soup (made with milk) was one of my comfort meals. YUM.

Although I’m not a huge ice cream person, what could be better on a hot day? My favorite guilty treat used to be an Oreo-cookie frozen yogurt made at a local dairy. SO GOOD. 

About 15 years ago a friend talked me into seeing a nutritionist for some of the on-going symptoms I’d been having. Between them & my family doctor, we realized I had a dairy intolerance. No. Nuh-hun. Not happening. 

But it did. Living dairy-free meant I felt so much better, even though I struggled with it. One of my kids suggested it was “in my head” – thinking dairy made me ill is what made me ill. I laughed and said that if that was the case, I’d react to broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and asparagus, not dairy!

Recently I decided to check to see if I had an intolerance or an allergy. While there can be similar symptoms, they are not the same.

My skin test showed reactions. My blood test came back on the low end of a low level allergen. Hm. So not really an allergy, but there is a reaction. 

All I know is I feel better when I stay away from dairy. 

So, I’m grateful for finding DF cheese that I like, even when I wish I didn’t have to eat it.

An American style dairy free cheese, my new favorite!