Alternatives to dairy

People who cannot tolerate cow's milk dairy can sometimes tolerate other forms of milk, especially goat. A friend of mine has found her very sensitive (skin problems) daughter can cope with goat products (milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt). There is also sheeps milk, yoghurt and cheese.

I also understand there is a lactose free milk available that many people tolerate and which is sold in many supermarkets.

You may have to shop around for these, but Waitrose often has all the above.

You might also want to explore soy products. You can get various different types of soya milk and cream, but as a diabetic you'd need to make sure it is a no added sugar product. The differnt manufacturers products taste a little differnt, so it may be worth experimenting with different brands. You can get small cartons to try in some health/whole food shops.

Earlier this year I had a brief dalliance with dairy free, as we were considering going dairy free at the suggestion of a doctor who saw my (non-vegetarian) dyspraxic son. He suggested that it may benefit his concentration abilities by being dairy free for a while, before reintroducing foods to see their effect. In the end we didn't do this because of my diabetes diagnosis.

There are other non-dairy "milk" products on the market. I particualrly liked the oat milk and rice milk. Unfortunatly, both of these products sent my blood sugar through the roof :| There is also an almond milk that I have not yet tried, but plan to have ago with soon.

I had this for a (very) late breakfast this morning - out of one of Rose Elliot's low carb veggie books, she calls it Fabulous Frapuccino. I teasp of decent quality instant coffee, 1 scoop of soya protien isolate powder, 150ml water (although I replaced the water with soya milk), 55g tofu, 2 tablesp soya cream, sweetener of your choice to taste. Whizz it all up together until smooth and creamy, drink it staight away. Only 1.7 carbs if you use the water and just over 2 if you use soya milk, high protien tho... It was really nice.

You can try H&B for the soy protein isolate powder, but I got mine at a local independent health food shop. There are various brands and various flavours with varying amounts of carbs, but I got a plain unflavoured one, which also turned out to be the most cost effective.

There are loads of low carb desserts that qualify as vegan. Do a search on low carb websites.

I suspect the bigger issue for you might be sweetener :| Someone I know who has a couple of kids on the autistic spectrum avoids artificial sweeteners like the plague.

How are you coping with your need for a chocolate fix? Since I cut the carbs my taste buds have changed and I find a lot of things I used to enjoy are simply too sweet.

However, I have discovered proper chocolate Green and Black's 70% is wonderful and slightly bitter. Marks and Spencer have this divine 70% Swiss chocolate, they also do wrapped discs of this choclate with only 1.7 carbs per disc. G&B also have an 85% chcolate, whicc I have bought because I felt I owed it too myself to sample it and Lindt even do a 90% choclate, which has a pleasant taste but slightly powdery texture.

I'd like you to understand that all this testing has been out of a sense of duty towards my fellow diabetics. I wouldn't want you to put yourselves in harms way. So long as I limit myself to only a couple of squares maximum it does not have an unacceptable impact on my blood sugar readings.

I also found a chocolate cake recipe that uses almond flour, butter (or marg), egg and melted chocolate and sweetener and is made in the microwave. I adapted the recipe the second time I made it and used 50% chocolate instead of the 70% as an alternative to the sweetener.

Spiral
thank you for your sacrificial act in tasting all that chocolate. 8)
Have you a LIDL store near you. their 74% chocolate is delicious and very inexpensive compared with G&B
Also I found some G&B in the 99p store a few months ago, right next to the Macanuts :shock:

hanadr said:

Spiral
thank you for your sacrificial act in tasting all that chocolate. 8)
Have you a LIDL store near you. their 74% chocolate is delicious and very inexpensive compared with G&B
Also I found some G&B in the 99p store a few months ago, right next to the Macanuts :shock:

Click to expand...

It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

For anyone concerned about my welfare, some of this testing was carried out at work and my non-diabetic colleagues assisted with the excess.

I did try the Lidl chocolate, but did not find I liked the taste as much as the G&B and the M&S. The M&S Swiss has a wonderful texture.

FYI, I have also tried the higher chocolate Coop fairtrade chocolates and decided I didn't like them as much as the G&B, slightly powdery texture and slightly blander taste.