Shelby recently went to see a holistic chiropractor and discovered that he might be allergic to dairy. So… for the next three weeks, we are going to go dairy-free to see if it alleviates some of his symptoms.
We went to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to try a few of their dairy-free products. Holy Smokes! I did not realize there are so many alternatives to dairy. Almonds, cashew, coconut, oat…yup they all can be turned into milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream and any other creamy treat your little heart desires.
Not gonna lie, some of the things we bought have me a little skeptical, but we’ll see how they compare to the real deal and to each other.
Cashew Milk
Our first test was trying cashew milk. It’s a popular nondairy alternative and may have many additional health benefits:
- Boost immunity
- Fight inflammation
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Improve eye health
- Improve skin health
- Help blood sugar levels
- Prevent iron deficiency anemia
- Stop the spread of cancer.
You can both buy cashew milk or make your own (which apparently is not very difficult). The benefit of store-bought cashew milk is that it’s usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, however, it doesn’t include fiber and often includes added sugars and preservatives.
There are also many different brands that offer cashew milk:
- So Delicious
- Forager Project
- Silk
- Trader Joe’s
And I’ve heard making your own is as simple as soaking the cashews overnight and then blending it with water, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Now even I can handle something like that.
Trader Joe’s vs. Forager Project’s Cashew Milk Yogurt
Our first taste test was two different types of cashew milk yogurt. One was Forager Project and the other was a Trader Joe’s brand. They both had a more watery consistency than regular yogurt and had a little cashew aftertaste (at least I thought it did), but they weren’t that bad. It was also a little tart and not that sweet. If you couldn’t have dairy and this is your only alternative, then it’s not a bad one.
The real test will be if we can trick our kids into eating it. Now that might be a fun experiment!!!
Cashew Milk Yogurt Rating: C+ (Shelby), B (Marissa)