The Paleo diet comes from history lessons on the Paleolithic era when humans only ate the foods they could forage or hunt for. This way of eating helps to detox the body and shed a few extra pounds. So it has become very popular with those who want to focus on eating only clean foods that are free of preservatives, dyes, and other chemicals. But since the vast majority of all foods that are sold in the stores today are processed and packaged for convenience, this poses particular challenges, especially for dairy lovers. During the Paleolithic era, there was no cow’s milk available. So any products made with it are strictly off limits. Luckily, there are a few ways to substitute for dairy products and still stick to your Paleo diet though.
Go Nuts
Since nuts can be foraged for, they are allowed on the Paleo diet. And this includes any products that can be made with them too. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, and even coconuts are all acceptable. Soy nuts and products made with them are off limits though.
Cooking Tricks
Cooking your dairy-substitute products gives you control over what ingredients that you include. And the process isn’t at all as time-consuming as most people would think. Milk, cheese, and butter can all be made with nuts by starting out with a soaking process. Simply, place several handfuls of your favorite nuts or unsweetened, dried coconut flakes into a bowl. Pour just enough water over them to cover them. Let the nuts or coconut flakes sit overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, blend the entire mixture up. Then, you can use it in the following ways:
- Nut Milk: Strain off the liquid into a mason jar or other resealable container to drink. Almond milk is the best to make because it has more calcium than cow’s milk does. Just be sure to drink it plain. The sweetened variety sold in the store isn’t allowed on the Paleo diet.
- Nut Butter: If the milk that is strained off is left to sit overnight, the natural oils from the nuts will rise to the surface. Scrape this layer off, and put it in a separate container. It can be flavored with dried herbs for a buttery spread, or you can cook with it.
- Nut Cheese: The emulsified nuts shouldn’t be thrown away because they still have a lot of nutrition left in them. So turn them into a cheese substitute. Pour the strained, emulsified nuts into a resealable container. Mix in several spoonfuls of dried yeast flakes and your favorite dried herbs. Let the cheese sit overnight. In the morning, pour the mixture onto a piece of cheese cloth. Squeeze out any water. Then, press the cheese into your favorite mold. Put it back in the refrigerator for another night. Then, it is ready to eat.
Cooking Assistance
If making your favorite recipes Paleo-friendly seems too daunting, try Paleo recipes from various meal delivery services. These companies mail subscribers a monthly or weekly box with ingredients and recipes or prepared food to keep your diet on track. Boxed Mealz has lots of prepared meal delivery reviews to make finding your perfect Paleo box easy!
As you can see, these Paleo dairy substitutes are all easy to make. So give them a try before you buy the prepackaged stuff from the store. And remember, all of the recipes can be tailored to a person’s tastes. So feel free to change them up anyway that you want.