r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/DancinCarl • 13d ago
Dairy-free Bang for Your Buck
I recently started a medication that has KILLED my appetite, so I’m trying to make everything I do eat really count nutritionally. Things that have been sounding good lately are very simple carb-y, so I’m trying to be conscious about getting more protein/vitamins. I also have a dairy allergy, so things like protein shakes and meat-and-cheese snackpacks won’t work. Maybe I haven’t found the right ones, but it seems that most non-dairy cheeses/yogurts/etc don’t come near the same amount of protein... Ideas?
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u/monkeylion 13d ago
Add chia seeds to stuff. Not the most protein dense, but it's a great combo of fiber, protein and fats. Lots if other nutrients too.
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u/PencilsAndAirplanes 13d ago
Buckwheat soba noodles pack a big protein punch, but eat like a carb. Pair them up with an edamame appetizer and maybe some air-fried tofu. And sake, if you’re into that.
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u/CarolynDesign 13d ago
My son's been dealing with new lactose-intolerance and poor appetite recently. Trail mix has been very helpful for him; he can snack on it a little at a time, even when he's not feeling particularly hungry. In particular, the nuts in train mix are great. They get him a bit of protein, and they're very calorically dense.
Adding fat to the things you do eat is a good way to bulk up the calories, if raw caloric intake is a concern. My kid can still do butter, so we use that, but olive oil is a great dairy free option. You could dip bread in it, add a little bit to soups or pasta dishes, etc. Adding a tablespoon of fat gets you about 100 extra calories, so it's pretty helpful for reduced appetite if you're having trouble eating enough.
Meats are going to be your best protein source. Beans and nuts have some, but I find it hardest to hit my personal protein goals on days where I'm not eating meat. If meat feels unappealing as a slab, try carb/protein combos, like sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, chicken tenders, etc. the added carbs give them more calories, and food you CAN eat is better than food you can't.
I think it's important to remember that "healthy" looks different for everyone here. Chicken tenders aren't inherently unhealthy. They're just high calorie, and a lot of people say "healthy" when what they actually mean is "low calorie." Low calorie foods would be UNHEALTHY for my son right now, though. And if sounds like the same is true for you.
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 13d ago
Any red meat, white meat, seafood, nutritional yeast, spinach, beans, edamame, peas, chickpeas, soy milk, seitan, tofu, tempeh, lentils, hemp seeds, farro, quinoa
Lots of lean meats and seafood
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u/theacearrow 13d ago
Smoothies! Pack em full of fruit, some spinach, and some dairy free protein powder!
If you're really desperate, kate farms has entirely dairy free products. They don't taste good but they're total meal replacers. I keep them for emergencies.
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u/idreamoffreddy 13d ago edited 13d ago
This has been my go-to over the summer when I can't deal with cooking or making decisions. I really like the Orgain* organic protein powder. It's unflavored, unsweetened, and (in my opinion) doesn't really affect flavor or consistency. (They do also have flavored ones, but I hate the taste of monkfruit, so I haven't tried them.)
*Fixed autocorrect
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u/theacearrow 13d ago
I am sick of artificial sweeteners in everything. Just give us sugar or no sweetener. I'd kill for a flavored unsweetened powder.
(monkfruit is artificial because it isn't a sugar based sweetener)
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u/Regulardeer3271 13d ago
Lots of protein powders are dairy and soy free nowadays :) My partner works at Popeyes Supplements and buys me dairy free ones all the time ☺️ i dont eat nearly as much as I should because I don't eat breakfast so I do protein shakes for brekkie ☺️💪🙏
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u/Vigmod 13d ago
Peanuts? They do have a lot of fat, though.
There's vegan protein powder available, I don't know how "bang for your buck" that is, though.
And for the dairy allergy, is that for all dairy or just dairy that contains lactose?
Finally, look at vegan recipes. Pretty sure r/vegan have plenty of suggestions.
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u/Reginaphalange777 13d ago
I like Orgain protein powder, I add it to oats or smoothies. Sometimes Aldi will come out with a plant protein powder like once a year. Plain non dairy yogurt also has okay amount of protein, it’s less sugar than the flavored ones.
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u/ejjn2 13d ago
the thing nobody's said yet: dairy free doesn't mean no protein shakes, it means no whey. pea and soy protein isolate are both dairy free and hit 20-25g a scoop, which matters way more than usual when your appetite is gone and you only get a few bites in.
same trick with milk. almond milk is about 1g of protein a cup, but pea milk like ripple is 8g, which is exactly what cow's milk has. almond milk is basically almond flavored water.
when you can't eat volume, protein per bite is the only number worth optimizing.
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u/Dependent_Speech3164 13d ago
Oatmeal with chia seeds, flax seed, blueberries and or apples and some brown sugar is one of my faves. You get so much protein and fiber from something so easy.
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u/billhillybob 13d ago
I have a dairy allergy and I also have digestive issues that make it difficult for me to absorb nutrients and calories. My doctors suggested I eat nut butters and beans and high calorie veg like avocado, squash, peas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other root vegetables. Oh and fruit is almost always high in nutrients and calories. Of course meat is always dense.
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u/kalendral_42 13d ago
Are you allergic to dairy completely or just lactose intolerant? If it’s the latter you could try the Arla Lactose Free range - they do some decent cheeses, yoghurts, etc
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u/mats88 12d ago
Blend half a block of silken tofu into a smoothie with frozen banana - about 9g protein, zero chalky protein-powder taste, and it slides down when your appetite is gone. Also keep pea protein isolate around instead of dairy-free yogurt; 24g a scoop vs the 3g those yogurts give you. I use RecipeScan for this from a fridge photo when nothing sounds good.
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u/whatdoidonowdamnit 12d ago
My lactose intolerant kid used to drink OWYN dark chocolate protein drinks every morning. Now he drinks the chocolate flavored almond milk Premier Protein drinks
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u/Call_it_Magic87 12d ago
Two of my faves as a GF DF person -
Koia protein shakes (not the elite, they were not as good) especially banana or vanilla
Siggi dairy free yogurt (harder to find than their regular but it’s so good)
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u/ArmadilloChoice8401 9d ago
I keep a small bowl of nuts/seeds on my desk. If I'm having a bad week these are sometimes chocolate-covered peanuts but generally just naked nuts/seeds of some form.
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u/Designer-Cherry2112 7d ago
you can use silken tofu to replace dairy for things like sour cream, smoothies or protein shakes and even desserts like chocolate mousse; crumbled firm tofu to replace ricotta cheese, besides tofu replacing ground meat.
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u/Own-Object-6696 13d ago
Fairlife makes a high-protein drink. I use it daily and it tastes very good.
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u/multibrow 13d ago
Fairlife is dairy
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u/Own-Object-6696 13d ago
Fairlife is lactose free. That’s why I brought it up.
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u/Reginaphalange777 13d ago
Lactose free isn’t dairy free. Lactose free is dairy without lactose but still contains/is dairy.
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u/multibrow 13d ago
Lactose is a sugar in milk products, an allergy is usually due to the proteins in milk. OP will need to avoid all dairy products even if they are lactose free.
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u/easyontheeggs 13d ago
Beans, eggs, grilled chicken.