There’s probably been a dozen threads on this before, but what do people recommend as the best alternatives for use in tea and coffee?

I’m starting to think lactose intolerance is increasingly likely, so I’m going to experiment and try my best to knock it out for a while. Off to tesco tomorrow so I’ll pick something up to try, I bloody love a flat white type coffee and don’t really want to have to give them up if at all possible!!

And has anyone tried lactase supplements? Did they do anything!?

And can I still eat natural yoghurt/keffir!!?

I could obviously Google this, but real world experience is more interesting!

Black coffee. You wont miss milk after a few days, and it’s got pus and hormones in.

Why not lactose free milk? Missus gets it for her and I can barely tell the difference to be honest.

Hi. My dad is very dairy intolerant and I’m definitely over sensitive to certain types of dairy (mainly milk and yoghurt)

Here’s what I’ve found…

I can tolerate cow milk in tea and coffee (not including latte/flat white/cappuccino milk heavy type stuff) with no side effects, same with butter on toast and small to moderate amounts of cheese (some cheese on pasta, a cheese sarnie, cheese and biscuits) even some cream or ice cream is ok in moderation

I get a bad gut very quickly from . . .

A bowl of cereal and cow’s milk (including cooked porridge)
Cow milk based yoghurt
Going a bit mad on the cheese / ice cream / cream

Here is my list of substitutes for what it’s worth…

Cereal – oat milk or almond milk (but don’t get Asda unsweetened own it’s bloody vile) for preference or goat milk sometimes. Coconut milk is lovely but instinctively I worry about the ecology (chances are one or both of the others is worse).

Granola type cereals I have with fruity soya yoghurt and a drizzle of honey if plain. Again would also have goat yoghurt happily but it has a definite twang that you need to adjust to

Tea and coffee (again coffee with a dash of milk not milk with a dash of coffee) – I can stick with the cow product. Same with butter on toast, cheese and in baking BUT I have cut down volumes to try and avoid any increase in sensitivity.

My dad is proper intolerant of all cow milk products and he’s basically found goat substitutes for everything milk, butter, cream, yoghurt, cheese. For baking it’s sunflower spreads normally.

As for your flat white I’ve no idea (more of an espresso, strong filter kind of person) but most coffee shops have some non dairy options I’d go give a few a go and accept £10 worth might end up in the drain!

Hope that helps.

I use almond milk on cereal but cows in tea and i can cope with that ,almond is awful in tea and coffee

almond is awful in tea and coffee

Seconded. Oat is less intrusive (our camping choice) and coconut ‘milk’ in tea is dreadful too.

I use lacto free milk for coffee and cereal and take Lactojoy tablets with cheese… mostly works for me

Think I’ll aim for lactose free first, see how that is. I’ll avoid almond then! I did try an oat flat white somewhere once but thought that was rank.

Going to cut out cheese, chocolate etc for now and see what happens. I get the impression that people have varying levels of tolerance. I eat natural yoghurt or keffir fairly often for breakfast, so might knock that on the head as well for now.

You can get lactose free natural and Greek yoghurt at Tesco. Coconut yoghurt isn’t bad either. Have a stroll down the free from chiller aisle.

Once you’re on top of it there are loads of cheeses that are lower in lactose – I tend to find harder cheeses better.

Milk in coffee? Bleeuuugh!

I use Arla or Morrison’s lactose free milk. Can’t tell the difference. In fact my Dad uses my Mums lactose free milk in preference when making a flat white at home as thinks it does it better. It is literally normal milk with the lactase enzyme added in.

I have given it up in my coffee just because at work it was a faff and now I can only drink it black.

Be careful with soya products. Often people who are lactose intolerant can also suffer from some IBS and soya sets that off. Likewise with femented products like kefir. You might not have that problem but bear it in mind. Lactose free natural yogurts are fine – Waitrose and Rachels are my preference. Morrison’s and Tesco’s are ok – in fact Tesco’s has a decent resemblance to Greek yoghurt as it says.

Personally I can eat some hard cheese, goats cheese. Just don’t eat it every day! Bit of dark chocolate is fine – milk chocolate (ok on a kitkat) not great.

I took everything out and slowly reintroduced it. Bit trial and error for 6 months.

I’m starting to think lactose intolerance is increasingly likely, so I’m going to experiment and try my best to knock it out for a while

This is the best and obvious method. Give it a couple of weeks at least to make sure.

As to alternatives, coconut is easy. Instead of buying expensive coconut “milk” cartons that contain very little coconut, typically 2-5%, but loads of other stuff, simply buy tins of coconut milk. Mix with water to make 2-4 litres of your own milk with far more coconut and less rubbish than the commercial ones.

The ikea “stopper” 1l bottles are ace for this. Do the mixing and low speed in a blender to avoid bubbles and add half a teaspoon of xantham gum as a stabiliser to stop it separating. Sounds a faff but takes less than a minute with a funnel. Add a few drops of vanilla essence if you want, or even some sugar free coffee syrup if another flavour. Coconut and caramel milk porridge ftw.

You can make all sorts of non dairy milk, but coconut requires zero sieving as there are no bits. Better in coffee and takes on flavours better.

Picked up some arla lactose free from Tesco, couple of coffees this morning and I’m pretty certain I can’t really tell the difference! Need to try it in tea next.

Currently sat in a soft play place, my first request for non-dairy in public….. Not available! (Not surprising to be fair given the venue.) Americano it is 👍

I use oat milk. It can split if you pop it into freshly brewed coffee so for that we tend to use Oatly barista.

This article explains how to make your own not milk. I haven’t tried any but could be worth a go:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2020/jan/31/how-to-make-your-own-milk-simple-sustainable-guide-oat-nuts-seeds

Have tried pretty much all of them over last five years. Oatly Barista is very good imo. Or black.

Big thread here

Have you changed to non diary milk? which one, how’s it going?

almond is awful in tea and coffee

I agree with one majoy exception.

Almond milk flat white is like a liquid bakewell and quite delicious.

Until making a coffee with soya milk yesterday, I’d forgotten it curdles, Oatly is fine.

I drink cow milk by choice, better half went vegan a year or so back.

If I run out of cow milk, usually I’ll have sweet black coffee, adding a dash of cold water before the boiled. We often have oats for cereal, which I’ll soften with boiled water and then add some cold, sometimes I’ll add instant hot chocolate powder in addition to the usual mixed fruit.

Oatly barista > sweetened soya > black

I can’t abide almond, coconut or unsweetened any of them.

Oatly barista does have hefty slugs of oil and sugar in though.

Double cream has virtually no lactose! Not sure it’s a healthy alternative, mind you.

Got a few things to be trying now, I’ll track down some oatly barista.

Had the arla in tea this morning, it was definitely different! I’ll try skimmed next time, think that might be better.

I guess this will help reduce my caffeine intake a bit. I had a black Americano yesterday and it was rank. Not because I don’t like black coffee, but more likely because the coffee was crap. Whereas their cappuccino probably would be acceptable (crap but not palatable.)

I had an espresso + tonic as well yesterday. That was interesting!

I cant help with the tea and coffee but for morning cereal I soak a small handfull of sunflower seeds in the fridge over night, then drain and rinse and stick blend them up with a bit of coconut milk block and water in the bowl. Actually preffer it to milk and beats paying for oat milk and the like which IMHO is a total rip off when you look what is in it.

Not because I don’t like black coffee, but more likely because the coffee was crap.

This is true. Since the pod thingumajig the black coffee hereabouts is a different kettle of fish. It’s better without any kind of milk or cream. A real treat to savour. I use instant with Oatly Barista for the workaday fix. Instant black is like a kind of ok dishwater

Silverneedle that sounds like a plan to try 👍🏼

Don’t eat cereal but will try it as a drink/additive

I find any of the alternatives taste funny, I recently discovered Hemp milk!
It does taste a bit ‘earthy’ at first but soon get used to it and its not sweet like the others.
Whatever you go for, make sure its the barista version to prevent that split, curdling thing

Coincidentally I’ve just been listening to this on Audible which shines a light on the Californian nut industry.
Obviously dairy isn’t without its problems, but the almond growing business has challenges.

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Nut-Jobs-Audiobook/B088KS1MZC

You can make your own oat milk very easily in about half an hour without blending or 10-15 minutes if you blend the oats. If you don’t blend the oats you can use the oats to make porridge after draining the “milk” off them. Plenty recipes online.

Oatly Barista in coffee here if I have anything, but we have a bean-to-cup machine at work so I just have black from that. Unsweetened soya for cereal and smoothies, with a drizzle of agave syrup on occasion. My IBS has improved massively since going vegan and cutting out dairy.