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METRO -- Dairy is not necessarily a strong addition to every individual's diet. For those who have difficulty digesting lactose, the sugar found in dairy can be harmful, and consuming cheese, milk, yogurt, and even butter can produce undesirable symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and general intestinal upset. Lactose intolerance often runs in families, says Johns Hopkins Medicine. In some cases, the small intestine stops making lactase after an injury or after an infection or disease.
Some people avoid dairy products because they do not consume animal products. Concerns over animal welfare or use of hormones and antibiotics in conventional dairy products may spark such abstinence.
Dairy can be found in many recipes, so it's common to turn to dairy alternatives so people can still enjoy the foods they know and love. These substitutes can fill in for dairy.
-- Milk substitutes: Milk substitutes can be poured on cereal, mixed in smoothies or used in recipes for baked goods. Milk substitutes are made from various plant substances, and include soy, rice, oats, almonds, coconuts, cashews, and flaxseed, among others. These milks come in sweetened and unsweetened varieties.
-- Yogurt alternatives: Coconut yogurt and soymilk yogurts are often creamy and have the same consistency as cultures made from yogurt from cow's milk.
-- Butter alternatives: Plant-based butter alternatives now can be found ready-made in most grocery stores. Coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil also can be used in place of butter for sauteeing and other applications in the kitchen.
-- Cheese substitutes: It can be challenging to replicate the taste and texture of traditional cheeses. There are many plant-based versions of soft cheeses, while nutritional yeast can replicate the tang of parmesan cheese for pastas and other dishes. There also are hard cheese alternatives available in health food stores. Most products use soy protein or nuts in the bases of cheese alternatives. Others use pea starch or pea protein mixed with vegetable oils.