Dairy Free Yogurt

Yogurt is not only delicious but it is also rich in probiotics, nutrients plus less fats and calories. This makes yogurt well-loved by many health conscious individuals. Although it’s evident that yogurt is a healthy choice of treat, not everyone can enjoy its goodness.

Non-dairy eaters for example can’t have dairy-based yogurt. Another example is those individuals who are lactose intolerants. If you’re one of them, don’t fret. There’s hope. Non-dairy yogurt brands are continuously immerging in the market right now and it’s becoming readily available in supermarkets everywhere.

Enjoying Health Benefits of Dairy Free Yogurt 

Don’t worry that your yogurt will have lesser nutrients when you take away the dairy in it. That is not true. You’d still have all the essential nutrients from dairy based yogurt. Of course there can be difference in the amount of nutrients, but you can easily solve this problem.

In fact, those who are lactose intolerant have noticed more benefits from non-dairy yogurts. Although, some nutrients are lesser in non-dairy yogurt, you can easily solution this by doubling the amount per serving. For example, since dairy free yogurt is made from plant based sources, it has lesser protein. So if you need a lot of protein in your diet, just double the amount of yogurt per serving.

Making your own yogurt will only benefit your health because of the nutrients it contains. Remember that most commercialized yogurt that can be bought from the grocery has lesser nutrients. However, you may have to experiment on the length of time yogurt cultures and amount of cultures to use.

There are few trusted brands that you might want to try. One of them is Nancy Organic Cultured Soy (link) that has dairy-free soy line. Try the different flavors they offer.

Different Types of Dairy Free Yogurt

There are three different types of yogurts that are considered dairy free. All of these are healthy and has more health benefits.

• Soy yogurt is obviously sourced from soy. It’s rich in protein for a non-dairy product. It’s said to be helpful in controlling diabetes because it’s particularly effective in keeping the blood sugar to stay steady and slower.
• Almond milk yogurt is from almond milk. It retains the nutrients almonds have. Like antioxidants, healthy fat, vitamin E and magnesium.
• Coconut yogurt is sourced from coconuts milk. It contains good fat from the coconut which helps in lowering bad cholesterol and reducing fat belly. One more thing is that it contains antioxidants.

How to Make Your Own

Aside from that, you can also make your own dairy-free yogurt. It’s actually easier than you think.

You can use a yogurt maker to make your home-made yogurt so you can put all the ingredients in, set the timer and have your own home-made yogurt whenever you want. Quick and simple.

Or you can go in your kitchen and make your own yogurt with the standard kitchen utensils. Below is a simple step by step guide in making your own from your kitchen:

What you will need:

1 Liter of organic soy milk or coconut milk

1 tsp of probiotic yogurt starter powder

What to do:

1. Pour the soy or coconut milk to lukewarm water; make sure that your water is not too hot. This process will destroy the yogurt cultures. When done, pour into a clean bowl.
2. Pour in the probiotic powder and stir to dissolve.
3. Cover the bowl to let it set for 6-10 hours. The length depends on how thick or thin and tartness you want your yogurt will.
4. You will see that the “milk” has separated into a thick yogurt and a thin liquid. You can either scoop out the yogurt or pour the thin liquid.
5. Now you can enjoy the goodness of a dairy free yogurt

Here’s a way to make a homemade almond milk dairy-free yogurt:

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained

2 cups coconut water, if not available, filtered water will do

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 pack vegan yogurt starter or 1-2 probiotic capsules

Directions:

1. Blend almonds, water and sweetener in a high power food processor until its smooth and allows to create almond milk.
2. Pour it in a strainer and squeeze out as much milk as possible.
3. Take a pot and pour the almond milk in it and let it boil for 10-15 seconds. Stir very carefully.
4. Let it sit and cool to 100° F.
5. You’re ready to add the culture and to do that, take a cup of the yogurt and stir in culture. Then whisk this into the milk.
6. Transfer the yogurt into air-tight containers and you’re ready to incubate this for about 6-12 hours. It will get thicker as it cools.

You’re ready to serve your homemade almond yogurt. You can top it with fruits and serve the way you always enjoy it. Remember though, that almond yogurt is not as thick as the regular ones you can buy from the grocery.

Diary free yogurt has not that much difference with the regular yogurts. You can enjoy the nutrients from dairy or dairy-free yogurts. It’s great to know that there is an option for non-dairy eaters on how to enjoy the health benefits of yogurts.