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Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives

More and more people are discovering a sensitivity to traditional cow's milk.

That doesn't mean you have to give up the concept of milk altogether. 

There are many alternative milk sources that can be used in various capacities.

  • Coconut milk: Wonderful for frozen desserts, such as ice cream. Also tasty in chai. 
  • Tiger nut milk: Naturally sweet so you don't need to add any extra sweetener. 
  • Grain milk: Great for porridge, pancakes, and other breakfast foods, as well as baked goods. Grain milk is also good for smoothies. 
  • Soy milk: Nutritionally similar to cow's milk (same amount of protein). Provides nourishment and energy. Not sweet, but rather has a bean-like taste. Rich cream texture without the distinctive flavor of coconut milk. Make sure it's organic and non-GMO.
  • Almond milk: Add to coffee or oatmeal. Low in sugar. Light and slightly nutty. Look for "unsweetened" on the label.
  • Cashew: Smoky and nutty undertone. Perfect for making homemade dishes like creamy mac-n-cheese.
Listen in as Dina Cheney, author of The New Milks; 100-Plus Dairy-Free Recipes for Making and Cooking with Soy, Nut, Seed, Grain, and Coconut Milks, joins host Lisa Davis to discuss all the various milk alternatives.
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Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives
Featured Speaker:
Dina Cheney, Author
Dina-CheneyDina Cheney is the author of the new book: THE NEW MILKS; 100-PLUS DAIRY-FREE RECIPES FOR MAKING AND COOKING WITH SOY, NUT, SEED, GRAIN, AND COCONUT MILKS (Atria/Simon & Schuster, May 3, 2016), plus the creator of the dairy-free/plant milk resource site, www.thenewmilks.com.

She is the author of six cookbooks:
The New Milks; 100-Plus Dairy-Free Recipes for Making and Cooking with Soy, Nut, Seed, Grain, and Coconut Milks (Atria/Simon & Schuster, May 3, 2016)
Mug Meals (The Taunton Press, Spring 2015)
Meatless All Day (The Taunton Press, 2014)
Year-Round Slow Cooker (The Taunton Press, 2013)
Williams-Sonoma; New Flavors for Salads (Oxmoor House, 2009)
Tasting Club (DK, 2006)

In addition, Dina has contributed recipes and text to numerous magazines, including Clean Eating, Every Day with Rachael Ray (she was the "Taste Test" columnist for more than three years), Parents, Fine Cooking, Prevention.com, Weight Watchers (books), Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Food52, Huffington Post, Specialty Food, and more.

Dina's passion for food is also expressed through her artwork. She styles and photographs many of her recipes, and paints still lifes of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Her photographs have been published in O The Oprah Magazine and on Prevention.com and have been shared on Instagram by Food & Wine, Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Cooking Light, and Real Simple magazines.

Recently, Dina founded The New Milks (www.thenewmilks.com), a dairy-free resource site through which she is popularizing delicious and healthful plant-based, alternative, or dairy-free milks.

She's judged the sofi Awards (given out by the Specialty Food Association); conducted over 45 tastings and talks nationwide; and taught over 100 cooking classes through her (former) culinary instruction business, Cooking by Heart. Dina is currently teaching recreational group classes at The Natural Gourmet Institute and The Institute of Culinary Education, both in Manhattan.

More than 200 media outlets have covered her work. Just a few include the New York Times, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Redbook, Real Simple, NPR's The Splendid Table, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Post, Fox News in Boston and New York, NBC News, and Wisconsin Public Radio.

Before embarking on her career in writing and teaching, Dina graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University (Anthropology/English Literature) and the Institute of Culinary Education Career program. She also studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design and The Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery.