Stephanie's Favorite Dairy-Free Alternatives

Stephanie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and founder of Stephanie Lee Nutrition. Originally from NE Wisconsin, she started out as a licensed cosmetologist. She then went on to graduate with a B.S. in Human Biology, emphasis in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed 1200 hours of clinical experience through Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship. She uses her passion for nutrition and wellness as a tool to help women feel their best inside and out.

You all know I’m obsessed with talking about dairy, right?⁣ And today we are all about favorite dairy-free alternatives.

I can see my Wisconsin roots cringing at the title.

Too catch you up to speed, I’m very much into dairy. Especially ice cream. If you asked me today, yesterday, a year ago, a decade ago…I would tell you ice cream is THE dessert.⁣⠀But let’s be real. I really just want it all. Sign me up for the cheese, the ice cream, the butta, the cheesecake, the hot chocolate, the mousse.

However, on this clear skin journey, I’ve (mostly) ditched dairy.

That isn’t to mean I don’t have my fair share of slip ups. We are coming off of Easter weekend here. I’ve got a big family that goes heavy on the cheese and desserts, k? And my aunt, she makes one hell of a cheesecake.

There was literally a conversation between my sister and I about the worthiness of the cheesecake. She took a big ole slice and it point blank –> came down to her opinion if the slice of chocolate raspberry cheesecake was worth a few blemishes. The answer was yes. A million times yes. I ate the cheesecake. End of story.

So as I said, I’ve (mostly) ditched dairy. BUT FOR THE LOVE, if you’re blessed without skin conditions, dairy on my friend.

The American Academy of Dermatology recently updated its stance on dairy. Specifically, that research suggests that some dairy, particularly skim milk, may influence acne.⁣ Without getting too “sciencey” on you, a more recent study found dermatologist-assessed subjects who consuming milk or ice cream more than 1 time/week had a 4-fold increased risk of acne.⁣⠀While the science is still considered a “gray” area, you can read more on the dairy/acne relationship here, here, here, or here.

Long story short, while I’m far from perfect, I try to limit my dairy consumption as much as possible. In doing so, I’ve done my fair share of taste testing dairy alternatives. Some good. Some not so good. So save yourself the experiment. Unless of course you love to waste money. Read on for my (Stephanie’s) Favorite Dairy-Free Alternatives.