Does dairy free ice-cream taste good?

I scream for ice-cream
image by Michael Chambers

Dairy free foods are on the increase. Not just for vegans, but for those of us who experience acne, bloating, high cholesterol, hormone imbalances, are lactose intolerant and for those who wish for healthier foods.

But often, our real measure of food  is in the taste. So I put a few dairy free products to the test, because let's face it - who wants a life without ice-cream.


Why go Dairy Free?

Because dairy free, (plant-based foods) do not contain:

• saturated animal fat
• cholesterol
• animal protein (casein)
• hormones and growth factors

All of which have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, gallstones, asthma, Crohn’s disease, colic, constipation and teenage acne.

In other words, we can get all the calcium we need from dairy free foods. Calcium is found in sesame, soya, kidney beans, parsnips, watercress, kale, cabbage, lemons, dried figs - the list is endless.

But back to the issue in hand - can ice-cream still taste good?

Booja Booja have created an ice-cream that is not only dairy free but sugar, soya and gluten free too. And it's organic. And it tastes goooood. I tried the Feisty Winjin Ginger - a frozen delight in a tub.

Straight from the freezer, it was so solid and hard, my spoon nearly bent. The ginger is strong so has a warming flavour despite it's icy texture.

After a little while out of the freezer, the flavour becomes more intense and the ice cream soft and scrumptious - sweet without being sugary, creamy without being fattening.
Feisty Winjin Ginger won me over. A superb dairy free ice cream.  We need small tubs available in ice cream vans and corner shops!

As for other dairy free foods - I'm converting to dairy free chocolate, coconut milk, rice milk, soya yoghurts. But not converting to dairy free cheese - happy to eat non cow cheese, but the vegan versions do little to appease my exacting taste buds - if someone out there has a heads up on dairy free cheese (spread or block) please let me know.

For ideas on why and how to avoid dairy, visit Vivahealth - a fantastic website of 'easy to digest' information and wisdom.