Post-Dairy

Dairy is a constant in any kitchen, but a vegan diet says NO to the diary! Which in reality is an incredibly positive thing! From the obvious ethical issues with our modern farming system pumping animals full of hormones and antibiotics, you wouldn't want to support that! And you really shouldn't be consuming these things either, there are serious side effects to that stuff!

So how can we go about replacing the harmful animal farmed dairy and replace it with something organic and veggie?

Milk

What options are out there for vegan milk? There's a few! Soy milk jumps to mind first, it's healthier than regular milk, is a natural byproduct of making tofu, and it's delicious! The only downsides are if you're allergic to soy, or just don't like soy. Surprisingly a lot of people don't like soy!

I suggest one of the two popular alternatives, coconut and almond. Almond milk is a pretty awesome alternative to milk, very low in calories and rich in healthy fats that vegans need. It also has a more neutral taste than coconut milk, and is best used when you need that! I also think the vanilla flavor tastes like Rice Krispies Treats cereal, a childhood favorite. Coconut milk is pretty amazing stuff as well. You will never eat an ice cream as rich and delicious as one made with coconut milk! Even in a can this is an incredibly useful milk/cream substitute. The big downside I have found with coconut milk is the strong coconut flavor, which can conflict.

BONUS COCONUT CONTENT!!!  
YOGURT!!!
             OM NOM NOM!!!


There are also hemp, rice, oat, and flax milks, I don't mean to skip them, I'm just not as familiar. A post for another day!

Butter

I promised alternatives on day one, you don't have to settle for Earth Balance. I am in no way bothered by Earth Balance, I use it at home. However, it is one of the most despised vegan products, even among vegans. So what else can I offer you? Blue Bonnet Light and Smart Balance Light are both dairy-free and available at most grocery stores. I would recommend you visit your local vegan store, or co-op, that will offer other more local brands of vegan butter substitutes. If you're not sure if it's dairy-free, look for whey, lactose, casein, and caseinate! Not vegan!

Eggs

Eggs are a lot harder to replace than milk or butter. For baking or batters there are commercial egg replacers, most all of them are just a powder that works as a replacement for a whole egg. Ener-G is a Seattle-based company that makes a great replacer, and Bob's Red Mill is an Oregon company that also makes a great alternative, and a million other things! And of course now we have the Vegg which is a yolk replacer! Of course if you're looking to make some scrambled eggs, tofu scrambles are the way to go!