How to cut back on dairy (without missing it)

You don't have to go dairy-free to reduce your footprint. Cutting back on the most resource-intensive dairy products, and swapping some everyday uses, is realistic for almost everyone and makes a genuine difference.

Why dairy is resource-intensive

Dairy farming uses significant land (both for the cows themselves and for growing their feed), produces greenhouse gases including methane from the animals, and in some regions uses substantial water. Not all dairy is equal — how and where it's produced varies — but dairy products in general have a higher environmental footprint per unit of nutrition than most plant-based alternatives.

Within dairy, the impact is not evenly distributed. Butter and hard cheese require the most dairy per unit of product and tend to have the highest footprints per gram. Milk and yoghurt are at the lower end of the dairy spectrum. This means that if you're going to reduce anything, starting with the amount of butter and cheese you use (rather than the splash of milk in your coffee) has more effect per swap.

An easy, not all-or-nothing approach

Most people who reduce dairy successfully don't go fully dairy-free overnight — and don't need to. A gradual approach works better and sticks:

• Start with the high-volume uses that are easy to swap and won't change the dishes you love — milk on cereal, in coffee, in cooking. These are the easiest switches.
• Reduce, not eliminate, the things you really enjoy. A little real cheese on your pasta or butter on good bread is perfectly fine as part of an otherwise lower-dairy diet.
• Focus on crowd-pleasing swaps that nobody notices — using plant milk in white sauce, oat cream in soup, or oil instead of butter in baking.
• Don't replace dairy with highly processed alternatives everywhere. Sometimes a small amount of the real thing is better than a lot of an engineered substitute.

Plant milks compared

There are now many plant milks widely available, each with different properties, tastes and environmental profiles. Here's a general comparison — exact impacts vary by brand, production method and region:

• Oat milk tends to have a relatively low land use and greenhouse-gas footprint compared to other plant milks. It's grown widely in cooler climates. It froths reasonably well and has a mild flavour that works in most uses. Barista versions froth better. Often one of the better all-round choices in terms of impact and versatility.
• Soy milk has one of the lowest overall footprints and is a good source of protein among plant milks. Much of the world's soy is grown in South America, which raises concerns about deforestation — though a significant proportion of that soy goes to animal feed, not food products. Soy for direct food use is generally sourced more carefully; look for responsibly sourced options. Neutral flavour and works well in cooking.
• Almond milk tends to be water-intensive, because almonds are largely grown in arid regions that require irrigation. It has relatively low greenhouse-gas emissions but the water use is a genuine environmental concern. Lower in protein and nutrients than soy or oat. Works well in sweet uses but thinner than dairy.
• Rice milk has a relatively higher carbon footprint among plant milks, partly because flooded rice paddies produce methane. Sweet and naturally thin; useful for some uses but not a standout environmental choice.
• Coconut milk (the drinking carton version, not the thick tinned variety) has a small production footprint in terms of emissions and water, but coconut farming has its own social and biodiversity considerations depending on origin. Mild sweetness; less neutral than oat or soy.
• Pea milk is a newer option with a good protein content and lower impact. Less widely available but worth trying if you want the protein of soy milk with a different taste.

All plant milks have substantially lower greenhouse-gas and land footprints than dairy milk across most comparisons. Choosing any of them for everyday uses is a positive shift — don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

Cooking and baking swaps

Most dairy in cooking can be swapped with very little effect on the result. Here are the most useful substitutions:

Butter

• In baking (cakes, muffins, quick breads): neutral-flavoured vegetable oil or melted coconut oil works well in equal or slightly smaller quantity. Results are often moister.
• For sautéing and frying: olive oil or any neutral cooking oil works for almost everything. Use a slightly lower heat initially as oil behaves differently.
• For spreading: plant-based spreads (often made from sunflower or rapeseed oil) are the closest direct substitute. Ripe avocado, nut butters and hummus are also great on bread.
• In pastry: cold solid plant-based spread or coconut oil can substitute, though texture may vary slightly.

Milk

• Any unsweetened plant milk works in sauces, soups, pancakes, porridge and most baking at a 1:1 ratio. Oat and soy milk hold up best in cooking and don't split easily.
• For coffee: barista oat or barista soy milk froth reasonably well; other varieties froth less successfully.

Cream

• In soups and sauces: oat cream (sold as a pouring cream alternative) or full-fat coconut cream work well. Coconut cream has a distinct flavour — fine in curries and some soups, noticeable in others.
• For whipping: chilled full-fat coconut cream (from a tin refrigerated overnight) whips into a reasonable substitute. Some plant-based whipping creams are also available.

Yoghurt

• Soy-based and oat-based yoghurts are the closest in texture to dairy yoghurt. Coconut yoghurt is richer. All work well as substitutes in dressings, dips, smoothies and on the side of dishes.

Cheese

Cheese is often the hardest swap. Plant-based cheeses vary enormously in quality — many melt-style alternatives work fine on pizza and in cooking, but the flavour of a good aged cheese is genuinely hard to replicate. Rather than substituting wholesale, consider: using a smaller amount of a strongly flavoured cheese (a little aged parmesan or sharp cheddar goes much further than mild cheese), or finding dishes where cheese isn't essential. Nutritional yeast has a savoury, cheesy flavour useful in sauces and on pasta.

Nutrition to be aware of

Dairy is a significant source of certain nutrients for many people. If you reduce dairy substantially, it's sensible to be aware of where you're getting these from:

• Calcium is found in fortified plant milks (check the label), kale, broccoli, bok choy, tofu made with calcium sulphate, tinned fish with soft bones, almonds and fortified cereals. If switching to plant milk, choose fortified versions.
• Vitamin B12 is not naturally present in plant foods. It's found in dairy, meat, fish and eggs. If you're cutting multiple animal products significantly, a B12 supplement or fortified foods become important.
• Vitamin D is poorly supplied by most foods (dairy and non-dairy alike). Sun exposure and/or a supplement are how most people in temperate climates maintain adequate vitamin D levels.
• Iodine is present in dairy milk in meaningful amounts. Seaweed, some fish and iodised salt are alternative sources, though intake varies widely. This is rarely a concern with moderate dairy consumption but worth knowing if cutting back significantly.

A varied diet that includes fortified plant milks, plenty of different vegetables, some legumes and appropriate fortified foods or supplements covers most of these bases well. If you have specific health concerns, a registered dietitian can give personalised guidance.

Budget tips

• Own-brand plant milks from supermarkets are considerably cheaper than premium brands and work just as well in most uses.
• Make your own oat milk. Blend rolled oats with water and strain — very cheap, and you control exactly what goes in it.
• Use oil instead of butter in cooking — often cheaper and lasts longer.
• Buy soy or oat milk in larger cartons when on offer; they have a long shelf life before opening.
• Reduce (rather than replace) expensive cheeses — less cheese in a dish is often barely noticeable, especially if you choose a strongly flavoured variety.
• Full-fat tinned coconut milk kept in the fridge is cheap and multi-purpose — it works in curries, soups and as a cream substitute.

Reduce-dairy checklist

• Switch milk in coffee, tea and cereal to oat or soy milk — this is the easiest, highest-volume swap.
• Try oil instead of butter in your next batch of baking.
• Use oat cream in the next soup or sauce you make.
• Choose a strongly flavoured cheese and use less of it rather than a lot of mild cheese.
• Check your plant milk is fortified with calcium.
• Add kale, broccoli or tinned sardines to your meals a couple of times a week for non-dairy calcium.
• Try nutritional yeast in a pasta sauce or on popcorn for a cheesy flavour without the dairy.