Weekend Treats: Don't miss out because of your intolerances

As you walk round the shops and stress out at the fact that... THERE IS NOTHING I CAN INDULGE ON... be assured there definitely is, all you need to do is just look this little bit harder. For those that are not dairy intolerant too some of the non dairy options are actually healthier than the dairy ones, and therefore if you want to indulge without a bit of an extra bulge maybe have a shot at a couple of these frozen desserts. I discovered a couple of dairy free desserts over the weekend, through some extensive research: I REALLY WANTED something I could properly enjoy. There it was (Bessant and Drury: www.bessantanddrury.com/) frozen coconut milk dessert! Ideal for this weather and even better it comes in 4 flavours: Vanilla, chocolate, lemon and strawberry. Decided I really wanted to try some and my goodness it is actually nicer than normal ice cream. The bigger benefit if you order this online you can get the mini snack pot sizes too (result)! So My idea for today was to send you over 5 dessert ideas or summer frozen ideas if you would prefer to call it that for you to try.

Bessant and Drury Frozen Coconut Milk Dessert

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Goodness Direct or Local Health Stores.
Bessant & Drury is a luxury dessert made with the finest natural ingredients, including highly nutritious coconut milk. Renowned for its health benefits, coconut milk gives Bessant & Drury's a rich, smooth texture - yet our desserts have less than half the fat of a dairy ice cream. A truly delicious treat to enjoy without a moment's guilt.
Bessant & Drury is free from; Dairy and lactose Gluten GMO Egg Soya Cholesterol Artificial additives, flavourings and colourings Bessant & Drury is also suitable for those people who follow a vegan diet.

Food Heaven Lemon Dairy Free Cheesecake

Available in tescos, waitrose, foodheaven online
This dessert was a real surprise and treat! The base very different to normal cheesecake due to lack of eggs and gluten products it was absolutely delicious. Ideal for a dinner party and for a summer bbq.
Free from lactose, cholesterol & gluten
Vegetarian Society approved
Lemon dairy free cheesecake
Non dairy cheesecake, made with soya & vegetable oil cheese alternative
Heaven in the making...
Food Heaven desserts have been created from a desire to make delicious puddings accessible to people with special dietary requirements. Driven by a passion for good food and a heritage in vegetarian cookery, Jodi Anderson has developed these cheesecakes with you in mind... pure pleasure.


Zen Zen Coconut Desserts

This company not only trying to target those suffering with a dairy intolerance they are advertising this ice cream as a healthy option which is brilliant. Coconuts have always been viewed as highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals and were said to come from “the tree of life”.

But it is only recently that we are discovering just how healthy they really may be. The secret lies within the coconut oil, or the fats. The types of fats found in coconuts are radically different to the types of fats found elsewhere in nature. Most saturated fats come in the form of Long-chain-Triglycerides, or LCT’s for short. Coconut oils are Medium-chain-Triglycerides, or MCT’s and high in Lauric acid. These types of fat are very rare although they are found in human breast milk and help to protect the baby from infections, so they are great for your immune system too. They can be good for increasing energy levels and since they have a strong thermic effect may well be effective in promoting fat loss! All the desserts are slightly sorbet-ish. They have excellent natural flavours, deeply virtuous ingredients and are not oversweet and, as a result, very refreshing.

They are dairy, egg, soya, gluten and cholesterol free, have no added sugar and a low GI. These products are not widely available yet so visit: http://www.zenzenfood.co.uk/where-to-buy/ to see where you can buy this product.

A Dairy Free Breakie!

Finding out I should not drink cows milk was a bit of a shock for me. Initial thoughts being 'oh jees what on earth am I going to have for breakfast?" My favourite meal of the day! My original breakfast before my intolerance test was religiously: Sultana bran with oats on top and a spoonful of Linwoods q-10 flaxseeds (www.linwoods.co.uk). I thought obviously this will change my cereal options but I knew there were a lot of dairy, egg and yeast free cereals in the free from section of Tesco and in my local health food store (www.elffoods.co.uk). So my first issue became... what will I drink instead of milk? Trust me you are not stuck for choice: statistics show that 51% of people have an intolerance to cows milk! So it didn't surprise me when you have an option of about 5 different things. After trying a couple of them over the past week, I will review and give you my verdict on the taste, nutritional value and how they make your stomach feel.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is a popular milk substitute that is made by mixing finely ground almonds with water. Almond milk has a very high nutritional value and, unlike cow's milk, is safe for those who are lactose intolerant or have gluten and casein allergies.

Almond milk is one of the most nutritionally valuable milk substitutes available today. It is high in a number of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fibre, zinc and calcium. Almond milk is low in calories, at only 40 calories per eight ounce serving, and low in fat. It contains only three grams of fat per eight ounce serving. Almond milk is lactose, gluten, casein and cholesterol free; it's also free of saturated fats. Overall almond milk is much more nutritionally valuable than cows milk, the only thing being that cows milk contains more calcium and protein. The best thing about almond milk is that there is no cholesterol or saturated fats in the milk.

Almond milk is an acquired taste but once you get used to it, it really doesn't taste that bad.

www.bluediamond.co.uk
www.ecomil.co.uk

Coconut Milk

I had never even heard of drinking coconut milk until last Friday and unsurprisingly if you like coconuts you will like coconut milk, especially the flavoured ones you get in cartons. Not only is coconut milk high in protein but it provides you with many essential nutrients again like almond milk without the cholesterol that cows milk provides. Coconut milk provides:
CALCIUM (38 mg in 240 mg of the product): this mineral is an essential part of any diet. Our bones and teeth need calcium to be healthy and strong.
MAGNESIUM (89 mg in 240 mg). This mineral is required to have healthy blood system. Thus, it keeps blood pressure at normal levels and decreases the risk of heart attacks.
POTASSIUM (631 mg) AND PHOSPHORUS (240 mg). you can see that this tropical white liquid is really high in potassium. This product increases our energy level and keeps blood pressure under control. Phosphorus, in its turn, controls optimal functioning of the kidneys. Our bone health also depends on this element.
IRON (3.93 mg): Coconut milk helps for people suffering from anemia (lack of iron in the body). But is is possible to avoid this problem using coconuts as often as possible.
SELENIUM (14.88 mcg). This mineral stimulates thyroid gland work. The deficiency of selenium leads to autoimmune disorders and prostate cancer
One of the best thing about coconut milk is the fact it tastes really nice and is very good for you.

www.tesco.com/freefrom
www.kokodairyfree.com