1. Butter

When cooking, replace this dairy-based animal fat with plant-based olive oil. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also try cooking with coconut oil — but be aware that it does lend a particular flavor to the food (which you may very well fall in love with). When baking, swap out butter for sweet bananas, creamy ripe avocado, or silken tofu.

• 1 cup butter = 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 tablespoon butter = ½ tablespoon avocado
• 1 tablespoon butter =  1 tablespoon pureed silken tofu

2. Cheese

Those with dairy sensitivities will often find that the firmer the cheese (we’re looking at you Parmesan and pecorino), the easier it is to digest. However, if you’re looking to completely kick dairy to the curb, nutritional yeast flakes are the way to go. These dairy-free and gluten-free flakes are an inactive yeast grown on sugar cane and beet molasses, then dried into a flake or powder form. They have a savory cheese flavor and are also an excellent source of vitamin B12 (a bonus to all the vegetarians/vegans out there).

3. Yogurt/Sour Cream

With the rise of dairy-free soy and nut milks, we have also seen an increase in the availability of dairy-free yogurts. Soy, almond, and coconut milk yogurt are now a staple in most grocery stores and still contain those gut-loving probiotics we love. When it comes to sour cream, a simple swap is to substitute luscious and silky avocado. And if you’re feeling especially adventurous, try using cashew cream. The flavor will knock your socks off!

4. Bread

SURPRISE! Bread is often a hidden source of dairy. Sneaky, right? To ensure you aren’t eating bread that contains dairy, carefully review the ingredient list and keep an eye out for butter, buttermilk, casein, caseinate, cheese, cream, curds, custard, diacetyl, ghee, lactose, sour cream, whey, or yogurt.