Navigating through a gluten free diet has had its challenges for sure. Learning which companies have product lines that will not trigger a reaction verses which to definitely not take a chance on. It’s those tempting treats that say “may contain traces of” are not always the best things to grab but let’s be honest, sometimes our minds make us think we can do things that are not the greatest idea in the world. So, when the bites end up with regret, I am left in a pain that lasts for days at a time trying anything to help ease the agony I am left in.

Before removing the few remaining types of dairy from my diet, I found two things that would help to soothe my system – ice cream and yogurt – clearly dairy-based. I never fully understood why but they worked and that was all that I cared about because when you are in that state of pain and panic, you don’t always have the capacity or desire to hear the explanation of why, or want to. In talking to a friend who is very tuned in to nutrition, I was told it had to do with the properties dairy has to calm the acidity in your stomach. So they became my “go to” grabs if I felt the reactions coming on. We all know that image of “having a rough day – give me a tub of ice cream and my bed and I am good to go”, but this was actually a reality for me. Didn’t need to eat the entire tub, but I definitely found me getting close at times just to make the pain go away faster.

So, without dairy in my diet, and not wanting to have an over-abundance of soy as a replacement, I have been left with that uneasy feeling in questioning what I do now if it happens again. Then, as if I wishing it to be, I was asked to try DREAM yogurts (from Hain Refrigerated Foods, Inc.) that are plant based, non-dairy, gluten free, soy free and lactose free. Assuming the company would be sending a small sampling to try, when the enormous box was delivered to my doorstep, there were more yogurts than I could imagine. Half of the shipping cooler was of the Coconut Milk variety and the other half from Almond Milk. It was like heaven in a box that came with a small baggie of spoons, napkins and little plastic cups for sampling all of the duplicates of each flavor.

I reached out to the DREAM team right away for suggested recipes verses straight from the containers and planned to pull up other recipe finds to swap out the traditional yogurts for sauces, creams, desserts, and anything else I could find. With all good intensions to explore all kinds of creations, I found myself comparing the tastes between the coconut and almond varieties. That went a bit faster than I expected so recipe excursions got put to the side a bit. The fact that I have been a huge fan of almond and coconut milks, both separate and as a blend, for years now made that part a no-brainer as far as the base taste on the plain varieties. I had sorted out all of the tubs and did a side by side tasting of the overlapping flavors digging in to Vanilla, Strawberry, and Plain. There was also a Mixed Berry Almond that I compared to the Blueberry and Raspberry Coconut blends. And what did I find? Yet another vegan, gluten free discovery that I love – creamy, lots of flavor and the extra bonus that they are made with non GMO ingredients. The big difference I found is that the coconut gives more sweetness to those selected blends over the almond varieties so depending on your preference that may be a helpful hint to follow in determining which to reach for.

As for testing against my food sensitivity issues, that part of the plan didn’t go so well only because I am happy to report that I did not have any problems during that time. So, I was able to simply take the time to discover each flavor without anything clouding my judgements. And with local stores carrying the brand, my fridge can be stocked up with yogurts that I can feel good about buying whether they come to the rescue or not. As for my kids and their thoughts….well, my daughter had a bad experience with an exploding coconut in a hot car a few years back so even hearing the word brings back bad memories which made this tasting time a no-go for her entirely. But my son was constantly asking which I had tried so that he didn’t polish off the ones I hadn’t gotten to yet. So double spoons up here on both of our ends, and time to explore their suggested recipes continuing to taste the DREAM.

The post Tasting the Dream: DREAM yogurts appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Thankfully, with vegans’ ability to “vegan-ify” just about everything, there are many soy or nut-based yogurts available to enjoy on the market nowadays, without contributing to the cruelty of the dairy industry. However, if you live in a remote area without access to these products, or tend to prefer your yogurt unflavored and unsweetened (as I do), going to the store and picking up what you want might not be an option.

It didn’t occur to me until recently that making my own yogurt might be a viable (practical, affordable, etc.) option, but turns out that it’s not as complicated as one might think. That’s where Belle and Bella YogurtStarter comes into play. A non-dairy product made with billions of gut-friendly live cultures, and free of additives and preservatives, it’s a no-frills, convenient powder that can help you achieve your very own homemade yogurt from soy, almond, or coconut milk.

The basic steps for making homemade yogurt are fairly simple:

1. Choose your desired milk and heat it up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (to kill off wild bacteria), then cool to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix warm milk with starter containing live bacterial cultures. (Using a small amount of store-bought yogurt instead of a starter works, too.)
3. Incubate for several hours. Times will vary depending on type of milk, but non-dairy milks typically require 10-12 hours.

Not so bad, right?

I decided to try Belle and Bella YogurtStarter with soy milk, for the higher protein content. The product was convenient to use, contained detailed directions, and my wallet was happy to learn that each small carton (retailing around $7) could produce four whole quarts of yogurt. I did find it to be a bit more finicky than using a bit of store-bought yogurt as my “starter” (which I had tried prior to using Belle and Bella’s product)—I had to be diligent about mixing the powder well with the milk—and seemed to produce firmer yogurt if I was swift about incubating the mixture before the milk cooled too much. Mixing in a bit of agar agar or cornstarch also seemed to aid in creating a thicker consistency.

Though one does not need a special yogurt incubator to use this product, I think having one made my good results easier to achieve, and is a worthwhile buy if you intend on producing a lot of DIY yogurt. (Belle and Bella even makes one, which you can check out here.)

If you are looking to start creating homemade yogurt, or would like to cut out using store-bought yogurt as a starter, consider giving Belle and Bella YogurtStarter a try and let us know how it goes. You can easily pick some up online and in health food stores such as Whole Foods Market and Wegman’s. If you’ve tried these techniques before, do you have any special tips? Which milk is your favorite to use? Leave a comment below if you’d like to share, and happy yogurt making!

The post Product Review: Belle and Bella YogurtStarter appeared first on Chic Vegan.