February
2002
Dairy-Free(ze):
Non-Dairy Desserts for Vegans
By Claudette Silver
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When I was a kid, my mom, grandmother and I would take a field trip
to the local shopping mall every Friday night. As luck would have it,
the ice cream parlor was located right inside the entrance. Since we
had to pass by the tubs of pastel ice creams to enter, I was sure to
be treated to my favorite flavor, bubble gum, at least once a week.
Bubble gum was delightful for so many reasons—the pale pink hue,
the rainbow colors dotting the cream, and best of all, I had something
left after I finished the cone.
Each year, birthday and holiday celebrations were marked by the glorious
consumption of not just any cake, but a frozen cake made entirely from
ice cream. Carvel was an old, dear friend. Let me tell you, there was
no shortage of love for ice cream in my family.
Of course, my family was not alone. According to the International Dairy
Foods Association, the average American consumes about 48 pints a year,
ranking number two in world consumption just behind New Zealand. In
terms of dollars, the industry reports sales in the range of $20 billion
per year. Eating ice cream is such a symbolic American pastime that
in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream
Month. It seems that more often than not, ice cream appears as a staple
on the weekly shopping list.
So, suffice it to say that when I decided to omit dairy and eggs from
my diet about twelve years ago, my first thought turned to ice cream.
I simply couldn’t imagine not eating it again. To make the transition,
I read everything I could on veganism and found inspiration in the likes
of ice cream heir John Robbins and former cattleman Howard Lyman who
altered their life paths and became outspoken critics of the dairy industry.
In a passage from his pivotal book, Diet for a New America, Robbins
describes growing up in a family so entrenched in the ice cream business
that even the swimming pool was fashioned in the shape of an ice cream
cone. Still, Robbins chose to walk away from his family business, the
Baskin Robbins chain, to pursue what he calls “…a dream of
a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate
stewardship of a balanced ecosystem.” Now, if he can walk away
from ice cream, I thought, I have no excuse.
As my politics evolved and I learned more about the practices of the
dairy industry, no amount of fond memories moved me. I simply could
no longer enjoy ice cream when I made the connection that a cow, not
my local Baskin-Robbins, was really responsible for making the frozen
treat. In fact, cows in factory farms across the country are forced
to produce about 100 pounds of milk a day each—roughly 10 times
what she would normally produce for her young—just so I can enjoy
a scoop of ice cream or have milk with my cereal.
Luckily, at the time, I worked at a health food store and learned quickly
of the many alternatives to dairy. I was introduced to Edensoy and Westsoy
to replace cows’ milk, and for ice cream, there was Tofutti and
Rice Dream. Today, there’s no doubt that consumption of non-dairy
products is on the rise. In February, 2000, the National Milk Producers
Federation filed a complaint with the FDA seeking to remove the word
“milk” from soymilk containers. Why, you ask? They charged
that to call the soy beverage “milk” takes advantage of the
“positive” image the dairy industry has worked for decades
to create, and is unfair competition. It seems that simply by existing—particularly
in the refrigerated section of the grocery store right next to cows’
milk—soymilk is a real threat to the dairy industry.
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, annual
soymilk sales in the U.S. expanded from $1.5 million in 1980 to nearly
$550 million in 2001. In the world of non-dairy frozen desserts, the
choices are astronomical compared to just a decade ago. Now, for anyone
trying to reduce or omit dairy from their diet, there are at least a
dozen brands to choose from. Along with dozens of enticing ice cream
flavors—Peanut Butter with Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, etc.—they
make everything from ice cream sandwiches to chocolate covered bars,
and, yes, even cakes made out of faux ice cream. My life, as they say,
is now complete.
I am lucky—my transition to a vegan diet was really easy. My kitchen
is currently packed with every imaginable vegan food stuff—including
treats—known to mankind. There are plenty of delightful non-dairy
desserts on the market that will forever keep me happy and in no danger
of starving. I still have friends, however, who marvel at my “iron
will” in forgoing dairy. Really, there is no willpower involved.
Now if I had to give up tortilla chips and salsa, that would be another
story…
Claudette Silver is an artist and writer who lives
with her two feline loves, Pinky and Delilah, in San Francisco.
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