When my 3 month-old was constantly spitting up, the most common advice I received was simple: “Try going dairy-free.”

Even though Remi showed no other signs of milk intolerance and my pediatrician said, “He’s just a happy spitter — it’ll pass,” I figured it would be a worthwhile experiment… especially as a dietitian.

So for 8 full days, I removed all dairy — no yogurt, no half & half in my coffee, no hidden ingredients. And for the sake of the experiment, my colleague Sam went dairy-free too.

In this episode, Sam and I break down what what going 100% dairy free was really like:

• What was surprisingly easy — and what was not
• The protein bar and dairy-free milk experiments (including some major fails)
• The best recipe that unexpectedly came out of this experiment
• How quickly hunger and food noise ramped up
• Why certain “healthy swaps” didn’t actually satisfy
• The unexpected impact on my weight
• How dairy shows up in more family meals than I realized
• And the bigger lesson this experiment revealed about restriction and sustainability

We also talk about where dairy actually functions as a super helpful protein tool, where it’s flexible (like cheese and pizza), and where it’s tied to routine and enjoyment — which honestly matters more than most people realize.

If you’ve ever tried cutting something out — whether it’s dairy, gluten, or anything else — and found yourself more hungry, more snacky, or just kind of annoyed… you’ll relate to this. We’re sharing what actually happened when I removed a major food group, from the hunger and food noise to the unexpected weight and digestion shifts — all while navigating postpartum life and breastfeeding.

Because sometimes the thing you try doesn’t fix what you thought it would — but it still teaches you something. And usually, even in the middle of something hard, there’s a silver lining.

Dani’s Dairy-Free Perfect Bars:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTq0HLGj_0G/?hl=en&img_index=1

Host:
Danielle Rancourt, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Founder, CEO & Lead Dietitian, Pivot Nutrition Coaching

Connect with Dani:
https://www.instagram.com/dani_the_rd/

https://pivotnutritioncoaching.com/

Co-Host:
Samantha Ferguson, MS, RD
https://www.instagram.com/dietitian_samferg/