By The Washington Post Tuesday Jan21,2020at2:58PM Jan21,2020at2:58PM

Some swaps are easy alternative milks are fine in savory dishes, for example but some are trickier.

Q: I'm trying to eliminate eggs and dairy in my diet as much as possible (medical issue). I want to try substitutions in recipes, but I'm not really sure how to go about it without wasting a lot of food if something flops. What is the best way to try substituting non-dairy products or flax eggs in recipes? I have searched for recipes that have already made the substitution, but I would also like to modify existing favorites.

A: I'm a fairly lactose-intolerant person, so I think I'll be able to help with dairy. I find that in a lot of savory cases, subbing dairy milk with alternative milks is generally A-OK. If a recipe depends on the fat of whole milk, you're going to want coconut milk. If you need heavy cream, coconut or cashew milk is going to be your friend. Quite a few non-dairy cheeses are designed to act like dairy cheese, so you'll just need to do a little research and tasting on those to see what works for you in terms of taste and texture.

In most cases, alternative milks really tend to be OK. I made a roux with almond milk for a green bean casserole a couple years ago that worked just fine nobody could tell it was almond milk.

When it comes to baking and sweet stuff, that's where it becomes tricky. Fat is hugely important with things like ice cream, which is why you can't just do a one-for-one substitution with an alternative milk. Plant-based butters can often be subbed in for butter, but it does require trial and error.

Kari Sonde

A: On the egg substitutes, if you're talking about baking, the best thing to do is just try. You might follow the Minimalist Baker (minimalistbaker.com) she uses egg substitutes a lot in her recipes, and has some guidelines.

Joe Yonan

Follow this link:

Converting recipes to vegan requires trial and error - The Providence Journal