Milk Allergy

Randi - posted on 12/13/2010

I have heard of people using all sorts of substitutes. Rice, almond, soy.
Also, it's hard to stay away from milk derivatives. Whey and stuff are hard to remember and hard to find in the ingredients. I have noticed on many things, though, that they are starting to state at the bottom of most ingredients labels that the product contains milk, milk products and/or milk derivatives.
Just a few things I have been noticing over the last while.

Randi - posted on 12/08/2010

First of all, I'm sorry to hear that, it's rough. My son has had a dairy free diet since he was 5 days because he couldn't swallow (his doctor put him on a specialty formula for milk allergies then) and was officially diagnosed at 11 months.



It's difficult to discern all the derivatives on ingredients labels, but once you discover all of them, it much easier.



I am a little hesitant about trying new food as well. I try them one at a time with 2 or 3 days between each new food.



There are more and more recipe books popping up for dairy free cooking, you may want to give those a shot, also, a lot of them have wonderful substitute information. Which type of alternative you can use with which recipe. I use almond milk quite often.



I find that making food from scratch help a great deal, too. And I have established a rule among my family and friends which is, if I didn't bring it, my son can't eat it. It sounds harsh, and possibly even rude, but I would rather seem rude then my son have an allergic reaction.



Good luck with everything!!

Melanie - posted on 08/20/2010

You can use rice milk to cook- I use it to make a very yummy rice pudding... maybe I will have to make that today! :) I don't know if I have seen an unsweetened variety, but you could probably make your own if you were making a gravy or something and wanted to use it for a savory dish. Good luck, Emma!

Stifler's - posted on 08/18/2010

And you can make a lot of carrot cakes without milk. YUM.

Stifler's - posted on 08/18/2010

Can you use rice milk to cook with? My kid is allergic to every milk except that.

Melanie - posted on 08/01/2010

For all of you that use goat's milk- my allergist told me that the proteins in that are so similar to cow's milk that it was best for us to avoid that as well. Have any of your dr.s told you that, too? We have also been warned against duck eggs in place of chicken eggs (as we have egg allergy) for the same reason- the proteins being so similar. The allergists (2 of them) have both warned against causing a reaction. Has anyone else heard this? I have also heard of people trying unpasturized cow milk if they have a mild allergy to cow milk and they don't react. Has anyone seen or heard anything about that? THanks in advance for your responses! :)

Nikki - posted on 07/29/2010

We use goats milk for my daughter who has a major cows milk allergy. It is perfectly normal to her and she uses goats milk, butter, cheese and yogurt all the time. We cook with it for everything too, although we also buy the dairy free range from sainsbury's so we use soya and coconut milk there.

Amber - posted on 04/13/2009

For my daughters first bday I made her cake using soy milk and for the frosting i used a marjoram that was dairy free. The cake and frosting was delicious and nobody knew the difference. I can give you the recipe if you would like.

Michelle - posted on 04/08/2009

my 14month old daughter also has a cows milk allergy which shes inherited from me.i have a hypoallergenic milk on prescription. i cook with it as well if i need to.can he have soya?if so,soya margerine and soya cheese is nice {cheese sandwiches}dairy free ice cream is lovely.shame my daughter doesn't like it but i do!anything that has milk powder,milk protein,whey powder,avoid and some types of monosodium glutomate it will say from milk by law.

Rebecca - posted on 04/03/2009

we dont avoid milk  in our cooking as well we just got used to using  goats milk for every think like cookies cakes   mashed potatoes and so forth  but all so how do i know whats in stuff  there so many other names for milk and i dont get half of them

Rebecca - posted on 04/03/2009

my son and i drink goats milk becasue  we both have   a  protine   intolerance to dariy that makes us both  uncontrollably sick and can even be hospitalized  near of us like soya  but he seems to be doing  great with goats milk but every one   seems to think its just a lactose  allergy and he will grow out of it ... im all most 22 years old and i have yet to  out grow mine but people take this matter as a huge laughing joke  how can i let people know its not the sugars in milk we cant handle its o ut intestine that cant digest it  like anormal person .....

sigh any  helpfull suggestions would be great becasue im tiredof people thinking im just a crazy first time mo m because theres actuly a huge isue that could hurt both my son and i  

Tina - posted on 12/23/2008

My daughter (22 months) also has a severe milk allergy. Like others, I have become a pro at reading labels. Be cautious with lunch meats, hotdogs, and sausages. Even though they do not list any milk related ingredients, my daughter has an allergic reaction to all of them. We have found a local market that hand-makes their hot-dogs...she loves and they are minus any preservatives! For cakes/cupcakes, I use Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix.

Bonnie - posted on 12/07/2008

You can also google wacky cake for a really easy, simple and yummy chocolate cake recipe. It comes out perfect everytime. I use it to make cupcakes for my daughter when I need to send one in to school or for a birthday party.

Jennifer - posted on 12/05/2008

HI,

We're dairy free for a year now with ds, and did it for 8 months with dd as well.

I am still finding new products in the store that are dairy free, that I hadn't even thought to look at yet. Firs, enjoy the foods he can eat; chicken, fruit, veggies, and SOME breads and cookies. If you want a list of foods (especially the yummy snacky kind) let me know and I'll drum up some for you.

It's ok to let him try new things, but one at a time, and I agree, label reading is key. I still mess it up from time to time.



I look forward to learning more about your alls' journey

Jen

Melanie - posted on 11/08/2008

I am so glad there are others out there like me- and fortunately having food allergies does not have to be the end of eating yummy foods! Nice ideas, everyone- and thanks for all the help!

Patty - posted on 11/08/2008

Wow, I am so impressed with all the support you have all shown! Thanks so much.

Karen - posted on 11/07/2008

Dairy is not one of my son's allergens so i can't help u much, but Cherrybrook Kitchens (avail online or kroger i know) has brownie, cake and cookie mixes that are dairy free, nut free, egg free, gluten free etc.

Norma - posted on 11/07/2008

I just recently bought a cookbook on Amazon titled Sophie-Safe Cooking. The recipes are all free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy,peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. The dessert recipes are great. My son was able to have a real cake for his birthday this year.

Melanie - posted on 11/04/2008

There are also such things as oat milk and hemp milk at most healthfood stores. I have tried Almond milk (and love it) but my son cannot do it as he tested positive for allergies to tree nuts. We had a little trouble with him gaining weight as diary products are much higher in fat than the beverages he could actually have. I added coconut milk (after having him test negative for an allergy to coconuts)to his soy milk to add some calories and fat. We have also found that the Enjoy Life products (cookies, etc) are very helpful for those treats! I have also found that small boxes of raisins (or bags of Craisins) are a great treat (and individually packaged!) I also have a recipe for an egg free and dairy free chocolate cake that I have made for my son's birthdays. Turns out really moist and super easy! Makes good cupcakes, too, which keep for a week or so. I can get that for anyone if interested- let me know.

Michele - posted on 11/04/2008

My son cannot have any dairy, soy or nuts and I order cupcakes from a bakery in NYC. They will ship them to you and I actually use decorating gel and sprinkles in place of frosting (he can't eat their frosting). The bakery is called babycakes and I think their website is www.babycakesnyc.com. Otherwise, I do brownie bites for the kids and give my son the double chocolate brownie cookies by Enjoy Life.

Krista - posted on 11/03/2008

My 4 year old daughter was just diagnosed with a milk allergy. I've been told to eliminate as much dairy as I possibly can from her diet which I am doing but what I'm wondering is if anyone knows of a good store bought milk free treat I can bring to her preschool since 2 of her little friends have bdays this month and will be bringing in cupcakes, which she won't be able to have. Any ideas will be GREATLY appreciated! TIA :)

Michele - posted on 11/03/2008

My 3 year old son is allergic to soy, milk (all dairy), eggs, and nuts. It has been difficult since he was diagnosed 2 years ago since I have 2 older children. The website www.allergengrocer.com has been helpful.

Breanna - posted on 11/03/2008

My 15 month old daughter has had a milk and soy allergy. I have been dealing with this too. It has been interesting trying to cook foods for her because most kids with a milk allergy can have soy or rice milk and she can have neither. The best thing that I can say is that we have to adjust to our kids.

Melanie - posted on 11/03/2008

Been there- My son was diagnosed with a milk allergy at 4 months old. I can tell you that I have never been a better label reader than I am right now! I had the hardest time switching him from baby foods (which I knew were safe) to table food. Start slow- I began with buttered toast (using Earth Balance margarine which is entirely dairy free). Fortunately the FDA has required companies to clearly list the top allergens on food labels to make label reading easier for those of us who have to read labels. Because of the dairy and egg allergies my son has, my husband and I both eat dairy-free and egg-free foods to make it safe if he wants a bite from our plates. There are also some great websites that tell you what foods are safe (Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips- yahoo!!) and can help you find ways to feed your son. We do soymilk or rice milk (now that he is older). If I find anything new or helpful, I will post soon! Good luck and write again with any questions or tips!