Milk Alterrnatives

My son developed a milk allergy as an infant too. So we used soy. He now has a soy allergy. Very severe soy allergy. I would not use soy as a substitute for milk for a boy. Do some research. Soy is a hormone disruptor, and one of the most genetically modified foods out there. I'd consider goat milk, rice, hemp, almond, instead.

Allergies indicate immune system issues. You may want to read up on allergies, immune disorders.

L.

Hi A.,

When my daughter was an infant she was also allergic to milk. We used a soy formula we got from Target and it did the trick! She is now almost five and she loves dairy! She does skim milk, cheese, and yogurt. I guess she "grew" out of her allergy. I hope this helps.

Lactaid milk & cheese products were my savior when I had to give up dairy.

Rice Milk, Almond Milk, Hemp Milk. All available at the East End Food Coop. They carry a whole bean soy milk that is awesome and puts the silk brand/s to shame.
However, soy must be used in moderation as it can have side effects on part of the health -- in particular the thyroid.

You can sometime find goat milk at some of the local farmers markets and would be a great alternative to cows milk.

I was showing signs of a milk intolerance after loosing my intestines and was suggested by my surgeon to cut it out of my diet.

Purely by accident I found it was not the milk that was my issue it was all the additives IN the milk. I switched to good organic milk (not the Giant Eagle garbage)and I have done very well with milk again.

Good luck

A.,
First of all, Bravo to you for breastfeeding. Especially with your son's allergy you're giving him a healthy start and saving a bundle of money on soy formula!
Are you sure yogurt is out for you? My nephew has a milk allergy but can still eat yogurt as I've heaerd the enzymes that process it into yogurt destroy the antigens that cause the allergic reaction. Also, is it just cow's milk? There are some fine sheep and goat milk cheeses out there that might help satisfy your cravings. I'm not sure about either of these, but thought I'd throw it out there and you can ask your pediatrician or a lactation specialist.
Best of Luck!

A.-
I had this problem with my son, and I must say it is a struggle, but once you get used to it, it will be easier. Rice Milk, soy yogurts, an ice cream called Tofuti (which can be bought at Giant Eagle and is not half bad) and many other things can be good alternatives to help you through this. I just remember what I thought, it was absolutely worth the sacrafice because my little boy was MUCH happier and actually it made us all a lot more happier when he was not fussing constantly because of his stomach. I noticed anytime there was even the slightest bit of milk in something, it made a difference in his demeanor. It will not be forever, so you can at least remember that there is an end in sight and you will get to have milk again!!!! Good luck!

my son has dairy problems too. i give him ricemilk in vanilla. soy icecream and yogurt and they have rice cheese or veggie cheese. he loves it. try going to a whole foods store. this stuff is a little more expensive but you can't put a price on your little ones health. good luck with everything. soy stuff works great too.

My son is on a gluten and dairy free diet and here are some products we both think taste good:

Milk: Blue Diamond Almond milk, vanilla and chocolate are yummy, haven't tried the unsweetened varieties. also, if you like egg nog, Silk's Egg Nog is DELICIOUS!

Silk makes good soy yogurt...my son eats all the varieties, and he used to eat regular yogurt

Rice Dream Frozen non-dairy desserts are suprisingly very good! Also Zen Soy makes a yummy chocolate pudding my son loves!

Cheese is very tough to find a substitute for...I think most of what is out there is disappointing. My son will eat singles made from rice and soy, but that's about it. Most substitutes don't melt and just have a weird consistency.

H. this helps!

Try soy cheese or goat cheese. Both can be purchased at a natural foods store. I have found a cheddar goat cheese that really tastes like cheddar cheese. The soy cheese is good on a sandwich but does not melt well. I also use soy cream cheese and soy sour cream (Tofutti brand - my family has said that they can't tell the difference) There are some good soy yogurts out there as well. I love Soy ice cream!! It is the only ice cream we buy. At first my husband did not like it but now he loves it.

You've received a lot of really good milk alternatives. (And I'll agree that Tofutti is one of the best non-ice-creams out there, although - like real ice cream - it's not a *healthy* food.)

I've never tried a good soy or other alternative cheese. And I've tried a lot. I'm sure there must be one, but I haven't found it yet. If you're just making a grilled "cheese" sandwich, though -- something where the cheese gets melty and is blended with other flavors, they aren't so bad. But if you just want to eat a slice of cheese, well ... iffier results. (And - haven't had any good pizza results, either ... but pizza is really tasty without the cheese, anyway!)

Soy yogurt can be really good. The one I like is WholeSoy, but it can be hard to find. So Delicious is supposed to be a good yogurt alternative (and NOT soy!).

Please be sure to look into NON-soy alternatives, too, though. You may find that you like Almond milk or Rice milk or Hazelnut milk or Hemp milk (and they provide a good variety as well, though they're often more expensive than soy). There is some controversy over possible health concerns regarding a high soy diet (including pregnant and nursing women - and their babies). Remember that it's important to have a varied diet, so you don't want to consume too much soy. Also - you won't be nursing forever, so losing dairy for a year (or even 2) sounds like a significant challenge, but after a couple of weeks - not so much.

Try your local whole foods store...you can pick up rice milk, rice cheese, etc. If you have a wal-mart nearby they sell Rice Dream rice milk and soy yogurt and ice cream

Hi A.,

Sorry to hear about the milk intolerance. My daughter and I went through the same thing except she was also soy intolerant. Go to Whole Foods. They have a wonderful selection of alternative foods including soy cheeses, yogurts, and ice cream. I could not eat those products so I ate the coconut milk yogurts and ice cream and they are delicious! One last thing, please be aware that if your son is very sensitive you might also need to cut out foods with milk by-products/components. That is a bit more difficult since most processed foods including items that you would not think such as lunch meats/cold cuts/ and pretty much anything pre-made have some level of milk by-products. The whole experience is a learning process, but I have to say that I eat much better and healthier as a result! Good luck!

Giant eagle has a small section with vegetarian products. Soy cheese, yogurts, smoothies and soy butter. Theres a great soy icecream! I'm vegetarian and have personally tried all these. The shredded cheese is great in salads and taco type dishes, the sandwich slices are-ok. Not fond of the mayo-ranch type dressings. Theres also all types of veggie meats!

Good luck!

My daughter has a milk and soy allergy. We use the rice dream products with her. When we run out we use her stuff and it tast exactly like skim milk. They also sell rice cheese and icecream. She loves all the ice cream produts. I highly recommend them. You can go online they have tons of variety. Your local giant eagle and walmart will carry limited amounts. Hope this works. Happy holidays.

Congratulations on your new baby A.. Sorry that you have to avoid the milk products, but it is the best thing for your baby, so it is a sacrifice you will be happy that you made in the long run. Also, most babies will outgrow the milk sensitivity as they get older, so you probably won't have to do it the whole time you are nursing.

My mom has a milk allergy and she eats the tofutti ice cream. It tastes just like regular ice cream - you would never know it isn't. I highly recommend that. I haven't found any good cheese substitutes, but with my mom's allergy she found that she could eat aged cheese - the more aged the better - so might try a really aged cheese and she if you little one has the same reaction. I know they make soy cheese, and I have had to cooked in with a burrito (tasted great) but haven't had it by itself. Costo sells these burritos made by Cedar Lane or something like that and they are made with all yummy organic ingredients including soy cheese - so you may want to try those.

J.

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Hello....Tofutti is the BEST soy icecream. Try really hard to find the Tofutti brand. The others aren't as good. They have several flavors too. The soy cheese is ok for melting and cooking but not great to just snack on. There is a great vegan website called www.vegweb.com They offer tons of recipes including baking so you can bake w/o dairy. The soy sourcream is a good replacement and the tofutti cream cheese is good.

Good Luck! I know this is tough. I had to do it with my son.

Hi A.,

Congrats on your new arrival! How great to have caught his sensitivity so early. I figured out my son's dairy allergy at about 4 months old and they just confirmed it at his one year visit after blood testing. I'm not sure why they (my Ped.) wouldn't test for me sooner, just so I could be sure, so I've been off dairy myself for over 8 months. I was a bit worried about consuming too much soy, so I've done Rice Milk. It's not bad! It's like skim milk, almost. I don't drink it straight up, like I would a normal glass of milk, but it's great in cereal and for cooking. Soy ice cream is good. There's a great one called Pomegranite Chip. Here's a link about it: http://www.godairyfree.org/Product-Reviews/Frozen-Dessert...

Like another mom, said, you get used to it. The hardest part for me is eating out (everything has cheese in it!!) and being invited over for dinner and the host has made a dish you can't eat. That's a bummer. Good luck!!

Kudos to you for cutting out milk. My daughter was allergic to milk and breastfed, but she did not exhibit any adverse reactions when I had milk. PTL!

I can not speak first hand for the products but we buy the following for my daughter:

Tofutti mozzarella slices - They come in 'American' flavor too, but I've read that mozzarella is the least offensive. Personally the smell turns me off but she loves them. I figure this is because she has no experience with the real thing.

So Delicious ice cream - She likes just the plain chocolate and vanilla.

Purely Decadent - They sell pints of the ooey gooey ice creams. She used to love the cookies and cream but has become a purest and doesn't like anything in her ice cream.

They also make soy yogurt. I tried giving it to her on different occasions and it is not her bag. She is only 3 so I would not say she has a discerning palate and that it should be avoided.

Purely Decadent has also come out with coconut milk yogurt and ice cream. Both are more pricey than their soy counterparts. I think the only place I've seen them is at Whole Foods.

I am not sure if you need to avoid milk in other forms, i.e. whey and casein. Be careful with the rice milk and vegan cheese slices because they do contain one of the two.

Good luck!