anyone dairy free?

[happymommy]

DS's gastro doctor didn't say anything about a blood test for allergy but when he goes back to the regular pediatrician in a couple weeks i will be sure to ask her about it. thank you!

i bought lite vanilla soy milk yesterday. i had some this morning with my cheerios and tea. it was pretty good. not sure i would drink it on it's own.

i'm so glad your kids have been able to somewhat outgrow some of their allergies. it must be so hard in school when they are giving out treats or at birthday parties when it's pizza and ice cream cake time. i hope they can outgrow it completely.

It was more difficult when they were toddlers, as an 18 month old doesn't know what they can and can't eat. My mom gave my son a lollipop once when he was almost two, and I looked at it and told her it had dairy! (it was a chupa chup vanilla ice cream flavor one). He already had hives all around his mouth! So he got benedryl and a bath, lucky that was the worst. Things like that used to be weekly occurences until he got older...

I learned recipes from the FAAN cookbook, so brought cakes and cookies to school parties. My son learned to read labels and ask questions.

We do calcium supplements now, as my son decided he dislikes soy milk a few years back. He used to love it, and add chocolate syrup to it is a treat.

I like Silk soymilk, but the light one doesn't quite taste as good. I know it's fattening (has more sugar) but the Very Vanilla flavor is super yummy (and sweet). Actually, Costco has cases of the quarts of their brand of vanilla soymilk for a very reasonable price. I am pretty sure it's made by Silk.

I do think any child reacting to dairy should first be tested for an allergy. It's a quick test, and it would at least rule that out. I guess I feel that way since my kids had allergies (although my DD doesn't anymore).

And for anyone who does have this disease in their family, my son's allergist, Dr. Robert Wood, wrote an excellent book recently about it, called "Food Allergies for Dummies". It really explained so much! I wish my in-laws and my family could have read it when my kids were babies!

 

[AQW]

My DD is allergic to dairy, so I was dairy-free for 22 months while breastfeeding her. The hardest part was locating the "hidden dairy" in everyday items (wheat thins have dairy!) but once I learned to be a dairy sleuth it got easier. She reacted to the tiniest amount of trace dairy, so I had to be very very diligent.

Now at 4½yo we've been able to let up some... if she has a slice of wheat bread that has some trace dairy it's not the end of the world, it just gives her a little tummyache. She still can't actually consume dairy products like milk or cheese though.

I agree with PPs who said it's best to change what you eat entirely rather than try to substitute, PARTICULARLY with cheese. IMO, non-dairy cheese NEVER satisfies... I'd rather go without. High-five to the OREO suggestion (although beware, because some varieties do have trace dairy, but not the regular OREOs) and I would add that sorbet is a wonderful ice cream substitute.

Lots of grilled meats and yummy salads... find a good dairy-free bread and don't forget about alternatives like pitas and tortillas... I gave up on cereal and switched to peanut butter toast for breakfast... if you're going to be dairy-free for a while, find some good baking recipes so you're not stuck when it's time for birthday cake or bringing brownies to a potluck... and most of all I hope your wee one is just fine!