Is there a difference between Rice Milk and Lactaid Milk?

[blessedby3]

I have been buying Rice Dream Milk for DD1 as she cannot tolerate milk (no allergy, though). It seems to settle well with her. I noticed in the store that they sell Lactaid Milk that is Lactose Free. The Rice Milk says it is Lactose Free also. I wasnt sure if there were any other difference or if they are basically the same. I see the Lactaid Milk on sale and at a better price. I have never seen the Rice Milk on sale. Just wondering if anyone knew.

 

[cntrygal]

lactaid milk is actually, milk from cows, it has had an enzyme added to destroy the lactose.

Rice "milk" is not milk at all there is no dairy involved. It is somehow processed from rice, simular to soy milk and almond milk. All of which contain no dairy

 

[ChelleinNC]

My sister is a registered dietician and 2 of her 3 children have/had severe (deadly) milk allergies, so I'm pretty familiar with this.

Rice Milk really has no nutritional value, if possible your DD should use the Lactaid free milk or at least soy milk. Most important, is to check with your pediatrician. Find out why your DD can't tolerate milk, and what the best alternative is.

 

[Jenvenza]

They are not the same at all. Like others have said, Rice Milk is made from Rice and Lactaid is actual milk without the lactose. The main thing that people cant tolerate from cow's milk.

DD 14 months had a really hard time with whole cow's milk. We ended up having to switch her to soy milk. She has done amazing on it! Her pediatrician suggested we give her vitamins and we just add them to her soy milk to make sure she gets all the vitamins she needs. We will never go back to cow's milk.

 

[blessedby3]

Ive seen so many reports about the soy milk having so many hormones (I guess thats what it is) and that it brings on very early puberty in girls. My niece had been on soymilk for years and started her period at age 10 . Thats very early. Im not sure I want to give her soy, but maybe I will try the Lactaid milk.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Ive seen so many reports about the soy milk having so many hormones (I guess thats what it is) and that it brings on very early puberty in girls. My niece had been on soymilk for years and started her period at age 10 . Thats very early. Im not sure I want to give her soy, but maybe I will try the Lactaid milk.

I would not attribute her getting her period at 10 to the soy milk. I got mine at 10 & never drank soy milk until I was in my 40's.

Rice Milk & lactaid are two entirely different things - I agree with the poster who described them.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ive seen so many reports about the soy milk having so many hormones (I guess thats what it is) and that it brings on very early puberty in girls. My niece had been on soymilk for years and started her period at age 10 . Thats very early. Im not sure I want to give her soy, but maybe I will try the Lactaid milk.

10 isn't abnormal at all.

Soy has things that act like hormones.

Milk HAS hormones. Hormones that are right for a baby cow to get, just like human milk has appropriate human hormones in it, LOL.

The "no hormone" thing about milk is that some types do not have ADDED hormones from the cows being given extra hormones to induce more lactation. They just work with what they have. But milk has them.

So if you're not worried about that, don't worry about the things that act like hormones in soy.


Rice milk is just sweetened water, basically. Of course, I'm allergic to it (makes my throat itch) so I'm anti-rice milk on a personal level. (that said, I'm allergic to dairy as well, though addicted, and I just HATE soy milk, so IMO no milks, other than mama milk, are OK in my book, LOL, even though I drink cow's milk in my lattes)

 

[CraftyCrissy]

One of my sons has a severe intolerance to all dairy and the other son a mild intolerance to dairy. Lactaid is cow's milk that is lactose free. Lactose is the sugar in cow's milk (goat's milk too - all mammal milk.) Casein is the protein in cow and goat milk. When you have an issue with both casein and lactose you have a full dairy intolerance (or allergy, depending on the person and the reactions). If you have an issue with JUST lactose, which is the more common of the two, then you need to eat things WITHOUT lactose, such as Lactaid.

Lactose-free products are readily available (when compared to dairy free products). You should speak with your doctor and/or the doctors who diagnosed the issues in order to find out what is safe and nutritous. Sometimes the child just needs to take a digestive enzyme before consuming the lactose and/or the casein. Talk to a Nutrionist if that makes you more comfortable. Dairy is in EVERYTHING. You need to read labels and figure out the amount your child can have before having negative effects.

We don't do soy here - I'm not a fan of it. Very infrequently my son will have soy milk but thats usually in cooking. Rice milk is made from rice. Its very thin, the taste is very bland, its easy to digest (which is why the first solids babies usually eat is RICE cereal.) If you're worried about calcium or vitamins/minerals from cow's milk products, get in to see a Nutritionist who will teach you where to get it all from other places - and in healthier ways than cow's milk.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

My sister is a registered dietician and 2 of her 3 children have/had severe (deadly) milk allergies, so I'm pretty familiar with this.

Rice Milk really has no nutritional value, if possible your DD should use the Lactaid free milk or at least soy milk. Most important, is to check with your pediatrician. Find out why your DD can't tolerate milk, and what the best alternative is.

That is not completely true. We are a dairy free house because of allergies. The rice milk I buy is organic and enriched. My kids actually get more nutrients from it than anyone will get from cow's milk. That is because of the way the body has to break down cow's milk.

OP- if you have a Stop and Shop near you their rice milk is cheapest. Nature's Promise (stop and shop brand) makes an organic calcium enriched rice milk and it is $1.49 a box. It is the cheapest and has the best ingredients. Good luck!

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

soy milk has been attributed to early onset puberty as well as regular milk. All due to the wonderful growth hormones added to our food. Whichever mil you chose to use, I say go organic with it. Rice milk is much sweeter than soy milk, but you can get flavored soy milk also.

ETA a pp said that Natures Promise is stop and shop store brand, that is true but it is also Giant food stores store brand.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

soy milk has been attributed to early onset puberty as well as regular milk. All due to the wonderful growth hormones added to our food. Whichever mil you chose to use, I say go organic with it. Rice milk is much sweeter than soy milk, but you can get flavored soy milk also.

ETA a pp said that Natures Promise is stop and shop store brand, that is true but it is also Giant food stores store brand.

I didn't know that. That's great! We love Nature's Promise stuff. It makes buying organic a lot easier on the wallet.

 

[Polkastria]

My son has a milk allergy and he loves Rice milk but can't drink most of the soy milks since they can have some dairy products in them. Found out the hard way the most "dairy free" cheeses also have casein when he got really sick after eating a piece of it.

I'm so use to reading everything we buy for our home that I'm just a bit nervous about our trip in about a week to Disney World. I know that the chefs are very good about things if you warn them but can anybody give me a heads up on good counter service places at any of the parks for someone with milk allergies but who still loves to try just about any food put in front of him? By the way, he's 20 and eats like a horse at home so big portions are a good idea.

 

[blessedby3]

10 isn't abnormal at all

Thanks for the input, but I disagree on this point. I think 10 is early for getting your period whether its from drinking soy milk or any other reason. I dont know of too many girls (actually just one other) that have started at 10 and I know a lot of 10 year old girls-my DD is 10.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Thanks for the input, but I disagree on this point. I think 10 is early for getting your period whether its from drinking soy milk or any other reason. I dont know of too many girls (actually just one other) that have started at 10 and I know a lot of 10 year old girls-my DD is 10.

If you were to look it up or ask your Dr, 10 is within the "norm". I was 10 (in 5th grade) when I started. I'm 37 now, have never eaten soy or anything like it. DD14 started when she was 11, the first week of middle school (believe me, she's never been accused of eating something that could be called "healthy")

 

[thepeach80]

I was 11.5 when I started.

My son has a milk allergy and he loves Rice milk but can't drink most of the soy milks since they can have some dairy products in them. Found out the hard way the most "dairy free" cheeses also have casein when he got really sick after eating a piece of it.

What soy milk are you looking at? I've never seen a soy milk w/ dairy in it, soy yogurt and cheese, definitely. We use Silk yogurt or Ricera is good too, we just skip cheese for Ilana.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I was 11.5 when I started.



What soy milk are you looking at? I've never seen a soy milk w/ dairy in it, soy yogurt and cheese, definitely. We use Silk yogurt or Ricera is good too, we just skip cheese for Ilana.

Soy breaks down much in the same way as milk. That is why most people who have a problem with dairy also have a problem with soy.

 

[Polkastria]

I was 11.5 when I started.



What soy milk are you looking at? I've never seen a soy milk w/ dairy in it, soy yogurt and cheese, definitely. We use Silk yogurt or Ricera is good too, we just skip cheese for Ilana.

Silk soy milk he can't have. His doctor warned us to stay away from products with Calcium Carbonate and Carrageenan and when we went against it once...we paid the price. Don't know if it's just him or what but we can't use those products for him at all. Dodging them has made for some interesting shopping sometimes but at least he isn't getting sick from a piece of bread any more.

 

[ChelleinNC]

That is not completely true. We are a dairy free house because of allergies. The rice milk I buy is organic and enriched. My kids actually get more nutrients from it than anyone will get from cow's milk. That is because of the way the body has to break down cow's milk.

Some rice milks are enriched, but still don't have all the nutrional properties that milk has. With a dairy allergy, you do the best you can with what's available but even fortified/enriched rice milk doesn't have the fat & protein that kids need from milk (that's why kids under 2 are supposed to drink Whole milk, not 2% or 1% or skim)

Soy breaks down much in the same way as milk. That is why most people who have a problem with dairy also have a problem with soy.

Soy allergy is similar to milk allergy, but it is a seperate allergy. My nephew has finally outgrown his dairy allergy but now tests positive for a soy allergy. Which unfortunately keeps a lot of food off his plate because soy protein is added to so many foods


My concern was for OP's baby. She said it wasn't an allergy, but had taken her off milk and was using rice milk instead because milk didn't sit well. I really think OP needs to talk to her pediatrician &/or a registered dietician to make sure that her baby is getting all of the nutrients that she needs.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Some rice milks are enriched, but still don't have all the nutrional properties that milk has. With a dairy allergy, you do the best you can with what's available but even fortified/enriched rice milk doesn't have the fat & protein that kids need from milk (that's why kids under 2 are supposed to drink Whole milk, not 2% or 1% or skim)



Soy allergy is similar to milk allergy, but it is a seperate allergy. My nephew has finally outgrown his dairy allergy but now tests positive for a soy allergy. Which unfortunately keeps a lot of food off his plate because soy protein is added to so many foods


My concern was for OP's baby. She said it wasn't an allergy, but had taken her off milk and was using rice milk instead because milk didn't sit well. I really think OP needs to talk to her pediatrician &/or a registered dietician to make sure that her baby is getting all of the nutrients that she needs.

I wanted to add to this. Not all allergies will come up as a true allergy. It may be an extreme sensitivity. If your body does not have enough histamines in it to show up on the test you will test negative for the allergy when in truth your body can have an extreme sensitivity. There are symptoms of dairy problems. They can get worse over time. My child did not test for and allergy with the ped. The ped did not even suggest a dairy allergy at all. I even took him to a pediatric allergist and he didn't even think it was a concern. I finally found someone who has a wealth of experience (45+years) and is a pediatric allergist and pulmonologist and once we told him our symptoms he immediately said it was a classic case of dairy problems. We had already stopped dairy at that point so we knew that was it. Not all doctors are up on allergies and such. Not all doctors think that a change of diet can impact your health. Most that I have encountered just want to medicate. Cow milk is not a neccesity. Having problems with soy is not because you allergic to soy neccesarily. Soy proteins break down very similiar to milk proteins. That is where the problem is.

 

[ChelleinNC]

We don't disagree on this, unfortunately it's not a simple answer and there's a lot of information to absorb. So much research is going on, we're learning more & more every day. What used to be called colic, became GERD, now colic & GERD (gastro esophogeal reflux disorder) could actually be food allergies. But sometimes GERD is still just GERD.


My concern is still with OP's baby and needing to be tested and counseled on feeding. It may not be an allergy, it could be an allergy (non-IGE) it could also be something entirely different and I strongly feel it should be looked into.