Dairy free moms

[DarlingMe]

I keep noticing how many of us are dairy free for our LO's. I thought we could start a thread for us. Since we all have made sacrifices for our LOs and surely they all have digestive issues! I was hoping this would be a good resource and support for us as new people join or others start trying to add dairy back into diets.

Right now I am having a hard time finding good replacements. I tend to graze through the day, not really a "meal" person. Before I might have had yogurt smoothie, fruit and cottage cheese, cup of cream soup, cheese and crackers, etc. Now I feel like I am stuck with either plain crackers or fruit or cookies! I am not a big meat person either and of course dont have time to cook 3 times a day.
Any other problems you are running into?

 

[feedindy]

I miss cheese. I used to cook a lot of casseroles with cheese and milk and I miss it.

But I just discovered making fancy starbucks style latte's with almond milk. Yum!

 

[DaisyDoodles]

I miss cheese too!

I'm also stuck with grazing, my LO is very demanding and refuses to be put down so if I can't make it with one hand I can't have it which leaves me with pitta breads, pretzels (from local bakery that assures me there's no dairy) and muesli bars until DH gets home in the evening!!

 

[ErinRae]

I'm right there with you, I don't eat meals... I graze as well.. and I would have yogurt all day, and cheese... OMG I MISS IT!!! I had a glass of milk ONE NIGHT and he was up the entire night screaming!! So no more dairy!! I can get by with sliced cheese on a rare occasion!! But even then I feel guilty!!

 

[DaisyDoodles]

I wish I could sneak some occasionally, but I can't handle the guilt!

My LO spent over a month with her face covered in what the docs assured me was baby acne, it turns out now it was a classic sign of intolerance and likely to have been uncomfortable for her, I won't knowingly touch dairy again until they assure me it's she's out grown it, but that doesn't stop me gazing longingly at the toffee fudge muffins my son has sat in the kitchen right now!

 

[ErinRae]

My son has what looks like acne~~~ makes me nervous!!

 

[muddles]

Hi I am dairy free and have been for about 6 years now (my LO is fine with dairy though, despite never having any before he started weaning).

There are lots of good dairy free alternatives to most things, I have soya milk, soya yogurts and even soya chocolate. The supermarket has 'free from' stuff so you can even get cakes and biscuits if you want them. I have found some vegan cheese in my health food shop, and although not a patch on real cheese, it's better than nothing.

I also bought a really good cook book called The Allergy Free Cook Book for Kids.

 

[DarlingMe]

Hi I am dairy free and have been for about 6 years now (my LO is fine with dairy though, despite never having any before he started weaning).

There are lots of good dairy free alternatives to most things, I have soya milk, soya yogurts and even soya chocolate. The supermarket has 'free from' stuff so you can even get cakes and biscuits if you want them. I have found some vegan cheese in my health food shop, and although not a patch on real cheese, it's better than nothing.

I also bought a really good cook book called The Allergy Free Cook Book for Kids.

Many babies can't handle the soy proteins either with the CMPA. So there are it a lot of choices for substitutes. And no matter what I try nothing is as good as a glass of cow milk and chocolate cake or milk with my dinner!

 

[heather1212]

The main thing I'm living off at the minute is jam on toast!
I have such a sweet tooth, I miss chocolate like crazy so the jam satifies my sweet needs a little!
I also looooove the cartons of chocolate rice milk that are currently on offer for £1 for three from Tesco. I also think the normal big cartons of rice milk are all on offer for £1 too!
I am finding it difficult having proper meals too, it doesn't help when my husband isn't supportive of my dairy free diet! He thinks it's a load of rubbish when I am convinced that even though it's only been about a week I think, LO is more settled and doesn't do green poos any more! The only thing I haven't seen an improvement with is his sickness, but I hope that will improve eventually too!

Heather

 

[Ruth 1980]

Great thread! I also really really miss cheese! I could happily dream about it like OP said I'm also not a huge meat eater. &as another poster said- have a baby I can't put down much so quick &easy is for me! I use Kara coconut milk on my cereal &in coffee. I eat loads of dark chocolate! (lindt do gorgeous orange& almond, and mint). I get this chocolate "milkshake" in my local health food store made from oats yummy! Mrs Crimble coconut macaroons r gorgeous &dairy free. I keep up my protein with falafels in pitta. Lastly- M&S salads! They are usually on a multiple buy offer. I figure what I'm saving on not having yoghurts &cheese can cover it! The carrot salad is lush, Mediterranean veg couscous, and mixed bean&nuts salad- Yum! Healthy, dairy free, one handed fast food! (my dd is regularly sprinkled with couscous while I'm bf'ing her!!)

 

[Ruth 1980]

Just realised half the posters are American! So might not know the brands I'm on about. Or have marks&spencers! Do you have m&s in america??

 

[DarlingMe]

Just realised half the posters are American! So might not know the brands I'm on about. Or have marks&spencers! Do you have m&s in america??

No marks & spencers. We do have m & m's- almond ones are my fav! I still eat chocolate although not as much. It just doesn't taste the same without milk! All the substitutions are priced so high in my area. The specialty milks cost twice as much for a half gallon as a full gallon of dairy milk. Sounds like you found some good deals!

I went grocery shopping today and bought some veggies, salad mix, mushrooms, hummus, soup, and crackers. Hoping to find some better choices than chips or sweets when I look in the kitchen. I called a few local health food stores and everything is soy based. I hate to try it and find out that bothers LO too.

We went out for Thai food and OH and his dad got crab ragoon. I had one and LO has been bothered for 2 days now. I feel awful. I can't believe he is that sensitive to one little spoon of cream cheese! I plan on stopping in at trader joes to see what they have soon.

 

[Ruth 1980]

Ha ha! And I have no idea what trader joes is! It's funny I forget that people on here live in allsorts of different places u poor thing, the guilt over the Thai food My dh keeps suggesting we go to out favourite Italian as he misses it, but everything has cream, butter, Parmesan cheese in so I'd have to eat a poor substitute and watch him enjoying the good stuff so I won't go! Ha ha!

 

[DaisyDoodles]

This thread was a great idea, although my family are being supportive they have no idea about the guilt we have to deal with as well as having to change our diets!!

Carob is a great alternative for chocolate, most supermarkets sell health bars called 9 bars which are basically seeds covered with a layer of chocolate tasting carob which are a great healthy sweet kick... Pink wafer biscuits are also dairy free so ideal for picking on!

Bagels are another easy snack, toasted with a little flavoured oil drizzled over them they're quick one handed and if you go for wholewheat or wholegrain, healthish!

DH offered to cook tea for me last night... I ended up with a plate of pasta with tomato sauce because he had no idea how to cook a dairy free meal!

I'm also really missing eating out!

 

[DarlingMe]

Ha ha! And I have no idea what trader joes is! It's funny I forget that people on here live in allsorts of different places u poor thing, the guilt over the Thai food My dh keeps suggesting we go to out favourite Italian as he misses it, but everything has cream, butter, Parmesan cheese in so I'd have to eat a poor substitute and watch him enjoying the good stuff so I won't go! Ha ha!

Lol- trader joes is a specialty store for food allergies and organics. It used to be kind of a health food hippy type store, guess it still is! But they have slot of vegan, vegitarian, dairy free, soy free, or gluten free foods and alcohols. Pretty much something for every food allergy. Problem is, it is expensive. Twice as much for pretty much everything there but they sell slot that other stores dont.

I want to go out for Mexican food ( probably not big in UK eiher right??) but it is mostly just meat, cheese, and sour cream! So it would not be the same just like the Italian food.

 

[DarlingMe]

aisy they make alot of carob foods for dogs but I haven't seen much for humans! The chocolate has nothing to do with dairy right? It doesn't seem to bother my LO as far as I can tell. It seems like everyone talks about the 2 together. Should I be cutting that out too??

 

[DaisyDoodles]

I have a chocolate allergy so have carob for that reason, but I would have thought it contains dairy as well... Though I've never had to check seeing as I don't have it!!

 

[summer rain]

Most chocolate contains dairy and the dark chocolate almost always contains a soya emulsifier if not dairy xx

 

[Bexxx]

I've been dairy free for about 5/6 years now
Have no idea if LO is bothered about dairy though.

There are loads of substitutes nowadays and packaging is getting better at mentioning dairy/soya, you pick up pretty fast what you can and can't eat

 

[Ruth 1980]

Ha ha! And I have no idea what trader joes is! It's funny I forget that people on here live in allsorts of different places u poor thing, the guilt over the Thai food My dh keeps suggesting we go to out favourite Italian as he misses it, but everything has cream, butter, Parmesan cheese in so I'd have to eat a poor substitute and watch him enjoying the good stuff so I won't go! Ha ha!

I want to go out for Mexican food ( probably not big in UK eiher right??) but it is mostly just meat, cheese, and sour cream! So it would not be the same just like the Italian food.

Ah yeah, sucks! Yeah Mexican not as big but there are a few restaurants around. Italian is way bigger though, harder to avoid then lol!