Dairy free..

EvetteM41

I took my 14 year old daughter to the allergy doctor today. She is allergic to cats, grass and dust mites. And POSSIBLY dairy. She has a severe acne problem too. That is why I took her as a last resort. Nothing else is working medication wise. So she told me to try cutting out milk,cheese,ice cream. What kinds of things can a teenager eat in place of those that don't taste nasty to her?
Thanks!

Mokey41

I'm lactose intolerant and I use almond milk in place of milk for things like cereal, cooking and smoothies. I don't really like it to just drink straight out of the carton. Cheese and ice cream I just avoid. You can actually live a normal life without eating any dairy. I did it for years until almond milk became available.

gennyturner

Hello
Both of my kids are lactose intolerant. I have learned to cook just about everything that people who eat dairy eat. I sub Soy or almond milk for everything. We purchase only certain brands of products and watch and read every label. They are both in their 20's now and both are healthy young indiv.
If anyone out there has a nondairy cond. milk recipe - i would LOVE it.
Go to AMAZON - they have great dairy free cook books.
Good luck

laura0001

I have seen research linking dairy to many problems including acne. I do not eat much dairy due to a milk allergy that causes me to have acne, asthma, and excess mucus in general (although I am not lactose intolerant).

There are MANY delicious substitutions. A brand called "So Delicious" has amazing dairy free milks, ice cream treats, and yogurt. I exclusively drink almond or coconut milk, which are delicious. Not as much protein as cow's milk, but you can get lots of protein from other sources.

There are many dairy free milks, butters (Earth Balance), yogurts, sour creams (Tofutti brand is yummy!), ice creams, and even cheeses. I would highly recommend you try having her on a completely milk free diet for at least a month. I would almost guarantee her acne will clear. When making recipes think of using substitutions, rather than completely new recipes. It does not have to be too hard. Good luck!

EvetteM41

Thank you all for the suggestions. I never realized that had all that stuff without milk or dairy. That would be awesome if it worked for her. Because this has been going for over 3 years and we have tried SO many other things. I worry about her building a tolerance to her meds and things like that. Much appreciated!

SwimFan1981

Hey,

I choose not to consume dairy, there are plenty of alternatives out there. Even non dairy cheese exists, I haven't tried it myself but it does exists.
There are some ideas here good luck!

http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-product-reviews

mommyshortlegs

My husband is allergic to dairy (more severe than mere lactose intolerance), thus over our 3-yr. marriage I have had to familiarize myself with health food sections and cooking/baking with dairy alternatives. If you have a Hy-Vee food store near you, I can vouch for the availability of all the products I recommend below, housed in their Health Market section. You should also have luck with health food stores (especially those targeted toward vegans, etc.) and large grocery stores. If you have any further questions at any point in this adjustment period, feel free to message me; I've been there.

Meanwhile, to respond to your specific inquiries:

Milk alternatives = almond, soy, or coconut milk, available in original, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate. Personal recommendations: Silk unsweetened almond milk and So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk. You may want to start with Silk Vanilla. Full-fat canned coconut milk can be transformed into coconut whipped cream under the right conditions (let me know if you're interested in more details). Almond-, soy- and coconut milk-based yogurts also exist (or, if you're brave, can be made at home).

Cheese alternatives = Daiya Shreds or Wedges, or Nutritional Galaxy Foods' Veggie Slices or Veggie Shreds; the latter I prefer for homemade mac and cheese, the former (available in more varieties) for faux lasagnas, strombolis, burgers, quesadillas, etc. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a suitable melting cheese as a pizza topping, though some people use and enjoy Daiya in this application. Tofutti brand offers a tofu-based cream cheese alternative, though in my opinion the taste doesn't resemble cream cheese (I sometimes use it simply to replicate the texture/consistency of cream cheese). Other brands to try (usually not available at the store I mentioned -- search for them at health food stores or Amazon): Follow Your Heart; Teese (supposedly good for pizzas -- I haven't yet gotten my hands on a roll); Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese; others. Look for nutritional yeast (not bread yeast or brewer's yeast), frequently used to replicate a cheese flavor. Check your local library for "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" by Joanne Stepaniak. Lastly, Google cashew-based nacho cheese dips!

Ice cream = almond- (Almond Dream), coconut- (So Delicious) or soy-based ice creams. My husband's favorite is So Delicious' Cookie Dough.

Look for Lactaid Fast Act lactase enzyme capsules or chewables. My husband can consume minimal real dairy with these pills, e.g., 1 capsule per 1 slice of homemade pizza topped with about half the mozzarella you might normally find on a pizza. By supplementing this enzyme some people with less of an allergy (e.g., just lactose intolerance) can eat straight dairy, even ice cream.

Surprising teenager-friendly dairy-free foods: Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (gold bag); Hershey's chocolate syrup; some varieties of Kellogg's Pop Tarts (consult the labels, and avoid store brands); Pillsbury crescent rolls (lard, not butter); hot dogs (most varieties); chicken nuggets (specific brands); Oreos (some varieties); Pillsbury box cake mixes (some varieties); candy (most varieties -- avoid all milk chocolate); Cool Whip (oil-based -- avoid those with added dairy, e.g., cream cheese).

My parting advice: Learn to thoroughly read labels, even those foods you think you already know; consider baking homemade bread (dairy-free options can be hard to find); familiarize yourself with health food sections; read "Go Dairy Free" by Alisa Marie Fleming; and browse the Internet -- the resources are endless. Begin with NoMilk.com.

misskerouac

My favourite ice cream is Luna & Larry coconut milk ice cream. I actually like it even better than Ben & Jerry's when I could have dairy. The cappuccino one is amazing.

I found the problem wasn't eliminating drinking milk or eating cheese (or butter) but rather when it was in things. Most recipes I make I can easily sub coconut milk in or a dairy free margarine.

I eat so delicious coconut milk yogurt and its decent. Not as creamy as regular yogurt though.

mommyshortlegs

gennyturner wrote:

If anyone out there has a nondairy cond. milk recipe - i would LOVE it.

From my collection of tried-and-true recipes:

Condensed milk (using any milk alternative)--
http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/easiest-vegan-condensed-milk-recipe/

Sweetened condensed coconut milk (consult the Internet for others)--
http://detoxinista.com/2012/08/sweetened-condensed-coconut-milk/

misskerouac

OH and if you can find "enjoy life" chocolate chips, they taste just like a good quality bittersweet chocolate chip but are dairy free (among a bunch of other allergens). They also sell cookies which are really good.

mommyshortlegs

misskerouac wrote:

OH and if you can find "enjoy life" chocolate chips, they taste just like a good quality bittersweet chocolate chip but are dairy free (among a bunch of other allergens). They also sell cookies which are really good.

Ditto; also available in chunk form.

JessHealthKick

Hey,

I am not lactose intolerant but am not a fan of dairy. As a teenager, my parents went dairy free to reduce my dad's cholesterol (it halved by the way!!). There is some great soy milk out there, so try some out until you find the one you like. Soy chocolate is also available. Ice cream... well there is always gelato, though I personally haven't researched into whether there is any dairy in that though I don't feel there is such a high content.

As for cheese, give it a wave goodbye!

misskerouac

Hey,

I am not lactose intolerant but am not a fan of dairy. As a teenager, my parents went dairy free to reduce my dad's cholesterol (it halved by the way!!). There is some great soy milk out there, so try some out until you find the one you like. Soy chocolate is also available. Ice cream... well there is always gelato, though I personally haven't researched into whether there is any dairy in that though I don't feel there is such a high content.

As for cheese, give it a wave goodbye!

Gelato is made with milk and cream

bathsheba_c

By the way, with processed foods, the milk ingredients can sometimes be hidden. You can save yourself a lot of agitation if you familiarize yourself with kosher labeling, which will tell you immediately if there's any dairy in the product. Usually there's a D by the kosher symbol if there's any dairy.

jamk1446

misskerouac wrote:

OH and if you can find "enjoy life" chocolate chips, they taste just like a good quality bittersweet chocolate chip but are dairy free (among a bunch of other allergens). They also sell cookies which are really good.

Ditto; also available in chunk form.

Target in my area has begun carrying Enjoy Life chocolates- chip, chunk, and bar.

My daughter is also a big fan of Daiya cheeses- the shreds and particularly the garlic havarti wedge. She'd really like a good sour cream substitute that isn't soy-based.

SwimFan1981

Hey,

I am not lactose intolerant but am not a fan of dairy. As a teenager, my parents went dairy free to reduce my dad's cholesterol (it halved by the way!!). There is some great soy milk out there, so try some out until you find the one you like. Soy chocolate is also available. Ice cream... well there is always gelato, though I personally haven't researched into whether there is any dairy in that though I don't feel there is such a high content.

As for cheese, give it a wave goodbye!

Gelato contains both milk and cream.

EvetteM41

Thank yoiu all. I went to the store and found some of your suggestions.. Kind of hard though. By the way she HATES the soy milk. Maybe the almond milk will be better.