Just discovered a diary allergy

runmommeerun
runmommeerun Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I had a bunch of tests ran because I'm feeling so awful all the time and I discovered that I have an almost off the charts extremely high sensitivity to all bovine dairy. So I'm off diary for 120 days and off eggs for 60 (had a significant but not as high sensitivity there too).

I have NO idea how to cook for myself or my family without using dairy. Furthermore what do I do when we dine out or go to a friends house for dinner? I don't want my issue to be a burden on anyone AND I also want to be able to eat what is offered.

I know there are tons of resources online (I've been scouring them) but truly am at a loss. Anyone else go through this before? or Can anyone point me in a direction online that won't cause me further frustration

Replies

  • ElizaRoche
    ElizaRoche Posts: 2,005 Member
    first I thought you had an allergy to read people´s diaries in here.. Then I found out you meant dairy hehe

    Dont have a tip to give tho, but I know somebody else will be able to help you. Good luck!
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
    Oh that's sad! I was actually drawn to your post thinking it was a joke since the title says "Diary Allergy" instead of Dairy LOL So I figured you might be allergic to logging foods or something. :)

    Maybe you could look into soy milk and cheeses? I'm sure others will have lots of information for you here.

    Best of luck to you!
  • Homa24
    Homa24 Posts: 33
    I blog about food allergies (ohmahdeehness.wordpress.com), what foods were your favorites? I can give you my best recipe links. Have you tried Daiya shreds? They are versatile and melt like cheese.
  • runmommeerun
    runmommeerun Posts: 6
    Oh good grief....and I can't spell apparently as well. :) LOL
    first I thought you had an allergy to read people´s diaries in here.. Then I found out you meant dairy hehe

    Dont have a tip to give tho, but I know somebody else will be able to help you. Good luck!
  • MargiSM
    MargiSM Posts: 1 Member
    You will need to read labels - dairy is in many things where you wouldn't expect it. I use almond milk (there are other alternatives as well including soy and rice beverages). It can be used in many recipes. In casseroles I often use chicken broth to make a sauce instead of a creamy soup or other sauce. There are cookbooks for dealing with dairy and other food allergies.
    Read restaurant menus carefully - and don't hesitate to ask your server what will be safe for you to eat - or what can be made for you without dairy.
    At a friend's home - I have learned I need to ask if there is dairy in something. Food allergies and in tolerances are quite common today and a good friend should be willing to let you know and maybe even prepare something that will be safe for you to eat. Also, bring something to share that is safe for you. Hope this helps!
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    have you tried Goat milk? I have 8 kids and they have all been allergic/sensitive to cow's milk. We bought goats a couple of years ago and drinking goat milk has made a big difference. We make our own goat cheese and goat butter as well. If goat does not work for you there is always Almond, Coconut, Soy milkk alternatives to try. Good luck.
  • runmommeerun
    runmommeerun Posts: 6
    I blog about food allergies (ohmahdeehness.wordpress.com), what foods were your favorites? I can give you my best recipe links. Have you tried Daiya shreds? They are versatile and melt like cheese.

    Herein lies my problem....I'm a horrible cook. Bad. 90% of what I make turns out 'ehhh' so I would eat a lot of the same things most of which were probably horrible for me. 2 months ago when I realized I felt horrible all the time I started to change our diet and we've been eating A LOT of salads with chicken, omelets, fish and brown rice, oatmeal, spaghetti with whole wheat pasta.

    So when I would get sad about what a horrible cook I am I would whip up some kind of yummy baked good (baking I can do!!) which 100% of them contain dairy.

    The one good thing I have going for me is that I grind my own wheat and make my bread on very limited ingredients all of which do NOT contain dairy.
  • Jishmeister
    Jishmeister Posts: 108
    Your health is what matters whether it's a burden to others or not. You just have to let your friends and family know in advance that you have a dairy allergy. Same at restaraunts, let the waiter know you have an allergy.

    My suggestions would be to replace eggs with tofu (YouTube has many instructional videos on how to properly cook tofu or scramble it with veggies) and to replace cheese and milk with vegan cheese and maybe almond milk. Also, I've been eating vegan bread lately from the brand Kroger Value (I think it's the walmart generic brand, .88 cents per loaf, 2 slices is 110 calories). Unfortunately, I don't think that bread is the healthiest because one of the ingredients is high fructose corn syrup which I generally try to stay away from.
  • Jishmeister
    Jishmeister Posts: 108
    The one good thing I have going for me is that I grind my own wheat and make my bread on very limited ingredients all of which do NOT contain dairy.
    Oh that's great! Much better than my lame Kroger Value bread suggestion. LOL :)
  • Homa24
    Homa24 Posts: 33
    Trust me, vegan baking turns out great! I can't use soy, wheat, milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, sesame, or oats to name a few and I make all kinds of food. That said, the allergies of my kids forced me to cook but there are also ready made options to make things easier.

    Have you tried quinoa? Great source of protein and easy to make. Or lundberg makes a spinach mushroom risotto in a box that is creamy and my kids love. The online community is fantastic, I get the food blahs and then discover new flavors and ways to make food fun. Do you have a nearby Whole Foods or Trader Joe's?
  • Craigmad2
    Craigmad2 Posts: 5 Member
    How about sheeps milk cheese like, grated pecorino romano. Its really good on Grilled Zuccini and anything else under the sun. Almond milk? Egg substitutes with feta? Goat cheese? Get crazy.
  • FANGS
    FANGS Posts: 4
    Remember that a dairy allergy is lactose, casein and whey so you have to look for all three ingredients. Unfortunately, some packaging labeled dairy free, will still contain casein. Soy products like cheese often contain casein.

    Dairy free isn't so bad, honest. There are lots and lots of options, so I'm sure you'll find something you enjoy. And it's easy to cook for your family without needing to add dairy.

    I use almond milk. There are dairy free chocolate chips......and dairy free/soy free cheese, sour cream, cream cheese etc. Yes, it all tastes different but honest.....after a little while you don't notice the difference. Earth Balance makes a dairy free "butter" in several versions including a soy free version.

    Best of luck to you!
  • EmmiDahling
    EmmiDahling Posts: 104 Member
    Growing up, my brother was allergic to dairy (and beef, and yellow dye number 5, and bananas) so if my mother was cooking a dish for the whole family she would leave out the things he couldn't have. There was a lot of goat milk and cheese because back then there weren't as many affordable option. He actually ate cereal with orange juice instead of milk (ew). Sometimes, she would make one dish for the family and a small version for his dietary needs. For example: taco salad, she'd brown ground beef on the stove and some turkey in the micorwave and assemble his with the turkey. Ours got topped with regular cheese and he had goat cheese. There are a lot more options now, and the other posters have given some good options. My suggestion is that if the entire family isn't going dairy free with you, when you make recipies separate them out at the point when the dairy is required and use the substitute in your portions.
  • VogtAndrea
    VogtAndrea Posts: 236
    Check out recipes used for celiac disease. They have to be gluten free AND casein free as well... That means that bovine dairy products are out.

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