Food allergy baby - need help?

Question

My 11 month old has had a life threatening dairy allergy since he was 3 mos. I am having such a difficult time preparing different table foods that he can eat. Does anyone know of any website I can go to that provides dairy-free recipes? Does anyone have a child in school with milk allergies? If so, how do you deal with it?

Answer 1

Join www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. It has really helped me. My 4 1/2 yr old has a life threatening dairy allergy. He was diagnosed as an infant too. The biggest thing is YOU MUST LEARN TO READ LABELS. It's not that hard, really. : )

Most of the time when a recipe calls for milk you can sub. soy milk. There are dairy free margarines out there too. I hear Mother's Margarine (the Passover variety) is good. We use Blue Bonnet LIGHT. I also hear that Fleshmans Light is dairy free.

Many soy cheeses also contain dairy, so buy with care! We have not found a brand my son likes, so I can't give any suggestions.

There are soy yogarts, soy ice cream (some contain dairy so read the label!), cakes, cookies, etc... that are safe.

Another good website is www.foodyoucaneat.com.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, I don't have a website that is just Milk-free. I do however have a friend that has a severe milk allergy.

Milk is not always labeled clearly, but the new regulations do help. Most food products will have the new allergy labeling milk if used, and I believe its pretty reliable. Kosher foods marked "Parve" will also be milk-free.

Things you're going to have to be extra-careful about:
Soaps
Shampoos
Medications
Supplements/Vitamins
Candy
Glues/Playdoughs/Craft stuff

You're going to want to inspect the labels of anything that your child comes in contact with. Watch for Lactose (esp in medications), whey, lactates, milk, cream, butter, butterfat, buttermilk, etc.

I do know of some good multi-allergy recipe sites which would have some dairy-free recipes:
http://restrictedgourmet.blogspot.com/
http://www.allerjenn.com/
http://foodyoucaneat.com/

There is a forum as well for multiple food allergies that has some really knowledgable people who can help you adjust.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/multfoodallergy

Food allergies are difficult, esp in babies. There is many out there who have the same issues as you and can help you. You're not alone.

(btw, Watch for milk/lactose in medications. If your baby has a severe allergy as you say, your baby will react to the small amounts of lactose in medications)

Also this link may help: http://nomilk.com/

Answer 3

I don't have any good ideas for dairy free recipes. However, I can tell you that with the new FDA regulations, dairy (casein) must be disclosed on food labels as well as the top 7 other allergens. So, this should make shopping easier now that companies are finally running out of old boxes and labels. There are many allergen free cookbooks on the market. There are many on amazon.com. I would strongly recommend getting a few of those and start practicing now. Many recipes are easily adapted using Vance's Dari-free or soy milk. Also, many autism websites will have casein free recipes as many autistic children remain casein and gluten free. Also, check out www.shopbydiet.com for easy and quick casein free shopping.