s/o: milk allergies & cheese

[Aubrey]

Sorry to go on so much, but after talking to dh, cheese isn't as ok as he's been making out. Looks like y'all are right, he shouldn't have *any* milk.

 

So I need a whole Milk-Free for Dummies crash course. What do you use to replace cheese? What about other things...milk in recipes? I realize that there will need to be a lifestyle shift, but I figure y'all have some magic secrets, too. Please share!

[keptwoman]

I often make 2 meals for us. I make a small meal for DD (and/or for I if it's gluten in the main meal) and a large one for the rest of us.

If we mash potatoes I do it with olive oil. Or I take DDs out and do hers with goats milk and the rest of ours with milk and butter as usual.

If we have something which requires cheese/sour cream stirred through at the end I dish up DDs before stirring it through.

Salads have cheese on the side instead of in them.

Milk in recipies: I use goats milk because she is fine with that. Or I do dairy-free recipies. I use a chocolate cake recipie that is dairy and egg free and SOOO good!!

Um. I don't know really. I don't find it that hard but I've done it on and off for many years as DS was intolerant as a small child too.

[joannqn]

Before my daughter outgrew her dairy allergy, I just skipped the cheese called for in recipes, if I could, or avoided those recipes altogether.

 

I made pizza using soy mozzarella which isn't too bad. It does have casein (a milk protein) in it so if that is the protein he is allergic to, you wouldn't be able to use it. My daughter was allergic to whey, the other milk protein.

 

I made mashed potatoes by cooking them with minces garlic in the water. Then I reserved some of the water to use in place of milk when mashing them.

 

For baking, I substituted dairy free margarine and soy or rice milk.

 

To aid in finding dairy free products, look for the kosher symbol (a U with a circle around it) on packages. If it has that symbol, you don't have to read the ingredients list as it means it is made without dairy and on equipment that doesn't come in contact with dairy, or is properly cleaned using kosher rules. If you have a Jewish community near you, their grocers could be very helpful.

[Emmy]

For margarine or a butter replacement I use a product called "Earth Balance" - it tastes great and can be subbed for butter in just about anything. For milks you have your basic soy, rice, almond (almond milk is awesome on cereal). For cheese there are no great substitutes so we skip it for our milk allergic guy.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My dh is allergic to milk. It gives him sinus infections.

 

For cooking I use soy milk or almond milk. He prefers the almond milk.

I tend to just leave the cheese out of most of our meals. Asian recipes are good because they don't tend to use dairy anyway.

 

If I make pasta I make a tomato sauce but not a cheese sauce. You can get "veggie cheese" (it is in the refrigerated section of our produce department but I'm not sure if or where yours would carry it. They have a shredded "parmesan" one that dh likes.

 

You can get almond or soy cheese but dh doesn't really like the taste of them. They're not as bad melted as they are by themselves.

If I make him a sandwich I give him extra meat and lettuce, tomato etc. including mayo (which usually doesn't have milk in it) but no sliced cheese. If your dh likes the taste you could put a slilce of almond or soy cheese in there.

 

I second "Earth balance" margarine. There are also some safflower margarines that don't have milk in them but you have to read labels carefully.

 

I bake with the milk-less margarine and almond milk. I don't have to make any adjustments to the recipes.

 

He likes the almond milk on cereal too.

[LaxMom]

I prefer almond milk, too. Really, really hate soy milk. Blech. Love Earth Balance - it does actually behave like butter. And there are some veggie cheeses that I liked, back in the day when I was dairy-free (dd8 had some reflux as a nursling), but I can't remember what they were. Tess's suggestion of Tofuti Cuties in the other thread is a winner. My kids love those. I am not crazy about Tofutti (is it one t or two?) cream cheese, only because it's a little sweet. If I liked sweet (like fruity kinds) cream cheese or raisin bagels, I would totally eat it.

 

Also, check out this thread. The Nourishing Gourmet mentioned there has a number of dairy and wheat free recipes, or options for both in standard recipes.

Edited January 25, 2009 by MyCrazyHouse

[kalanamak]

For margarine or a butter replacement I use a product called "Earth Balance" - it tastes great and can be subbed for butter in just about anything. For milks you have your basic soy, rice, almond (almond milk is awesome on cereal). For cheese there are no great substitutes so we skip it for our milk allergic guy.

 

:iagree:

 

Make my almond milk vanilla, however.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We eat very little cheese, but do use the Veggie Shreds mozzarella for pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches every so often. The kids drink calcium fortified orange juice instead of milk. DS uses Rice milk on his cereal. I also use it in most recipes to replace milk although I sometimes do half rice milk and half water to cut down on the carbs and the cost. We make mashed potatoes sometimes with chicken stock.

[Tap]

for dd2 I use rice milk to replace traditional milk in recipes. I use coconut oil to replace butter, or use applesauce/oil in recipes that I don't want a coconut taste (ie mashed potatoes). I just pick an oil with a flavor that complements the food.

 

For cheese, she likes goat cheese. Most sheep's milk cheese has rennet (milk protein). I buy a small amount of goat Gouda at TJs for about $8-12 per pound. She will also eat the goat feta. I have found goat cheddar at Whole foods. She likes quesadillas, and slices of cheese, so while I do buy it for her, she only gets to eat it in limited quantities. She would love to chow through $5 worth of Gouda in a morning, but I try to limit it to about an ounce or two every few days. We use cheese in limited quantities but will grate a little for on top of some pasta, if we are all eating ravioli or something similar.

 

I buy soy yogurt in the one pound container, and add fresh preserves to it to flavor it.

 

Here is some good info http://www.faiusa.org/?page=milk

 

I am not crazy about rice milk, but I don't drink cows milk, so if I want cereal, I use rice milk but only use enough to moisten the cereal. I can get past a little rice milk, just not a lot.

 

 

For smoothies, I use coconut milk. One of her favorites is coconut milk, frozen pineapple (TJs), and banana with OJ. Blended together it tastes like an Orange Julius or Pina Colada depending on the the ratios. You can buy Rice and Soy Ice Creams but she likes this just as well so if we are all having ice cream, she will eat this instead. Most sorbets are dairy free but read the ingredients some do have milk in them.

 

Odwalla bars have several flavors that are milk free. They are easy to keep in a desk, so he has an approved snack. They cost about a $1 a bar, but sometimes you just need a quick snack. I have found some Kashi bars to be milk free too. Most cheap snacks have milk or whey in them. Trail mixes are a good cheap snack.

 

 

Remember that while all milk chocolate is out, a lot of dark chocolate is still ok. Unless it has caramel, nougat, etc.

 

 

Breads have been one of the hardest. To find products that are both HFC and dairy free is near impossible. There are a few, and the list is growing as HFCs are being removed. Most muffin, breads and bagels that are store bought...are now off limits. If you don't know for certain they are fine, then don't eat them. The most likely are not.

 

Plain saltines or oyster crackers are usually ok but most other crackers are either butter or cheese flavored.

 

Orville Reddenbacher's makes a microwave popcorn that is not buttered. It is called Simply Salted. Some bagged popcorns are just salted too. (nice for travel, can share with kids, and cheap). Plain Lays potato chips are only oil, potato and salt. A lot of flavored chips have milk/whey. Most plain corn chips are fine too.

 

We have looked for alternatives and have found them for most things. Garlic bread can be made with a butter sub or use olive oil instead. Another alternative is just french bread with a saucer of olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette to dip in. Since you are working with an adult, you may be able to get more creative and find some solutions that you never expected.

[helena]

Silk soy milk also makes a decent creamer (plain and several flavors), they also make dairy free egg nog during the holidays. Everyone is vegan in my house but me, in my opinion all the cheese subs. are off in flavor but if you want to use a dairy free cheese with no bi-products try veganrella they melt pretty good. I wouldn't use it for nachos, but I put it in chilequiles which has fresh chips, "chicken" , and a tomato "sauce". The funky cheese gets masked by all the other flavors but you get a little of that melted cheese flavor. There are also vegan sour creams and cream cheese from Tofutti. I can make cheese cake etc. Try checking out some vegan cook books, at least for dessert or other fun things that your hubby would be glad to get once in a while. Dairy free recipes and products have come a long way.