Dairy and Milk allergies

[woeisme]

I love food and cooking but have been really discouraged since I had my son, now 17 months. He has allergies to cows milk and eggs so I'm really limited in what I can cook for the family. So far, I've been making do with milk substitutes and egg substitutes but there is no good substitute for cheese. Just wondering if there are others out there with the same problem and could offer some helpful hints. Thanks

[kwormann]

Have you tried soy cheese? It actually isnt that bad and melts fairly well!
The drawback is, its expensive!
Kim

[JHolcomb]

Is he allergic to goat's milk? I have an allergy to cow's milk but goat's milk is not a problem for me-maybe sometimes you could sub goat cheese. They make goat feta and cheddar-like the soy cheese, though, it is expensive and can be hard to find.

I am also allergic to eggs, but have yet to find a good substitute. Luckily, though, it's only a mild allergy.

And I know that this may sound crazy, but is he allergic to cheese? I'm assuming yes, since you're looking for a substitute, but I've tested positive for milk allergies twice, but always negative for cheese. I'm not sure how this is possible, but maybe there is hope. Good luck, by the way. I'm sure you'll find something that works!
[This message has been edited by JHolcomb (edited 01-18-2001).]

[This message has been edited by JHolcomb (edited 01-18-2001).]

[laughsandlaughs]

There are also recipes using nutritional yeast flakes that act like cheese in things like mac and cheese. http://www.vegweb.com is a vegan site where you can learn lots of recipes that are egg and dairy free.

[KimKelly]

lauhgsandlaughs, what a great site! Thanks for posting it.

Woeisome, sorry, I suggested in another thread that you try a new post... guess I should have checked the new threads before I wrote that! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

We also have found no good substitute for cheese.

Did your doctor say that your child may outgrow the allergy? Mine did. They said that hopefully by 3 years old this may happen. We've got our fingers crossed.

We have gone to a much more vegetarian diet since we discovered her allergy. And I must admit, that many times I make one thing for the rest of the family and something dairy free for her. She is young yet and doesn't know, besides she has become majorly picky in the last month or so, so it has not been difficult. We are a big dairy family and it would be difficult to for all of us to give it up.

Good luck again...
Kim

[SusanL]

I have to agree with KimKelly, I was allergic to milk when I was born and then found out later I was allergic to eggs. I outgrew the milk allergy I believe about age 3. Only four years ago did I find out that I wasn't allergic to eggs. It was heaven to actually eat an omlet (sp?) or an Egg Mcmuffin, two things I had craved! My parents would always try to make something special for me. My hopes that your children will outgrow their allergies. I will keep looking for other substitutes for you!!

[BarrieCov]

Is your son's allergy to milk a true allergy, or is it lactose intolerance?

I thought I had a milk allergy, but am in fact lactose intolerant. I can get away with eating hard cheeses (Cracker Barrel Cheddar, in fact, has 0% lactose), and can do other milk products if I take Lactaid with them.

If it's a true allergy, I would second the soy cheese recommendation.

Good luck. Hopefully, he will grow out of these allergies as opposed to growing into them, which I did! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[tovie]

I'm going to second what laughsandlaughs said about vegan websites. There's also quite a bit you can do with tofu to simulate cheese in dishes (scalloped potatoes, mac n cheese, lasagna). You should also be able to find recipes to make cheese substitutes yourself, using tofu, nutritional yeast flakes or things like ground nuts and seasonings.

I'll post the one recipe I have but I'm sorry, I don't normally cook this way, I just eat other people's versions and discuss how they made the dishes, so I haven't really saved any more. Try looking for a recipe for tofu ricotta, there's a Parmesan substitute made with the nutritional yeast flakes and cheddar/swiss/etc ones made with nuts/rice/etc.


Non-Dairy Pimento Cheese

1/3 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup water
2 oz chopped pimento
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups cooked rice, millet or chick peas
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp savory
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine spices, juices and pimento with half of cashews and half of rice. Add enough water to allow blending and blend until smooth. Add remaining nuts and rice with enough water to make spreadable. Keeps about 1 week or can be frozen.

Cooked Version: Replace rice with 1 cup uncooked chick peas that have been soaked 24 hours. Combine all other ingredients in blender and add chick peas a little at a time, blending until smooth. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees for one hour.

I've never done anything with this other than slice it and put it on crackers or bread or just eat it but there are other recipes out there that'll be way more specific about how you can use them than something I scribbled on the back of an envelope at a church potluck.

Oh, dear, and now I'm going to sit here and crave this all day (g) I rarely make it because it's too easy to want to sit there and eat the whole thing...

Tovie

[sneezles]

All three of my sons were allergic to milk-big time! And then they developed the same allergy to soy formula so it was goat's milk that they consumed for the first two years of their lives!! All three were able to drink milk at about 3 or 4 but the older two started getting really bad acne at about 14 so we took them off milk again and their faces cleared up in about 10 days (their allergies as babies amnifested itself with severe eczema all over their little bodies!) None were ever allergic to cheese though!
Good thing because the only thing my oldest would eat when he was 4 was grilled cheese!

[woeisme]

Wow, I'm surprised at the number of replies. Thanks to all who have responded. In answer to to some of the questions so far, yes, he has hives and ecsema within minutes of eating any milk product including cheese, a dollop of sour cream, on pat of butter in a whole mess of noodles, or a smigeon of parmesan. I tried Goats milk Romano and he reacted to that but have not tried any other goat milk product. I should probably try that again (thanks for reminding me). One egg in a 1 pound meat loaf sets him off too.

Yes his doctor said he should grow out of it, but it sounds like from the postings so far and from some conversations that some kids don't grow out of it, but that may be the exception rather than the rule.

I tried the soy cheeses with casein and he's allergic to that. I asked the people who work at the health food store about these cheese and said the casein free ones are yucky. Indeed the one I tried went right into the trash bin.

I'd love to try the recipe for pimento cheese that Tovie posted. It's encouraging that a non-allergic person would find it tasty.

For those of you who care, I have tried a few times boiled flax seeds as an egg substitute. Works well as a binder but kind of a pain to keep making. I bought this Ener-G egg replacer only used it once and it worked well. It's potato starch and some leavening stuff (baking soda or powder ) to mimic the leavening quality of eggs.

I have tried a couple of recipes by Joan Stepaniak, author of Uncheese Cookbook. They have nutritional yeast in it and taste really weird (also threw it out). I have had good success w/ soy sour cream and tofu ricotta but it's just a pain to make all the ingredients before you make the dish.

Thanks to all who posted. I know it's a fairly unique problem, but I am always looking for more information and how others have overcome it.

[laughsandlaughs]

You must try the Tofutti Cuties!! Peanutbutter is my favorite flavor, though it comes in vanilla and chocolate...they're little ice cream sandwiches and yummy! Sorbets are also naturally dairy/egg free. I know this doesn't get you through dinner, but it makes after dinner better! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Marcie]

I feel your pain, woeisme. My son (just now 3 - hopefully soon to be outgrowing this) gets eczema from dairy products, and citrus seems to be a problem, too. Eggs don't seem to be the culprit, but then, his eczema is never totally gone so maybe eggs aren't a great idea, either. Also, my nursing baby doesn't tolerate me eating dairy, so our whole house has gone dairy free for the year, at least. (DH is outnumbered so he has to get his cheese/ice cream elsewhere.)

We eat a lot of Chinese food, where dairy is rarely included. Our standbys are potato dishes, soups/stews, stir-fries, lo mein, and bean dishes. One big favorite is the white bean refried beans from CL, 4/98. Not being vegetarian has helped with variety, so we can still eat things like pork chops, BBQ'd beef or chicken sandwiches, baked fish, etc.

Have you tried "mac and chreese"? It's a vegan, boxed mac and cheese-like substance (nutritional yeast, cumin, etc). Not particularly appetizing, but with some extra seasoning and veggies thrown in, has been tolerable. At least it's almost creamy like the real stuff, so we get some "mouth-feel" satisfaction, if not taste satisfaction. My son likes it much more than I do. The thing I miss most is the creaminess of cheese. I find pureed beans and potatoes to be better-tasting creamy dishes than the soy-substitute stuff.

My best suggestion is to search hard for at least 6 recipes you really like, write them down, and just stick to the list for awhile until you find some other meals you like. It's depressing to think, "What sounds good for dinner? Fettucine Alfredo! Oh, darn...." Once you forget what you used to eat, you'll stop feeling so deprived. Eating cheese substitutes just reminds you of how good the real stuff is.