Dairy FREE made easy: AllerMates Guide to Eating with a Dairy Allergy.

Finding out that your kid has a dairy allergy might not seem so hard to get around. That is until you go to make something or order something and then reality sets in. DAIRY IS EVERYWHERE.

We put it in our cereal bowls, in and on our breads, on top of our baked potatoes, in our mashed potatoes and other cooked vegetables, in our desserts and on and on.

Luckily, we have some fine folks who make alternatives to the milk, butter and cheese we’ve always known. Read on for some of our favorites, so your children never have to go without.

MILK

So Delicious Dairy Free gives us exactly what their name says by offering three types of milk: Almond, Coconut and Cashew.

However, if your kid also suffers from a tree nut allergy, you’ll want to opt for a nut-free alternative like Silk® Original SoyMilk, Pacific Foods Organic Oat Non-Dairy Beverage, Good Karma™ Flaxmilk, Living Harvest® Tempt Hempmilk or Rice Dream® Rice Drink. (HOWEVER, you’ll want to check the label of any product you choose to ensure no possible cross contamination with nuts.)

The key is to finding one that doesn’t contain your kid’s allergen(s) AND has a taste you like. But the good news is that you do have options!

BUTTER

Coconut oil is my hands-down, favorite butter substitute. It’s good for you and has a variety of uses (just Google it!). Plus, you can do one serving of butter for one serving of coconut oil, so no hard math is required. : )

Again, for children with a tree nut allergy, you will have to make sure their nut allergens don’t include coconut. If they do, no worries! There are other substitutes, like olive oil (which DOES require math since it’s not an even swap) and Earth Balance’s dairy-free and dairy-/soy-free spreads (found in a grocery store near you!).

CHEESE

Dairy-free cheese… it does exist! Fabulous companies like Daiya (also soy- and gluten-free) and GO Veggie!® (also available soy-free) have made it possible for your kid to enjoy such favorites as cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches and mac ‘n cheese. Check your local grocer for their shredded, sliced and block options – and their cream cheese, too!

DESSERT

Need a  dairy-free dessert?

Fan favorite, Enjoy Life Foods, provides us with their glorious dairy-free chocolate, so that we can bake safe cookies, fudge and more.

So Delicious Dairy Free offers a variety of safe, frozen desserts based on soy, coconuts, almonds or cashews.

And if you need a quick treat for school or dinner, stop by the bakery in your grocery store and ask about their angel food cake. Most are made dairy free, though you’ll need to also ask about possible cross contamination.

This short guide is really just an intro to going dairy free – to realizing that it doesn’t mean the end of rich, creamy foods. You do have options, and there are others out there who want to help. Check out bloggers, like our friend Lacy Wade at Making it Milk-free, who’s showing you how to have your favorite dairy-filled foods, such as spinach artichoke dip and white chocolate nog fudge, in dairy-free versions.

If you have dairy-free favorites, please share below. There are a lot of dairy-allergic kids in the AllerMates community who could benefit from your experience!

(AGAIN, please be sure to check the labels to ensure none of your child’s other allergens are found in any of these products, as well as for the possibility of cross contamination with your child’s allergens. Good luck!)

Iris

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