Lactose and Soy Free Foods

This isn't much advice but I've seen that BeechNut baby cereal says "Soy Free" on the label... don't know if that helps or not.

Hello H.,

Let me tell you, it will not be easy --specially at first. However, she will probably have one of the healthiest diets around.

It's time to order her cake for her 1st birthday. you'll have to make them for her because most of them have soy. (pamela's cakes you can buy them at sprouts are so good --specially the chocolate one)

~there is another place which is my favorite for cakes:
.
www.reallygreatfoods.com
check out the "pineapple" flavor, its great!

also at wholefoods and sprouts you can find a lot of soy-free and dairy-free foods. You will have to read EVERY label EVERY time because sometimes they do change the ingredients.

There are 3 things that are in almost everything: milk/lactose, high fructose corn syrup and soy lecithin.

By the way, as she gets older, a lot of medicines use lactose as a filler. and a lot of candies (specially chocolate) use lactose because it's a sweetener.

check out the site: http://nomilk.com/ (you may be able to find good recipes through their links. you may not agree with all their ideas, however, there are good recipe resources. sometimes they do include soymilk or soy products as an alternative, you'll just have to substitute the soy too.

other resources on that website:
http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html

there is a lot more info there. here is a small sample:

~~~milk and it's many names: ~~~

milk solids ("curds")
whey
casein (sodium caseinate, most commonly)
lactose (sodium lactylate, frequently)
lactalbumin and other names that begin with lact
galactose (a lactose by-product) Most people with milk allergies will have no trouble with galactose, but you should be aware that it may cause problems in some people.
protein (often "high protein" or "protein enriched" version of another ingredient, such as wheat) The added protein in foods (particularly "high energy" foods) is often milk protein.
caramel coloring. Many kinds of caramel coloring use lactose, a milk sugar, to help get that rich color. When in doubt, do without.
Recaldent. This ingredient, found in some Trident brand chewing gums, is milk-derived.
Fruit flavored Tums contain undisclosed dairy. The original, white Tums are fine.
"natural ingredients". Some of these may contain dairy products or byproducts. Call the manufacturer (an 800 number is usually listed on the packaging) for further information.
A new, low-calorie sweetener is coming on the market soon. The good news: it tastes great. The bad news: it's derived from whey. The name is "tagatose" . It goes under the brand name Naturlose. I've contacted the manufacturer to get information about how dangerous it might be for people with milk allergy. (Be aware that it may show up in toothpastes, mouthwashes, foods, and any other places where a low-calorie sweetener would be used.) Tests suggest that it is completely safe for people with milk allergy, but you should read the information sent by the business development manager for tagatose and make your own decision. .
and the obvious:
milk,
butter,
cheese,
yogurt...

Be especially alert when obtaining the following, as milk products creep in:
margarine
hydrolyzed vegetable protein (for the unusually sensitive person) since the processing phase may utilize casein
bread, and breaded (often fried) foods
chewing gum
soy cheeses
"non-dairy" anything, including Cool Whip. Non-dairy does not mean milk-free. It is a term the dairy industry invented to indicate less than 1/2 % milk by weight, which could mean fully as much casein as whole milk!
kosher parve desserts. (Most parve foods are okay, but we've occasionally had trouble with desserts. It probably has to do with the degree of cleaning between milk and parve runs on the processing equipment.) Kosher recipes, however, are a wonderful source of milk-free cooking ideas.)
medicines and vitamins. Be sure to let your physician and pharmacist know about your allergy! Further information is provided below.
baby formula. Even some of the hypo-allergenic ones may contain casein in small amounts. ALERT ! Many people with milk allergies also develop soy allergies. (This may be a result of exposure to soy at a very early age.) Most non-dairy baby formulas are soy-based. If your infant has a milk allergy, stay alert to the possibility of a soy allergy, or some other food allergy, developing. (For older babies, rice milk is a good alternative source of calcium.) If your baby is allergic to both milk and soy, consult with your pediatrician regarding an amino acid-based formula.
canned tunafish. Many brands contain "hydrolized caseinate". However, the low sodium ones in spring water (such as Star Kist), and all of Trader Joe brand tunafish, appear to be milk free.
chicken broth: Any form, including canned and bouillion. Many brands contain milk solids.
NOTE: I've been informed that sodium stearoyl lactylate has nothing to do with milk.
chocolates. Even dark or bittersweet chocolate is often run on the same production line as milk chocolate, and the risk of cross-contamination is high if YOUR chocolate bar comes from the beginning of the run. You may, however, wish to check out kosher pareve chocolates, such as the ones offered at Chocolate Emporium. (Christmas and Easter themed chocolates are offered at this site, too. You might also wish to try Amandas Own Chocolates.
If you purchase Tropical Source brand chocolates, read the bar carefully, as not all flavors are run on dairy-free lines.
sour mix, such as what is used to make margaritas, or other artifically "sour" items such as some candies.
vinegar flavored potato chips/crisps. The "vinegar" may actually be a milk-derived ingredient.
whole poultry fresh from the store *may* be infused with lactose to keep it fresher. Check the ingredient list or purchase a kosher bird.
Wine! Casein is one of six substances that may be used to clarify wine. (Egg white is another.) If you call the vintner, ask if casein is used in the "fining process".
WARNING: Any food item may be processed on equipment which has previously processed a dairy product, and the equipment may or may not be cleaned between manufacturing runs. Therefore, even if the item itself contains no dairy ingredients, there may be a risk of cross-contamination. People with milk allergy have reported more trouble with chocolates than with other products, by the way. What does this mean? It means that if your allergy is life-threatening and your tolerance is low, you may wish to contact the manufacturer prior to sampling the product.

Good luck! and sorry this got so long. ~C.~

I would advise you to avoid peanuts until she is at least 2 because of how severe the allergy can be. A lot of kids who are allergic to milk and soy can do goat's milk, but almond milk and rice milk (the enriched) can be alternatives. Soy is actually going to be the harder of the two to avoid. There are actually a lot of good alternative foods, but definately order the birthday cake now.

some good references are
http://www.allergygrocer.com (allows you to put in the allergies and search for foods that way)

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.com - a website aimed at helping families deal with food allergies. They have boards and also a recipe archive. The recipe archive requires joining which has an annual fee, but well worth it for the recipes.

The biggest thing to know is it can be done.

My son's allergy list includes both soy and milk. It is also more extensive, so right off hand, my list of safe items would be very limited. Rice chex is a safe cereal that can be found easily. We do a lot of fruits - both canned and fresh, and a variety of vegtables with a meat at our house.

This will sound funny, but beans are one of the best foods she can have. I started my daughter on them early and they've become a regular mainstay. She especially love red kidney beans, black beans, and lentil soup (although you'll want to check the label on processed soup). She'll get the iron, protein, etc. that she needs. You can also check out www.allrecipes.com to find some recipes. Fruit is great of course, whole wheat pasta with sauce (check the labels), sweet potato is always a winner - you can slice it raw, top with olive oil and spices and bake at 350 for about an hour, good ole pb&j (creamy for now) (you may need to make your own bread if she's allergic since milk is almost always in processed breads); this is getting long - if you want more ideas, PM me!

Both of the milks that you mention, cow & soy are really not good for you. I am studying nutrtrion. In a class that I took from Dr. Janet Lang (one of the world's formost authorities on hormones, blood sugar & thyroid). She said that soy is a thyroid supressing foods. Very dangerous especially for young children. There is also the estrogen that it gives you. They are finding it to be a problem with adults & children. I stay away from cow dairy as well because of the casien (this is also found in glue) that it contains. The very best milk that I know of is goat. It is the closest to human breast milk that you can find. A far second choice is Almond Milk. As far as her allergies I would suggest taking her to Dr. David Brown ###-###-####. He is one of the best doctors that I know of that can help you. He specializes in applied kinesology. Which is muscle testing. That means he can test the body to find out exactly what the body specifically needs. Hope this helps. E.

Hi H.,
It looks like you have gotten some good advice already! Especially from Carmen. She said some stuff I didn't even know. My daughter has the milk allergy, but luckily not the soy. Goats milk was always a good alternative and I have heard of the almond milk but I think it's harder to find. I'm not sure where you shop, but I have found that Kroger seems to have a decent health food section and there are lots of other stores now that sell products for people with allergies. It will be tough though, I can tell you that, but hopefully she will grow out of it. My daughter is 3 1/2 and it does seem like it's not as bad as when she was a baby. Fingers crossed! You can also find a lot of receipes online. I use Soy milk in a bunch of my cooking and no one knows the difference. I'm sure the same would be with goats milk. You just might want to check the measurements. I think it might be thinner so you might need to use more. Good luck with everything and know that you are not alone!!!

there is a great cookbook - Sophie Free Cooking you can find it on Barnes & Noble - My son lactose intolerant & has a soy allergy. Its got tons of options. You daughter may be a little young for some of the items, but it should give you a place to start.

She can drink Almond Milk and you can use that in cooking too.

I just had to write in and say you're not alone!! My son is 7 1/2 months now and is still breastfeeding as well. He too has dairy and soy allergies, we've discovered. Its been a crazy road figuring it all out. So, I assume you've cut out all of the dairy and soy from your diet.... Its so hard! But its so worth it too. I've had the same trouble with figuring out good finger foods. I've found that the Gerber Sweet Potato puffs are the only flavor that contain no milk or soy. That and Cheerios are of course staples for snacks. My son refuses baby food, which makes it even more difficult right now, but I'm giving him homemade bread (substitute rice milk and lard for milk and butter). I'll get you the recipe if you want. Also, he (sort of) eats avacado slices, bananas, cooked potato or sweet potato, smashed cooked peas, and things like that. That's about all we've done too. He's had a couple of tiny pieces of broccoli florets, and also some spaghetti I cut really small. I make my own pasta sauce that's non-dairy and non-soy. Hope that helps a little bit. I feel your pain though! Its a tough one! Just know you're not alone in it.