I think my daughter may have an intolerance for milk, so we are trying out a week or two without milk. Do you have any ideas for school lunches without dairy in them (other than PB & J). She is 9 years old. Thanks.
I've been known to send my child with hummus and crackers or pita bread, salads, fresh cut fruit & veggies, tamales, egg rolls, and so on. I don't stick to typical lunch fare most of the time. As for dairy-free drinks I've sent horchata, juice, kool-aid, flavored water, or even almond milk.
Bimbo bread (a division of Freihoffer who also has many milk-free breads if you get the Family Grains) is dairy free. If you buy deli meat, do not get loaf meats as they often have milk in them. Do not get salami or pepperoni, as the curing process creates lactose. If she likes jam, just put a jam spread on her bread. Send her with fruits and veggies. Bagel bites with fruit. Tuna sandwiches. Nature Valley granola bars without chocolate. Bags of dry cereal.
If you're going to try an elimination diet, you have to go completely lactose free for a full month aka 4 weeks. It takes 2 weeks for the body to expel all traces of dairy from the body. It takes that long for the body to feel the way it should feel without dairy. Then the body needs to have 2 more weeks without dairy to see what it's like completely free of it. On the 5th week, you reintroduce dairy with a glass of milk to see how she reacts and you'll get a reaction within an hour or less.
Don't even give her lactose-safe products such as lactose-free milk in case she has a milk-protein allergy or sensitivity. Switch to soymilk or rice milk or almond milk. Find substitutes during that month that aren't just lactose-free but completely milk, cream, cheese, casein, whey, lactose, lactylate, milk-fat, butterfat, free. Check candies, cereal, drinks, potato chips, crackers, rice mixes, literally everything that comes in a box, bag or otherwise prepackaged. Anything that is a milk product of some kind, avoid it for 4 full weeks.
It's easier than it sounds.
My granddaughter was allergic to milk protein. Her mother told the school cafeteria and they gave her fruit juice instead of milk.
Or do you mean lunches you pack. Actually most things do not contain milk. Most bread does not. She can have meat sandwiches, veggie sandwiches. Mayo has eggs in it but not milk products. If you want to avoid mayo use salad dressing. It's very much like mayo and is displayed next to mayo. Tuna sandwich, turkey sandwich, beef sandwich. Hummus with sliced veggies either as a sandwich or as a dip.
Just leave the cheese off her sandwiches/out of her rollups and salads or use an alternate cheese and you're pretty golden. Ranch dressing has dairy too, so Italian or French or Hummus or Pesto or Salsa for dipping veeggies in/topping salads.
I would think dinner would be more of a challenge. The 5 dollar dinner mom has a ot of dairy free recipes at www.5dollardinner.com
And here's a neat twist on French Toast that's dairy free! http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2011/12/orange-fren...
You can make a sandwich with turkey, ham and/or salami. You can also make egg salad or tuna fish sandwiches.
Fruit, carrot sticks or other veggies, pretzels or another kind of cracker are good sides.
If you're able to keep things warm, you can pack something like chicken nuggets (the dinosaur shaped ones at Costco are dairy-free) or fish sticks. Pasta or chicken & rice are also good if you're able to keep it warm.
You generally need to give it at least two weeks, if not four, to truly notice a difference, so don't stop after just one week.
Oscar Meyer turkey and ham is dairy free.
Apple slices, grapes, banana, baby oranges
applesauce
Fritos / plain lays chips
Tortilla wraps
golden oreos
ritz crackers
honey maid graham crackers
A thermos with soup or raviolis or pasta. Crackers, lunchmeat, fruit and veggies. My 7 yr old son loves his thermos lunches!
There are always several options in the lunch line for the kids to choose from. They don't have just one choice or to go hungry.
We have a main entree, it is hardly ever pizza or something with a lot of cheese, then there are usually some veggies and salads. Then there are several kinds of sandwiches. Plus fruit and juice. I think if she understands what foods fall into the dairy food group she should be able to make good choices. Especially if the two of you go over the daily menu each morning so it will be fresh in her memory.
Turkey, ham, or tuna sandwiches or wraps, hard-boiled eggs, salads with oil and vinegar or other milk-free dressing, crackers and veggies with salsa or hummus, fruits of all kinds, juice or water to drink.
Think about what she likes and work from there, there's lots. Get her involved in the menu planning as well, if it turns out she truly has an intolerance for milk she'll need to know the foods that are OK to eat and to stay away from, with both of you reading labels to see what has milk and doesn't, make it a learning experience.
Today we can buy rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, oat milk. In addition there are juices which have no sugar added and are not diluted. You could go to the health food store and see what they have there.
Milk allergies are very common. Is your daughter sensitive to goat milk. That is another option.
My daughters love to take cereal for lunch, the one uses regular milk and the other one (who has issues with milk) uses almond milk.
