We can't get our 26 month old to drink soy milk or rice milk. He takes one sip and that's it. It's not about the cup. We recently offered him regular milk to see how it affected him and he is totally definitely allergic to dairy (but he drank cups and cups of it and asked for more). So we have to eliminate it again. We've tried Silk Organic Plain Soy Milk and Wegman's Rice Milk and Wegman's Vanilla Rice Milk. I would rather stay away from soy but my son is pretty seriously underweight and we need to get him to drink ANYthing with similar nutrients to milk. I also would like to stay away from things with more sugar than milk...he sometimes will drink chocolate soy milk, which is barely better than not drinking anything at all...I haven't tried Lactaid...don't know if he's just lactose intolerant or has a dairy allergy. Our daughter has a dairy allergy too (she's 12 months). Help! What do I do to get him to drink a milk-substitute?
EDITED TO ADD:
Some people have asked about symptoms of my kids' dairy allergies. My daughter has eczema and major gastrointestinal upset (to the point of her bottom having an open-sores extensive diaper rash that can only be cleared up by eliminating dairy from her diet - before we figured out it was dairy, we tried every prescription and otc diaper remedy on earth, including cloth diapers). My son has: eczema, diarrhea with stomach cramping, bloating especially in the early evening, severe insomnia (including night-waking where he cannot return to sleep again), diaper rash, skin flushing, irrational behavior (not just 2-year-old behavior).
Regarding my statement that my son is underweight: His doctor has started an extensive work up to find out if something is going on. He lost 2 pounds from November to December, over the course of 6 weeks. He was always 85th% and now he's under the 5th%. He was 23 pounds at his 9 month check up, and is now 25.5 pounds at 26 months. He didn't get taller between 18 months and now.
Great ideas, resources, and feedback - thanks everyone! We bought some calcium fortified OJ (not a big hit yet), Very Vanilla Silk Soy milk, and I ordered some samples of DariFree online. Our son is drinking the Very Vanilla Soy - reluctantly at first (the usual 1-sip and then done routine), but last night he drank 5 ounces of it after dinner! We also got the Yummi Bears calcium supplements. But my son is weird about texture, and gummy snacks are one of the things he won't even put in his mouth. So those bombed (so far). Thanks again!
My son will not use rice milk because of the grainy texture. I use DariFree (http://www.vancesfoods.com). It's a potatoe based alternative, tastes good and works very well in baking or for cereal. There is also another alternative - almond milk (my son prefers DariFree). You can find both at health food stores.
I would introduce calcium-fortified OJ, starting with a small amount. One glass of that a day, plus supplemented foods will give your little guy a lot of the calcium he needs. You can also give:
-fried tofu (yum! But make sure to real the labels. Firm is better, and some brands have more calcium than others.)
-baked beans
-oatmeal with blackstrap molasses drizzled on top (and add in the enriched soy milk to boot, which he won't taste!)
Also, how about something like this?
http://www.evitamins.com/product.asp?pid=951
Can't hurt to add in a calcium supplement, right? Though his multivitamin might already have a lot of calcium. Check and see, and maybe just switch to one that does?
Finally, this site might be useful for you, if you decide to supplement with a toddler formula:
http://www.cwimedical.com/pediatric.html
Since your son is underweight, and is losing weight (not just low on the spectrum), you should probably seriously consider this. You need to get him gaining, and he needs those nutrients! Good luck!
Hi M.!
My son has what is called MSPI (or milk/soy protein intolerence) and we have been very lucky with the rice beverages, but seeings as you have not, one of the moms from this sight turned me onto DariFree. DariFree is a non dairy milk alternative that is fortified with calcium and vitamen D, as well as other good vitamens. My nephew has the same issue as my son but like yours does not like the soy or rice alternatives but LOVES this! It only has 2g of sugar per serving, no MSG, no cholesterol, and as much calcium as a glass of milk. Now this has no protein or fat so you don't want to use it in place of a formula but will work great for retaining the much needed calcium that children need. I bought mine at Lori's Natural Foods in Henrietta for apprx. $10.00 a can. A can contains 26 servings. So good luck, hopefully this will work for you. Oh, and yes it comes in a chocolate version too!
P.S. What exactly happens when your child(ren) are giving milk?
C.
My son has a life threatening allergy to milk protein which meant we had to eliminate ALL milk from his diet. you can research some good alternatives on google...just type in milk free diet or something. I even found all kinds of replacements for baking so he could have cupcakes for birthday parties and soy based ice cream too.
As for the milk drinking part - my son loved the Very Vanilla Silk Soy. It was vitamin fortified with everything else he wasn't getting from a restricted diet. Especially since your child has already had the taste for milk it may be a little tricky getting him to change but in my opinion the sugar content in the soy / rice, etc milk whether it be flavored or not is far less a risk than him not getting his calcium & vitamin needs. You could certainly limit his sugar intake elsewhere.
My son liked Almond milk you can try that or coconut milk too. There are new coconut milk based yogurts that are good, and yes, fortified OJ if he'll drink it works for calcium consumption. I hope that helps. I have spent the last 6 1/2 years finding alternatives to milk and new "foods" that he can eat, enjoy and are healthy. We've had to change our whole way of cooking and living - to be sure not to cross contaminate ANY of our foods - like don't butter your toast & stick that knife in the jelly or you won't be able to give your child jelly now from that jar. Also when you cook - make sure you use olive oils not butter, don't share the spoons in your pots while cooking. We use lots and lots of tin foil to protect surfaces we are cooking on like the grill....it's a whole other life style. My son is allergic even by touch! We have to sanitize & wash our hands after everything we eat & do which has led to very good habits.
Also, tip - be sure to carry those single dose benadryl packs with you at all times in case you need them. You never know what your kid could get ahold of by accident and companies (unfortunately) MISLABEL alot of foods. Sign up for FAAN (Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network) online and you'll get emailed alerts from them if there are recalls on foods with undeclared milk.
Watch you restaurants too - don't share the fries with him. Lots of other things are "cooked" in that fry oil - like mozzarella sticks. My son brings his food to all restaurants & they will heat it up for us. McDonalds - has milk in their fries stay away! They never told anyone they changed the recipe and a few kids had baaaaad reactions.
Sorry for the length of my reply - I just have been doing this for a long time now and have learned ALOT and when I found out my son was allergic I knew NO ONE that had any quick answers.
Hope that was helpful & good luck!
What is his allergic reaction? Pain, vomiting, swelling or just what you mentioned in another post, excema? Has a dr. diagnosed this? I am just confused because you said you do not know if he is just intolerant or allergic after saying he is definitely allergic.
I ask about the excema because both my sons have it. I do not limit anything from their diets as a result. It seems to be related more to what they do than what they eat, i.e. too many baths, not rinsing laundry well, dry winter air.
A little prescription strength cortisone works miracles. Also nivia lotion works well too.
As far as the milk is concerned none of my kids drank milk. They drank calcium enriched oj and took multivitamins & ate a varied diet. There are many other places to get fat, protein, calcium, & vitamins. If it is not a true allergy try some dairy foods like soft cheeses, yogurt & even ice cream. Avocado, hummus, olives, beans, are also good. HTH!
Ok, first off your son is NOT lactose intolerant. If he were you would have had to have him on a very special, very expensive formula from day one. Lactose intolerance is common in adults, but it is VERY rare in children under the age of 5.
If you want to determine whether your son is dairy allergic or dairy intolerant you'll need to seek the advice of an allergist, but IMO it really doesn't matter which--he's reacting badly to dairy, so you should remove it (all dairy--check labels) from his diet to allow his body a chance to function at it's optimum.
Forget the milk subs--most are full of sugar (or sugar alternatives) anyway. Make sure he's getting a well rounded diet. Is your son really underweight or is he just "low on the charts" --don't confuse the two. Now if you want high nutrient foods look into whole foods and things like homemade broths, avocado, coconut milk, lots of greens, fish, veggies etc. Use a variety of dips & pestos for him to dip his veggies in. We like sesame, bone broths and small fish for lots of calcium. You can get good fats from oils and fatty foods. Vitamin D can be gotten from fish, pate, THE SUN, and fortified orange juice. Sea salt and dates are great for trace minerals. Almond, hemp and sesame milks are all much more nutritious than Soy and rice milks.
