Post by mrssarahrenee on Jan 31, 2015 20:43:21 GMT -5
So I am confused about LO's symptoms and what my pedi has said vs. what I have read about allergies and intolerances. So I think I am going to try to cut out dairy and beef and see if LO improves.
I have been really worked up thinking she has a dairy allergy because I don't know if I can do this. I am kind of addicted to milk - tall glasses of milk, cheese on lots of things, an obsession with chocolate. Even if she doesn't have an allergy, I will feel better knowing that I tried to make her feel better. Right now I have this horrible obsessive thought that I am making her ill every time I feed her.
Anyway, I am looking for tips, resources or menus from dairy-free moms (or knowledgeable moms in general). (Did I miss a check in or thread on pro boards? I couldn't find one?)
I just started about two weeks ago. I, like you, love milk and cheese. I've found that as long as I take time to prep, I'm okay. A typical day of food for me looks like this:
Breakfast- original oatmeal with almond milk, blueberries, and a touch of brown sugar Morning snack- hard boiled egg Lunch- grilled chicken and veggies Afternoon snack- almonds Dinner- chicken chili or whatever I've made (grilled chicken, meatloaf, soup, salmon, etc)
I have a few go to recipes. I don't mind eating the same things over and over again. I have a turkey meatloaf recipe that is pretty damn good.
I usually grocery shop early on Sunday mornings. I'll make chili or meatloaf for dinner that night. It's just me at home right now so that usually gives me enough leftovers for dinner until at least Wednesday. I grill 3 chicken breasts and then cut them into halves and pack each into its own container with veggies. I can just grab one in the mornings and go. I take a container of hard boiled eggs to work for the week and I've been taking cherry tomatoes lately too. I keep a bag of almonds in my desk drawer.
Someone else posted a link for shopping that I found helpful. There was also an article about things that are surprisingly dairy free. Pop tarts and Duncan Hines brownie mix are a few of those! If I can find that stuff I'll post it here for you.
I was dairy free for 3 weeks and was given the go ahead a couple days ago to reintroduce it (my DD's symptoms never improved). I'm now off wheat and soy to see if that helps.
The good news for you is that most dark chocolate is dairy free! Just read the ingredients list. My usual chocolate (Lindt 70% dark chocolate) has no dairy, so I ate that every evening for a snack. I also bought this coconut milk ice cream called Coconut Bliss in vanilla flavour the was excellent.
The cheese part is tough though. I didn't try any vegan cheese, but I heard they're not very good.
Post by mrssarahrenee on Jan 31, 2015 21:42:03 GMT -5
apk4 the sample menu was super helpful. That seems doable. The whole thing is so overwhelming. beezbeez sorry this was not the answer for you! I hope you figure it out soon and thanks for the tips!
One thing I've found is that I like 1 type of almond milk better than others. So, if you try one and don't like it, try another brand.
Also, a few things I've done so I can still enjoy some of my favorite foods: - I LOVE mashed potatoes. I've substituted chicken broth and almond milk for butter and milk. Not quiet as good, but good enough to fill my craving. - I made shrimp 'alfredo' tonight with a cauliflower cream sauce. It was surprisingly delicious. And it was nice knowing how much healthier it was for me than the traditional version I used to make with all the butter and all the cream.
It sucks at first, but definitely gets easier. I still crave a big hot dish of delicious cheesy mexican as well as pizza every day, but I know it's short term.
If you guys don't mind me asking, what are the symptoms your LOs are having that is making you think dairy is the culprit? My DS is EBF and is constantly congested. He's been this way since birth, and I thought it would improve by now but he has bouts of sneezing throughout the day and is really stuffed up at night. I'm now wondering if maybe he's sensitive to dairy as well, and dairy is such a big part of my diet!
Here's the meatloaf recipe. I'm sure you could use beef too.
Also, I've tried the vegan cheese and it is gross. It's very oily and does not taste like cheese.
WSS about the cheese. Yuck.
I just use avocado or guacamole if I feel like I need creamy/cheesy something. Obviously, it's not cheese, but I've gotten used to it as my go to substitute.
If you guys don't mind me asking, what are the symptoms your LOs are having that is making you think dairy is the culprit? My DS is EBF and is constantly congested. He's been this way since birth, and I thought it would improve by now but he has bouts of sneezing throughout the day and is really stuffed up at night. I'm now wondering if maybe he's sensitive to dairy as well, and dairy is such a big part of my diet!
I've been wondering as well if the eczema is due to dairy. One of the pedis said something like it's only a 2-3% chance that it's dairy. Curious to hear if anyone sees improvements when cutting out dairy.
Ok, here are some of my favorite dairy-free meals. We're also going gluten free as part of an elimination diet. I would suggest trying to stay away from the cheese and dairy replacements (such as the fake cheese). They often contain extra crappy ingredients that you don't need.
- Quinoa w/ blueberries, bananas, little sprinkle cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup - Gluten Free Oats w/ unsweetened almond milk and blueberries - Scrambled eggs w/ avocado & banana on the side
- Turkey slices & apple slices - Turkey Burger w/ spaghetti squash on side - Chicken w/ rice and spinach salad
- Turkey burgers (1 lb turkey, sauteed diced onion & apple, 1 egg, s&p, GF breadcrumbs, worcestershire sauce - I have leftovers for lunch the next day) with spaghetti squash on side (sauteed in pan w/ olive oil, s&p) - Pan sauteed chicken with steamed broccoli & roasted potatoes (buy thick breasts of chicken, clean and divide, and pound to thin cutlets, sautee in a pan with olive oil, s&p) - Turkey & quinoa-stuffed pepper (same mixture as above mixed with cooked quinoa and added to slightly cooked bell peppers) - Linguine w/ chicken and mushrooms (sauteed in olive oil, garlic & diced bacon) - Linguine w/ chicken and spinach in a cauliflower alfredo sauce: diaryofthechefsdaughter.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/creamy-cauliflower-alfredo/ (this recipe minus cream & parm) - Salmon (drizzle w/ olive oil, fresh chopped garlic and fresh squeezed lemon, pop in oven at 350* for 20 min) with roasted veggie orzo (chop up assorted veggies -- bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion -- drizzle in olive oil, s&p and roast in oven until soft and slightly browning and toss with cooked orzo)
I was dairy free for 3 weeks and was given the go ahead a couple days ago to reintroduce it (my DD's symptoms never improved). I'm now off wheat and soy to see if that helps. .
Does cutting out wheat make a difference? I used to have lots of issues with gluten. I was able to tolerate it again when pregnant and still eat it. I've been debating whether to cut it out since I've had issues in the past but hard to do unless I have a medical confirmation that it really is an issue. I hadn't thought anything about the effects with BF so I'm really curious to hear about your experience.
If you guys don't mind me asking, what are the symptoms your LOs are having that is making you think dairy is the culprit? My DS is EBF and is constantly congested. He's been this way since birth, and I thought it would improve by now but he has bouts of sneezing throughout the day and is really stuffed up at night. I'm now wondering if maybe he's sensitive to dairy as well, and dairy is such a big part of my diet!
I've been wondering as well if the eczema is due to dairy. One of the pedis said something like it's only a 2-3% chance that it's dairy. Curious to hear if anyone sees improvements when cutting out dairy.
For my kids, it's an intolerance to milk and soy proteins (MSPI), so I don't eat dairy or soy. DS is nearly 3yo and doesn't have any soy and rarely has dairy in baked goods.
Both DS and now DD had gastrointestinal issues with dairy/soy. So, gassy, reflux-y, mucous and blood in stools, green/foul smelling stools (instead of EBF seedy yellow). DD also seems to have some rashy-ness that is eczema-like but hasn't been diagnosed as eczema (DH has severe environmental/stress related eczema).
We have found that both kids are much happier, calmer and have 'normal' digestion and bowel movements when we keep dairy out of our diets. DD was less rashy, but I had a slip up about 10 days ago and we are still recovering from that. This is pretty much a lifestyle change for me - even once I was finished breastfeeding DS and could eat dairy again, I really didn't have anywhere near the same amounts as I did pre-MSPI.
I was dairy free for 3 weeks and was given the go ahead a couple days ago to reintroduce it (my DD's symptoms never improved). I'm now off wheat and soy to see if that helps. .
Does cutting out wheat make a difference? I used to have lots of issues with gluten. I was able to tolerate it again when pregnant and still eat it. I've been debating whether to cut it out since I've had issues in the past but hard to do unless I have a medical confirmation that it really is an issue. I hadn't thought anything about the effects with BF so I'm really curious to hear about your experience.
I've been told that there's much less of a chance of it being a gluten sensitivity bc it doesn't pass that well into breastmilk (my pedi told me that it would show up more when baby starts eating food) but I think it's completely worth a shot.
Post by purplehippo on Feb 3, 2015 16:59:04 GMT -5
I've been dairy-free for 10 weeks today, and while it is difficult, it is so completely worth it. I accidentally had some dairy on Saturday somehow, and LO's gassy reaction was a great reminder of why I'm doing this. She was in so much pain.
I love dairy products. And I can't believe how many of the things I normally eat have dairy in them. It takes a lot of commitment to do this, but if I can do it, I'm sure you can as well. I've never been one to limit myself when it comes to eating, but when it affects someone I love, that's a totally different story.
I'm actually considering going off of gluten as well, to see if that helps some more. Her poop is still mucous-y and I don't want her bowel movements to always be ripping her up.
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