Sunday, September 27, 2009
I don't think I ever posted to say that we figured out the whole colic/reflux/oversupply thing! Oversupply was an issue, but easily remedied. It wasn't colic or reflux. Becca has a sensitivity to milk protein (casein). Not the lactose, but the casein. The more people I tell, the more I discover that it is not an uncommon thing. And I am encouraged because everyone I've talked to says their kids outgrew it.
When Becca was somewhere between 6-8 weeks I cut dairy from my diet. Completely. I even read the labels...
I have done a few trial runs and she still has issues with it. But I am SO glad to have found the cause of the crying and discomfort! Once the dairy was out of my milk (and we sleep-trained again), it was like having a completely different baby!
Going without dairy hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. The times it is MOST trying are when we go out to eat or when I want desserts.
Here's what I've learned about going without dairy - a reference for me and for anyone else who may benefit from it.
- The vast majority of recipes that call for milk or butter can be substituted with non-dairy milk (soy, rice, etc. I use rice milk. Soy gives me gas...yes, I realize you didn't want to know that. But if you run into this problem with YOUR babies, be glad you know. Monitor your soy intake or you make find your family wants to put you in isolation.)
- not all margarines are dairy free. Read the ingredients. Fleischman's ($3) has one that it and one that isn't. Can't remember which is which. Blue Bonnet is usually cheaper. But it has to be Blue Bonnet LIGHT, which only comes in the tubs (usually $1.99 but I found it on sale this week for $1.35). The other has dairy. Nucoa margarine is also dairy free a little bit cheaper ($2.49) than Fleischman's.
- If a recipe's dairy ingredients really can't be left out, look for non-dairy substitutes. I have used Toffuti's "Better than Sour Cream" and "Better than Cream Cheese". They're not better, but if it's for a recipe, they're worth it! If it's something like baked potatoes, just go without the sour cream and you'll be surprised at all the other flavors that come alive! I eat mine with bacon (not bits), pineapple, tomatoes, green onions, and margarine. It's really yummy.
- Try pizza without the cheese. Go crazy with the other toppings. It's not the same, but it'll do in a pinch. It tastes best if you use chewy hoagie rolls and put a little olive on them first. When I do it that way, I don't even mind the lack of cheese. (And if I really want pizza, the other way still takes care of the craving and satisfies me!)
- It is REALLY worth it to make your own bread when you have a dairy free diet. SO much bread has dairy in it.
- I love Purely Decadent's Peanut Butter Zig Zag. I will eat this for the rest of my life. And it wins in the calories game if you put it up against Ben & Jerry's and yet it tastes SO good. Ben & Jerry's is, what, 500 calories for a 1/2 cup serving? Peanut butter zig zag is 180 calories for a 1/2 cup serving (don't quote me though...it might be 200. But still a far cry from Ben & Jerry's).
- Become friends with dark chocolate. But make sure it's really dairy free. Lindt dark chocolate is dairy free. Nestle & Hershey's dark chocolates are NOT. Ghirardelli's are NOT. Wal-mart's generic semi-sweet chocolate chip brand is dairy free (I think I'm remembering that right...but I'm not going back there to check. Someone else will have to let me know if I'm wrong!). Ghirardelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy free.
- If something calls for a cream of "something" recipe, it's really easy to make cream of "whatever" on your own (just use a non-dairy milk and margarine in this recipe). Don't let it stop you from your favorite recipes. The taste will be slightly different, but it's still better than going without!
If it's marked with an "*" I have made it.
*Corn Casserole & Corn Muffin Mix that goes in the casserole because for SOME REASON, the storebought version has WHEY or MILK POWDER...as do so many other things....
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
*Dairy Free Rich Chocolate Cake - I made this for my birthday and used a vegan ganache. It was delicious. I liked it more with every slice.
*Chocolate Chip Cake (substituted milk & butter for rice milk & margarine. Most cakes that call for milk & margarine can be done this way.)
*Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - These are TRULY dairy free. No egg. Just use a non-dairy milk to bind the dough. No more guilt over eating the dough too!! And a great recipe if you want dough to make and use with vanilla ice cream. (This link has an annoying video that tells you how to make the recipe. Just pause it and scroll down for the text of the recipe...)
Dairy Free Frostings
Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy cooking guys! And if you're dairy-free or have been, let me know what resources YOU have found helpful.
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The kids tolerated butter in my diet before anything else and I could do yogurt and cheese, sour cream & cream cheese by the time they were a year. But not straight milk, I'm wondering if it's something about the heating process of the other dairy products denatures the protein or something? Not sure... and after a year they could tolerate those things in their own diets but NOT milk, it still makes Emy and Christopher sick if they drink milk straight.
I heard Wal-mart brand semi-sweet chocolate chips were vegan but I've not checked. I'm not happy with Walmart these days either. :) Newman's dark chocolate orange bar is vegan, and so yummy. I have Ghiradelli chocolate chips from Sams and they do have dairy even though they're the 60% dark something... let me know if you find other vegan chocolate chips, I want to stock up! Oh, and I read one of the Newman's Own oreo type cookies are vegan, I just bought mint ones and I think they are.
I don't have too many recipes to share with you since I obviously don't have to change my diet, but if you're in need of some I'm sure I can get some from my sister-in-law. . . her baby was allergic (not just intolerant, but allergic) to all dairy products as well as soy. It's hard to find products that don't have milk and soy! So just let me know if you want some help and I'll hit her up for some information.
Haylee (I'm signed in as Joe)
Jamie, any tips your sister has would be awesome!
Haylee, I remember you mentioning raw milk once before on your blog. I'm really curious about it. Maybe she would tolerate that. I'll have to see if there's a place around here where I can get some.
And IKEA is dairy free?? I use my debit card there and get the bonus back credit to stock up on chocolate bars, I'm going to try using those for vegan chocolate chip cookies. :)
Raw milk around here is $8/gallon and a 45 minute drive one way. I've not tried it yet but we may for making yogurt and our soft cheeses. I'm less concerned about it being raw (though I read there are many benefits) and more concerned with finding a dairy that's kind to their animals. After reading 'The Face on Your Plate' I'm concerned - maybe it's all these years of nursing that makes me feel sympathy for those momma cows. :)
Just make sure with IKEA that you get the DARK chocolate. The others have dairy. But that is a GREAT idea to use it in cooking! Didn't even think of that. At $2.50/3 bars it's a great deal too. And if you use the debit card coupons, even better. We always use our debit card there too. Better than the limited chocolate options I have at the grocery store. Those are all pretty expensive (Lindt, Ghirardelli...of course the non-dairy ones have to be the most expensive ones...).
Your raw milk prices are only a little more than doing organic really. $6/gallon. Not TOO bad, but still so expensive. It could be worse...
Sometimes I think I eat to much dairy...who knows, maybe I just have a dumb stomach (IBS, blehhhh). But I'd like to cut back in a few ways when I start cooking for us again.