Elimination of Dairy Products From The Diet FOR CHILDREN
WITH ALLERGY OR DIETARY RESTRICTION
(Not an easy task!)
- A child with a documented allergy to milk products should be fed a dairy-free diet. A family may also have religious, cultural, or personal reasons for wanting their child to follow a dairy-free diet.
- Children with allergies should have appropriate paperwork on file. The center should be aware of which children have an actual allergy versus a parental/legal guardian preference or request, so that action can be taken for accidental consumption of an allergen.
- The parent and health care provider can provide a list of which dairy products may be tolerated and which are not.
- Accommodating a dairy-free diet may involve thorough label reading.
- The following terms mean milk in some form is an ingredient: Lactose, caseinate, sodium caseinate or casein, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, curds, whey.
- Not even “Non-dairy” products are always milk-free, e.g. those which contain caseinate (milk protein) such as Cool Whip and Coffee Mate. On the other hand, Coffee Rich is okay!
- First, there is milk in its recognizable, white liquid, homogenized and non-homogenized form; there’s skim, low-fat, and buttermilk; powdered milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk; malted milk, cocoa, and chocolate milk. Then, there is cream: regular, half-and-half, and whipping; butter and most margarine (some diet types are milk-free); and cheeses, such as, cottage cheese, cream cheese, natural cheese, and processed cheese. Let's not forget yogurt and ice cream. Often milk is partially or totally concealed, such as in these foods listed below:
- Au gratin foods
- Meat loaf, processed meats such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and sausage
- Biscuits and their mixes
- Some salad dressings
- Breads, rolls, and other bakery products
- Soufflés, omelets, and often scrambled eggs
- Cake and cake mixes
- Mashed potatoes
- Muffins, pancake mixes
- Canned fish balls
- Cookies and their mixes
- Chocolate bars and many candies
- Cream pies
- Cream soups, chowders, and bisques
- Cream sauces and some gravies
- Puddings, such as rice, tapioca, or custard
- Blanc Mange, Flan
- Pudding mixes
- Fritters
- Doughnuts
- Waffle mixes
- Scalloped potatoes
- Macaroni, noodles, and spaghetti