alternative to milk and yogurt

[MojoLost]

Hi,
We recently had our 5 year old son tested for food intolerance (through a blood sample) which unfortunately came back with a huge list of culprit foots including oats, soya, cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk.

He loves yogurt! What can I give him instead?
I was planning on giving him rice milk, but read on a another thread that it is not recommended for children.

So worried about not giving him the nutrients he needs.
Thanks

Did you have the tests via a dietician? if so they should suggest/prescribe an alternative to dairy milk products for your son to get his nutrients. If yoy havej't been told how to do that, you should ask - as formula is v expensive!!

Hi,
We had the test done through a doctor (we are not in the UK). The only milk he can handle is mare's milk, I have no idea where to get it.

mare's - as in horse milk?
if so, I've never heard of that, how interesting (but very tricky for you....)

Aside from buying your own horse to milk, seriously, I think you need clarification there from your doctor - maybe this is a common thing you can buy/ get from a pharmacist? Or maybe even at your sons agfe it would be easier for you have a prescribed powdered formula such as Neocate (I have seen other Mumsnetters putting on messages saying their children have continued on hypoallergenic formulas well into childhood)

On the note of yoghurt, there are a few ideas below for puddings:

I would say you can make 'ice cream'/ sorbet out of your own homemade smoothies - eg fuit juice, banana and berries or peach or pear or apricot etc? (I am sure there is some fruit he can have - even if it is not these) - basically a mixed or single fruit puree.
to do that, use an icecream maker and churn in the normal way, or put the smoothie in a freezerproof plastic tub, put in the freezer and stir every hour or so until you have a thick frozen slush. You would need to get it out of the freezer a little while before serving.
you could also thicken a fruit puree with cornflour/ arrowroot (if allowed) and chill in the fridge, or make a jelly using gelatine? you could chill these in individual pots so your son feels like he is having something similar to a yoghurt?
I have also made a nice recipe which made a lovely 'creme caramel' type pot of custard but it was made with freshly squeezed orange juice, a bit of sugar and egg. this was then cooked in individual pots in the oven and was chilled after cooking. Again a similar type of individual pudding as a yoghut... (if you want me to find that recipe just reply!)

That's a long list so my suggestion may not be helpful- but if it's the lactose in cow's and sheep's milk that your son can't have it's worth checking out the lactose free range by Arla- my husband is lactose-intolerant but can drink lacto free milk & eat that cheese. Not much use if it's something else in the milk he's allergic to, sorry. You can get calcium from veg too though. I'll look it up and get back to you about other sources of calcium.

Hi littleweed, thanks for replying. Those ideas sound great, I am going to get an icecream maker.
Yes mare's milk - horse's milk, basically they tested his blood against cows, goat, sheep, camel and mare's milk, all of them came back with reactions except for mare's milk.
That recipe you have sounds great, but he is also intolerant to oranges and lemon, so will it work with other juices?

Hi KPidgeon: the report given to us explains that it is not the lactose he is intolerant to but the protein in the milk, so even lactose free milk won't work.

Thanks for you help!

Do you have faith in the process that came up with this list?

Have you been offered any help via a dietician, or have you just been left to get on with it?

I would also suggest caution, and if possible seeking a second opinion.

I had a friend once who was diagnosed multiple allergies (by various UK doctors). She had reacted to lots of allergy tests. After 2 years of illness and an increasingly restricted diet, she was diagnosed as having a tropical disease. Her body was trying to fight the disease so was reacting to everything in an allergy test. The right anti-biotics cured her.

I give my 7yo rice milk - he had Neocate until he was 5 but then we moved country and it was going to cost too much. As I understand it, the problems with rice milk are up to the age of about 4.

I have heard about mare's milk before, and you might be able to get it from a health food shop, but it is incredibly expensive (like 10 or 20 times as expensive as cow's milk I think).

I agree with the others that at the very least you should be seeing a dietician to make sure he gets a balanced diet.

I am amazed that you haven't been referred to a dietician TBH. DS2 was dairy intolerant when he was younger (he has grown out of it) and we were referred to a dietician as soon as he was diagnosed by the paediatrician. She gave us lots of advice on wheat we could and couldn't give him.

Soya milk is my suggestion. Alpro have a good range. Most or which are fortified with calcium and vitamins.

If you get the lighter one it is not so heavy. Tastes a bit odd to start with but I got used to it and Alpro is the best tasting soya milk I have had. Also Alpro do a really nice soya vanilla custard, soya cream (very very good in cooking), and soya yoghurts (in various plain and fruit flavours).

BeenBeta the OP's DS is also allergic to soya

Woops! Sorry, I read oats and cows milk but not the bit inbetween.

Gosh- if it's the protein in milk that is difficult. Homemade smoothies and sorbets is a good idea though- for nice treats (healthy too). And when he's older dark chocolate will be fine as most dark chocolate has no milk in it.

Obviously not having milk means that the main concern is providing adequate calcium. I got this list of non-milk/dairy calcium-rich foods:

Salmon, Canned, with bones, 75g; 185 mg Calcium
Rhubarb, cooked, 240ml; 174 mg Calcium
Spinach, frozen, cooked, 240ml; 138 mg Calcium
Tofu, firm, 240ml; 258 mg Calcium (no good though- soya isn't it)
Almonds, 240ml; 92 mg Calcium
Beans, boiled, baked or refried, 240ml; 50 mg Calcium
Mustard greens (don't know what these are!), cooked from fresh, 240ml; 52 mg Calcium
Orange, 1 medium 52 mg Calcium
Halibut, baked, 75g; 51 mg Calcium
Kale, fresh, cooked, 240ml; 47 mg Calcium
Broccoli, cooked from fresh, 240ml; 36 mg Calcium (a good source of vitamin D)
Bread, whole wheat, slice; 32 mg Calcium

At his age he should be having 800mg a day of calcium and when he reaches 8/9 that should be upped to 1300mg a day.

If that proves difficult or at least whilst you're getting used to new foods he could have a supplement.

Sorry if I've gone on too long. Food & nutrition is really interesting for me and because of my husband's intolerances we've had to be inventive/label-readers for years.

Best of luck
K

Hello all, and thanks for your concern.
We received the report last week and have an appointment with the doctor that requested the analysis next week, I am in no doubt that she will refer me to a dietician.

Weta, thanks letting me know, I feel better now about giving him rice milk. I have asked the doctor that made the test anyway... will see what he says.

We have been on the diet for one week and DS'S mood has improved tremendously. By the way, he has special needs - which could be the reason why his immune system is so affected.

What is the best website you have found for nice recipes? I have been googling endlessly, but there are so many websites and recipes, I am not sure where to start and which ones are nice, etc... I have been giving him really simple food this week.

Is it cassein he is allergic to? If so the SEN people might be able to refer you to some good websites, as some people swear by a cassein free diet for ASD.

Good luck!

There is a current thread talking about horse milk being available in a supermarket.

Just another point about calcium - we were advised to buy a mineral water high in calcium, and DS1 always has that (the rest of us drink tap water). Can't advise on brands as we are not in the UK but you can look on the bottles for the one with highest calcium content.

mummytime, yes it is cassien
beenabeta - wow a horse milk thread. I am not in the UK though. If they sell it longlife nexttime I go there I will get some

Hi Weta,
We sent some questions to the doctor yesterday about the calcium intake, and one of his recommendations is to use mineral water just like you say. So I am going to start buy that.

I still feel sorry for DS about no yogurt.

You may be able to find yoghurt made from rice milk in a health food shop - it's worth having a good look anyway, and I know we have had the odd rice milk dessert. I wouldn't overuse them though if he does end up drinking rice milk, or at least I would check with dietician how much total rice milk intake is ok in terms of concerns about arsenic levels and sugar content. We use soy yoghurt but that's obviously no good to you.

hi there yes I'd think you could try recipes with any juice. though I'd say jellies (with gelatine or vegetarian alternative) to be the most viable.

Another thought, you can make a 'milk' jelly with instant jelly cubes/ crystals and a milk (rice for example) on its own or mixed with pureed fruit, made up to the right volume of liquid eg if the jelly recipe says a pint of liquid make a mixture of this amount...

I agree with everyone about the dietician referral, even if the test results are accurate, this is such a big list you need some expert support to help you through.

I really like Jane Clarkes books - shes done two 'yummy baby' and 'yummy' (for past toddler age) - fantastic straightforward nutritional advice with good ideas for recipes. www.janeclarke.com/3.html