New to dairy free....

[Hidihihidiho]

We've just been advised by our dr to put my dd on a dairy free diet due to her eczema.
I've bought her alpro soya toddler milk and some alpro soya desserts but I am completely unimaginative when it comes to food.

Can anyone give me some ideas for a dairy free lunch/snacks?
She eats a lot of fruit and veg but mainly what some quick food ideas that are quick to throw together.
She would normally have cheese sandwiches and yoghurts but that's now out! And I'm also worried about her calcium, so need to try and get that in somehow??

Any help would be appreciated x

I would be careful substituting all the dairy with soya based products. As it is common for people with daisy allergy to also be allergic to soya. So you may not see any difference. My daughter has a calcium supplement - a chewy sweet type one. Which stops the worry about calcium intake. canned fish with bones, fortified tofu, green leafy veg are other sources.
pure sunflower is good for cooking and spreading.
oatly milk and cream are good as is koko.
There are a number of cheese substitutes. Vegusto, a rice based mozzarella, violife, and supermarket own brands.
I found it easier to just forget things about trying to be dairy.
If it just dairy you are avoiding how about
about
egg
ham
falafel
hummus
beef
sausages
wraps
Pitta
olives
chicken strips
tuna

Most supermarkets have a really good free from range.

There are a number of yoghurt alternatives. including pea and coconut they are quite expensive though.
there are some nice sorbets and ice lollies.

Zest do a good vegan pesto. Looking at vegan recipes is a good place to start. Then add meat!

Thank you for your response!

I've googled vegan receipts etc and have found a few just need to get more organised with it.
She is also having to avoid egg, not completely but can't have scrambled egg but can have egg mixed in a receipt like cake etc.
I had been warned about the possibility of a soya allergy, and so far we've seen no signs of one, but then the only signs we had of a possible dairy reaction is her skin! So if going dairy free doesn't help her skin it could be cos she has an allergy to soya!
I'm hoping her allergy tests will be done soon, Been a nightmare even getting to this point and been sent from pillar to post to get some answers!
I am worried about the whole soya thing, as ther s quite a lot of info out there that says not to give it to children. I just worry she's missing out on key nutrients for her growth and development but it's so hard to interrupt the information out there! X

My dd is dairy and soy free and we buy dairy free cheese (tastes gross to me but she loves it). We use a lot of coconut based dairy. For snacks we do rice crackers (you could add hummus to them), veggie sticks e.g carrot, toast with dairy free spread and whatever condiments. We also use leftovers from dinner for lunch as well. We found it difficult at first but 4 months on we are finally getting the hang of it. If you're worried about calcium intake talk to your doctor. That's what we did and dd now has prescription formula (she's only 13 months though so depending on your little ones age that might not be appropriate but a doctor or even dietician would be able to help you out and answer your questions like that)

What tests is she having? As far as I am aware there are not any effective non iGE tests. So you may not get any finite answers. My dd had anaphylactis from her first taste of formula at 6 months. She had severe reactions to every food we tried and couldn't swallow any thing other than breast milk til she was 14 months due to her swallow throat. She was allergic to dairy egg banana beef salmon wheat soya pulses sesame. She also had less severe reactions to many other foods. As well as cleaning products wool and dust.She was covered in eczema and swollen from head to toe. She had a lot of steroid treatment. She is now 4 and has an epipen for egg and Sesame. All other allergies have gone. She has a small amounts of eczema behind her ears. Other wise her skin is beautiful. One major change was getting rid of wool carpets. After we realised how much better her skin was after a holiday.
I would advise you to keep a diary to see if you can spot any patterns. It sounds like it could be anything. I hope that cutting out dairy makes a difference for her. How are you managing her eczema at the moment? I have some scratch sleeves and wet wrap clothes if they are of any use?
She was prescribed neocate spoon to boost her nutrition for a few years so that could be an option for you.

She will be one in a few weeks. The dr offered a prescription for a dairy free formula but the allergy nurses I saw said they don't recommend it for babies over 6 months since it tastes horrible!
She's having skin prick tests as she's had two blood tests and both times there was an error at the lab.
Currently using double base cream and a steroid cream beginning with an e which is not recommended for her age so we try and use it as little as possible!
I just get fobbed off by Drs as they think she will just grow out of it, which she might but does that mean she should suffer in the mean time?!
We have a dermatologist appointment for Feb so hoping they will be more helpful with creams that might actually work!
I try and keep a look out for patterns etc but it all seems so random! Her skin did clear up though when she had a tummy bug and she wasn't eating so I do think it's food related.
X

I agree about the formula it tastes and smells foul. neocate spoon may be worth asking for though. it is funny stuff. There is a knack to mixing it. it mixes into a bland yoghurt like constancy that you can add sweet or Savoury too. I used to add a fruit pot to it. It was great knowing she was getting some good nutrients.
When you use the steroids does it get on top of it? Don't be scared of them. I will try to find a link about steroid usage.

• etsin.org/steroid-phobia/

Our dermatologist said to use them for 7 days twice a day. with an emollient on top- keeping her as "slippery as a fish at all times." the transformation was amazing.Once she was clear we hardly had to use them. We had been told that if the 7 days hadn't worked she would have had to have gone in and have steroids by iv for a few days. This is pretty unpleasant.
Her diet definitely exacerbated her eczema but it was the steroids that managed it. She was about 9 months I think.

Try these cereal bars for a snack. You can just swap the milk for almond, hemp or oat milk in the recipe.

Like others, have said I'd watch the soya. When I first went Df I substituted a lot with soya. By day 4 I felt like I had the 'flu. Reduced the soya again and felt fine.

We are pretty much on weekend usage for the steroid cream, use it 2 days of the week. Soon as We stop using it, it flares back. It's worse behind her knees, but keeping the area moist is a problem! The skin in that area alsways seems to be quite wet, either from sweat or the skin weeping. The area bleeds a lot as well, so trying to keep it clean is a problem!
The rest of her just has little dry patches which don't bother her too much, but we try make sure she can't get to them by having her wear vests etc

Just a little tip for those having trouble getting their little ones to drink the prescription formula. We had the same problem at first and then we put a little bit of vanilla essence in with her bottles and she drank them and then as she got used to the taste we reduced the amount of vanilla gradually until there was none and it worked a treat! The prescription stuff smells way better to me than what the soy formula smelt. That stuff was foul!

if it is coming back as soon as you stop you may need a stronger steroid or to use it for longer. Do you use eczema clothing? tights soundlike they would help. you put them on after creaming. We got ours on preparation.

She's already on emovate..... not recommended for children under 12! Not sure what % it is!
I've looked at skin-eze type things, silk leggings but are so expensive and She'd need more then one pair. What other clothing is there? We have had next to no advice on how to manage her skin as she hasn't seen anyone consistently!
I don't even know what to put on it when blood is pouring down leg, I just hold a cotton wool pad on it until the bleeding stops and try and dress her quickly to stop her making it bleed again. Tried talking to a pharmacist about what to put on it to prevent infection etc and he was just going on about keeping the skin moist!
I've lost all faith in medical professionals, it seems like no one wants to help.

I don't know if dairy is the problem or not but please use the steroid cream properly. Twice a week isn't going to achieve anything tbh. As a pp said, try it properly for a week and you should see an improvement.

By all means try a dairy free diet ( mine are dairy and egg free and still have eczema..... ) but please don't be scared of the steroids. I'm guessing it's Eumovate you've got and it will probably help no end if you let it.

Also, push for a dermatology referral. Ours helped no end with cream routines etc and we got the silk clothing on prescription too.

have a look at tubifast and clinifast on eBay. there are a few on there that may be of use. I really would advise you to use the steroid twice daily and get on top of the eczema. Then hopefully the bleeding will stop. But if it gets infected that will be another layer of medication. What were you advised when you were prescribed it? I am so sorry you have not had good professional support. x

We have used all steroids twice a day for a week. The skin goes perfectly clear and then as soon as the 7 days is up it comes back. Hence we have been advised to go with weekend usage- it's a genuine management technique. I don't like them but I know we have choice and use them as I've been advised.
She has a dermatologist appointment in Feb so hoping to have more consistent care then.
We have no idea if the dairy free will do a thing but it's worth a try.
I will look on eBay for the items you mentioned I really appreciate it.

My brother has atopic eczema, he's had it his whole life. And it has pretty much ruined his life as he can't cope with it or the social stigma. So I am terrified my dd will end up the same. But all any Drs will say is it will most likely clear by the time she is three!

I appreciate all your comments and tips x

On FB there are some great support groups with loads of ideas- cmpa for weaning (not actually just weaning)
Koko or oatly generally has more calories and nutrients than soya and soya is often a trigger along side dairy
Are you under a dietician?

We've found ointments ( gloopy like Vasoline) much more effective than creams ( runnier, often come in pump dispensers) as mosturisers. You need to put it on much more thickly and more often than you first think. We use Hydromol or Epaderm and if we use them enough we can almost avoid steroid use. We put ointment on the bad bits throughout the day, and then put a really thick layer on before bed, and use close fitting PJ's or silk leggings to contain the gunge! I

My kids' skin is never completely clear though, and we use steroids on the worst bits as required.

Good luck, mosturise like mad and roll on the dermatology appt 😀

We use koko milk on cereal and ham or pate make good sandwich fillings. Vitality or Pure instead of butter. For family meals, roast dinners are popular here, also spag bol, casseroles, stir fry's. Dairy free pesto is easy to get hold of. Oreo's or party rings for a great!