Dairy free milk choices

[EclecticDream]

Our DD (13 months) has been prescribed nutramigen and hates it. Even if I cook with it she knows!

What are our alternatives? I've heard people with CMPA can also be allergic to soy milk too? Is almond milk a bit of a strong flavour?

Are there any wonderfully tasty milk alternatives?

Oat milk

Oatley (barista) was the best. Don't use organic replacement milks as they don't have calcium in them.

Thanks for the quick responses. That's brilliant.

Is oat milk/oatley easy to find?

I'm going to have to go shopping tomorrow. She's pretty much refused to eat everything today.

My lactose intolerant child can only tolerate a limited amount of soya milk, oaty milk is the replacement we use the most.

Tesco sell oaty milk, shelf not fridge. M&S do an oaty drink too.

Oat milk is very easy to find in supermarkets. I like Oatly.

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/268421638

My DS had Nutramigen. Then went onto Infasoy if I recall. Now he drinks choc Soya milk Alpro Soy .

Plant milks that you buy in the supermarket aren't suitable for under threes if I remember rightly. If your baby doesn't like the nutramegen, which assume is a type of formula, you should speak to the doctor about what else you can try.

Most supermarkets stock oat milk so it should not be a problem
It does not need to be refrigerated unless opened so you can stock up easily too
My youngest grandson has it as he has CMPA and was on Nutramigen since a few months old
He’s 4 now but still prefers oat milk to cows milk even though he is now able to eat normal dairy products without reaction

My dc have milk & soya allergies and 1 is celiac too. Youngest is also on nutramigen - I've found almond a strong flavour to cook with not a fan of cooking with oat either, I now use rice milk ☺

It does not need to be refrigerated unless opened so you can stock up easily too
This only applies to the UHT ones. I buy an oat milk that needs to be refrigerated.

Mine can't have soya either. He drinks Oatly Barista, it's more creamy than normal oat milk great in coffee too! You can get it in online shops (I use Tesco's) and my local Sainsbury's sells it. They also do oat based custard, cream, creme fraiche..

Another vote for oat milk. The brand Oatly also makes a great oat custard, single cream and a creme fraiche.

I also quite like KoKo coconut milk. It's not as strong as the Alpro brand coconut one and has added calcium.

I did not think that young children should be given rice milk
Look at the guidelines
Oat milk is far better

From the oatly website...

^It is not unusual to see soya allergy in people who are also allergic to cows’ milk (1,2,3). All of our products are dairy free and also free from soya.

Oatly oat drinks – Original, Chilled or Barista Edition can be used in cooking for most babies after 6 months of age. Normally they are suitable as the main drink after 2 years of age, however, following a dietetic assessment it may be decided that they are suitable after 1 year of age.^

I'll need to arrange to see the GP or paediatrician after Tuesday but I think I'll give it a go tomorrow as we're getting desperate.

We thought if she got hungry enough she'd start taking the formula but she'd rather starve.

Ive got CMPA and I can’t have Soya milk either, makes me feel like I’ve got the ‘flu. According to the NHS Rice milk isn’t advised for under 5s due to the arsenic content.. They also advise that you look for unsweetened, calcium enriched alternative milks.

You might also need to replace the fat in her diet. Girls can have oily fish upto twice a week. Things like sardines on toast or fish cakes made with tinned salmon with bones will be good sources of fat to help her grow but will also help her reach her calcium needs

If you do want to give the formula another go, some people try adding vanilla essence or Nesquik.

Thanks for that advice. It's really helpful.

I'll see if we have any vanilla essence shoved at the back of a cupboard somewhere. If that doesn't work I'll give the oat milk a try.

Didn't even think about the fat!!

Our other child is anaphylactic to fish so meal times are going to be a gauntlet!!

Our other child is anaphylactic to fish sounds like you’ve got your work cut out.

For the fat, you could try adding olive oil to pasta dishes or mashed potato. For the calcium, there are some suggestions of sources here along with daily requirements

We're that fun family in restaurants with the allergy folder .

Older child is classic prem baby with multiple allergies. No idea where DD got CMPA from, I really hope she outgrows it... because ... cheese!!

Thanks so much for the links and advice.

Hey, my LO was allergic to milk proteins and soya. She used to have coconut milk and loved it. She was weaned at 17months from being ebf on to this and she thrived. I slowly introduced these back into her diet, if she had any reaction I'd wait a month and try again and now she's just gone 4 and can eat anything. Hope your LO grows out of it and good luck

I’m with you on the allergy folder. I was offered white chocolate today by DFIL because, well milk chocolate has milk in so do you want the white?

I don’t actally like cheese, think I’ve developed an aversion to it. Are you planning on giving her cheese substitutes? Although milk from other animals aren’t advised, I can stomach percorino occasionally so carbonara is still on the menu

Getting fat into the diet was the main thing I remember from out dietician when dd was diagnosed.
She suggested salt and shake crisps- without the salt packet obviously. Lots of dairy free spread in her mash potatoes and things like scrambled eggs and on toast, fruit bread or sandwiches.

@lmmummy how long before you started reintroducing food?

@JiltedJohnsJulie I am winging it so far with the dairy free. I have no idea about diary free alternatives. It's just a massive mine field! My mother has thrown herself into diary free recipes though so we're getting there.

I need to follow up with the paediatrician to see about fats and calcium etc if she's not taking the formula. Although I did just read on the back of the formula box something about "it tastes different so give your baby time to get used to it". Hopefully the vanilla essence will help.

have you tried it, the milk its like potatoe starch. its vile no matter what you mix it with. also you have to roll the bottle to mke not shake. i used to be sick making it. my child hated.