CMPI / CMPA - What on earth can I eat?!

[CallMeDaisy]

The Drs think that my 7.5 week old boy is suffering with CMPI. My dds both suffered with dairy but not to the extent my ds is. He's currently express fed and has been given Neocate for his top up feeds. Obviously I need to go dairy and Soya free for at least the next 4 weeks to see if there's any improvement. I'm just struggling to see how I'm going to get the calories I need to breastfeed when it seems everything contains dairy and/or soya. I don't eat a huge amount so have been using biscuits and chocolate just to get much needed calories in! Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks!

It's difficult isn't it. I'm dairy free due to my lb's cmpi and added in nuts, seeds and avocado to my diet to boost my energy intake. I also snack a bit more on cereal - I like almond milk, but couldn't really get away with any of the others, though I guess it just comes down to personal taste. If you can find the time you could always try baking with Vitalite or another dairy/soya free margarine -I find flapjacks are a quicky and easy one :)

Oat milk is very good. Also oatly do oat cream which is good for cooking. Coconut cream in curry etc. Dairy free baking is v easy just use vitalite instead of butter....I'm a bit addicted to brownies now (just use dark chocolate which should be dairy free if it's posh enough). Haven't found a palatable vegan cheese yet unfortunately! My lo is 6 months now and youdo get used to it!

Dark chocolate has become my saviour! Dc3 has just turned one, but I didn't get taken seriously until he started weaning at 6 months, so I admit I've lost over a stone since giving up the White stuff.

We're on oat milk. I only use it with porridge or hot chocolate. It looks too insipid and I really love milk, so couldn't face an insubstantial substitute. Meals are ok, but it's snacks that are trickier as you say. Quaker crunch bars are dairy free (golden syrup and maple& pecan) - but they do a breakfast bar which looks similar but does contain some dairy, which I nearly picked up the wrong box once. Nuts, peanut butter, homemade flapjacks, cakes- I've found vitalite better than pure for baking.

scarlett where do you get oatly cream from??? Not in our Tesco or Asda. Thanks.

It is hard and i felt some richness missing from my diet when i had to do it for 3 months but i had to give up eggs as well so at least you can have a nice yolky omelette!

Flapjacks and museli made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and nuts (soak museli for at least half hour first so everything is nice and soft).

Almond butter, cashew butter and peanut butter, and hummus are all good on toast or crackers.

Cashews and ground almonds in curries, sesame seeds in stir fry.

If you have the time make stock with chicken bones as that will have a bit of fat in it and can be frozen in ice cube trays to use in sauces or casseroles. Use chicken thighs and turkey thigh mince as it's higher in fat than breast (and tastier!)

Avocado in sandwiches or as a dip.

Coconut blocks grated into curries.

Will try to think of more if i can...

Oh waitrose do a dairy and soya free loaf with multiseeds (own brand, turquoise and clear wrapper). Also ciabatta with olives in for a bit more fat, from Sainsbury.

i found home cooking ok, it's snacks and eating out that's harder. Lindt orange intense chocolate is lovely and not too bitter (I ate milk chocolate before), lotus biscuits and biscoff spread are brilliant for snacks too, Mrs Crimbles choc macaroons, Jammie Dodgers and several other cheap 'value' biscuits are fine too. Sainsburys do boxes of 6 country fruit cake slices (normal cake aisle not free from). I've just eaten 3 I do eat healthy things too! But when you're feeding you don't always have the time or energy to bake snacks.

By the way i didn't mean use mince and thighs to make stock, i meant generally in place of breasts (think i need to go to bed, it's been a long day!)

For meals I made curry with coconut milk if I felt like I was missing out on dairy. Or steak pie (with shop bought puff pastry) if I needed some stodgy. I put extra olive oil in when making pasta sauces. Vio life cheese (a hard block like cheddar or spreadable) seems to be the best alternative as it's not soya. There are also coyo coconut yoghurt a available now - very rich but good in small quantities and excellent for tandoori chicken ??.

I don't find it tricky at all as labels very clear on allergens. Rich tea and bourbons are dairy and soya free but double check when you buy as some makes may vary. I use a coconut oil spread by biono from health food shop as prefer taste to Pure spread but personal preference. Check breads as a lot can contain soya flour but also lots that don't so just check labels. Most plain crips are ok. Snack on nuts or I eat kallo dark choloate rice cakes or nakd bars which in all supermarkets and all natural. Eating out is the hardest but is ok if you ask for no butter etc

I was dairy and wheat free for a bit while breastfeeding (doctor's advice for me rather than baby) and did struggle with calories too. Lard or dripping were useful instead of butter/margarine eg to make flapjacks or spread on toast etc. Also cheap. I ate loads of peanut butter too.

I get oatly cream from an independent health food shop but big tesco and waitrose also stock it round here.

Thanks scarlet, I'll look around and ask dh to check out tesco near his work then. Oh for a pretend carbonara or similar!

Holland & Barrett sell the oatly cream too but it's more expensive than waitrose. I've been dairy and soya free for a year now and I don't find it that difficult - it's just eating out that can be a pain. I use oatly instead of milk, Pure instead of butter and Violife "cheese". Lidl wholemeal bread is fine, and there dark chocolate is good too. It just takes ages to go round the supermarket at first.

Thanks, will check h&b in town too.

I find pure and vitalite both unpleasant, so I'm sure my cholesterol has benefitted no thick buttery toast and one more slice. Plus the oatly milk will be reducing cholesterol too! And eating dark chocolate means I don't eat as much in one sitting!

Just in case you're struggling to find bread (most supermarket loaves are made with soya flour) aldi do a white seeded loaf which is dairy and soy free

Waitrose own brand 50/50 bread is soya free.
Independent bakers should be able to confirm whether they use soya flour (most don't)
Hobnob biscuits strangely are milk free
Plain crisps, hoola hoops walkers

I cook with oatly exactly as I would milk, we have lasagne, white sauces and fish pie etc all with oatly milk

Choc custard made with corn flour, sugar and choc oatly milk.

There's lots of sorbet these days, Waitrose do lollies in their dieting range which are delicious.

We're just over 6 months into the diagnosis. And all I can say is it does get easier. You just adapt. You do have to read everything. It can get irritating when some fish fingers are dairy free but others aren't. Get some multi vitamins and as long as you make sure LO has enough calcium they'll be fine.

I sometimes have these Jaffa Cakes and they are usually around 50p a pack . This popcorn from Asda is DF but I'm not sure if it's SF. So Malty maltloaf from Aldi is DF and SF.

Sainsburys also do some really handy allergy lists.

Almonds and figs are both high in calcium, so try getting some almond butter, almonds (Lidl do some lovely roasted ones in little tins) and some dried figs so you can grab handfuls when you need a quick boost. Make sure you eat plenty of green leafy veg and take a calcium & bit D supplement too

I've been dairy free for nearly 4 weeks add my 8th old has had awful colic. All the supermarkets do a free from range and section I've found loads of snacks there. But it's amazing what they actually put milk and soya in if you start looking. Eating out isn't too bad if you like steak but I've found most restaurants really helpful, especially if you phone them in advance. I've fallen in love with coconut and oat milk. Starbucks are now doing coconut milk to so I can still go out for a coffee. Think I find hardest is getting a decent cuppa tea. Its just not the same without cows milk in it.