So how hard is it to go dairy free?

[pointydog]

I am contemplating bringing in a milk free diet in a week or so's time.

I realise I'll need to look for alternatives for milk, butter and cheese. Are they easy to find? Are they tasty?

Am I about to have the worst couple of months of my life?

(we like the occasional mcd)

angel cake is that cake with a pink layer, yellow layer, white layer.

tis quite sickly, but hell, tis cake, and another option, which when diet is limited, tis THRILLING

lol I could tell

I'm trying to go back to the days of dairy free

if you are looking for meals, stews and roasts were a fave. And stir fries. It's actually easier to avoid dairy in main meals then desserts I think.

I hope it shows some difference in her eczema pointy. Dd's eczema disappeared when she became egg/soya/milk free but to be fair, she had full blown allergies to them so I guess a drastic improvement would have been expected.

Wagamama are good for DF eating out. Last time I checked everything was DF except for the desserts.

Burger King and McD both have detailed lists of allergens etc in all their products, and there are DF things there as well.

PC - McD don't do that allergen list any more, most annoyingly. Now you have to ask the server whether whatever you want contains dairy or not, and if you're lucky they might know or be able to find out .

Last time I was in McDs they produced a printed allergy info sheet so I could check, I wonder why they have stopped doing that?

this morning we had pure on toast to see if it would melt. It did a bit but it tasted of nothing, absolutely nothing. I think spreads are like that, aren't they.

And dd2 refused cereal, I think because she's so disappointed with rice milk in it.

dh was a swine and sneakily produced chocolate last night after the dds were in bed.

Mc D have all their allergy info on the back of the tray liner. I think it's just the hamburgers that are dairy+egg free (and apple pie bizarrely).

In Burger King I know i can have the bean burger without the cheese.

I tend to end up with flapjacks when we're out (if I can find anything at all). Even the National Trust now sell dairy free flapjacks and serve soya milk.

i would avoid spread altogether - they are all yuk imo
have things on toast that don't need butter as well eg peanut butter, hummus, tartex pate is good

i only drink soya milk and there are several brands of soya milk i can't stand
a sweetened one is much nicer imo - and i can sympathise about the milk colour being wrong - i can't drink oatly in my tea because it makes it too grey

try nut, sweetened soya, oat milks? you will find one that's ok

and i wouldn't try to eat out until you have got the hang of it and scouted for places that have food you like
a fry up tends to be ok and lots of cafes serve? or baked potato (ask for no butter) with beans and coleslaw, that has saved me quite a few times

2 weeks in DF for 6 yr DS, hes had chronic diahorrea for nearly 2 years now, up to 6 accidents a day We are waiting for hospital appointment (think its about 5 weeks away now ...) We did GF for him and it made no diff, so Paed eventually referred us to specialist in Leeds and told us to reintroduce Gluten and do DF for a couple of weeks so when we see speacialist we can say we;ve tried it. DS also allergic to egg white and intolerant of tomatoes/onions.

McD is a life saver when out. Breakfast he has dry - hates the soya milk. Or a bacon sandwich on dry toast. Loves Alpro yoghurts but hates the Alpro desserts. I'm going to make him some iced fingers in my breadmaker later using soya milk powder. I cook him pasta and toss it in garlic oil and serve with chopped parsley - he loves this. Luckily he is a fruit and veg monster and eats pretty much everything put in front of him and because of other allergies I've always cooked from scratch. Got him some coconut rings today but not told him yet

The swedish glace stuff is fab - bought the neapolitian flavour today (Morrisons) ! The DF choc tastes like choc from pound shop

I take on board what you are saying, fran, it's just hard for a 10 yr old who enjoys butter and milk as part of so many meals. toast, butter and jam; cereal with milk; macaroni cheese; grated cheese on homemade french bread pizzas; chocolate at the weekend; home made shortbread etc etc etc.

We have just made some shortbread with olive spread (partly to use it up as we prefer Pure now we have tried it). bleurgh. And tonight's tea is indeed baked potatoes with baked beans (dd2 doesn't like tuna mayonnaise or anything mayonnaise ).

I know I am moaning. I know I hvae to stop. But we just love butter and cheese and milk as ingredients.

Do all types of soya milk curdle/ split when you put them in coffee? I only like one kind of soya milk and it always does that when I add it to something hot. Just wondering if it is the brand or because it is what soya milk does.

Pointy, it is v hard to give up cheese and butter and milk if they are things that you love to eat. Especially when they seem to be such an integral part of our diet. I have been out several times recently to places with very extensive menus only to find that there was nothing i could eat other than a wedge of lettuce.

superbunny - The curdling soya milk depends on the brand I think.

I use the organic longlife vanilla alpro soya in coffee. I put my espresso pot on the hob and then gently heat the milk so that it's not going into the coffee cold.

Have tried doing the same with other soya milks but end up with curdling

pointydog - maybe you should change the way that you're looking at the whole experience.

Instead of focusing on the taste aspect, you could see it as an opportunity to broaden your childrens palettes and explore new recipes etc.

Butter, cheese etc are indeed very tasty, but are high in saturated fats. Cutting down on them (and switching to products with lower sat fat amounts) will make for a healthier diet.

Putting the soya milk in coffee/tea first - before hot water - may help with curdling (possibly).

Coconut milk and anything peanuty are good as cooking ingredients as they pack a punch of fat and flavour. Sesame oil is nice.

Also stuff like grilled pumkin or sunflower seeds with big crusty bits of rock salt, either as a snack or sprinkled on salads or stir fries.

And those small pimiento green chilies (look like small green peppers) - roasted with rock salt or salt flakes. In fact most roasted veg is satisfying.

Have a look at Thai and Chinese recipes too for inspiration, most are dairy free.

Milk in first is a good idea, thanks.

if you want dairy free and live near london, manchester, leeds or glasgow you can go to a kosher shop (tescos also have a kosher range) and look for the word parve or parave, it means completely dairy free. you can get wide range of ice cream, chocolate, cake, you name it. in the shops you can ask someone who works there to help you

good god i didn't stop moaning while df
i am just trying to pass on what i have gleaned
i don't like cow's milk as a drink which helped me
but you can take some short cuts hopefully and miss out trying the crap, and go straight to the swedish glace and the booja boojas

well, I have done a little bit of palette-broadening, silverfox. The cocunut milk based korma was lovely and quite radical a family meal as dd1 has always refused curries before.

You made me feel a bit like narrow-minded saturated-fat ridden pasty-skinned lard arse. But I know you didn't mean it

I haven't seen those booja boojas, fran, and I have certainly looked

I am putting rice milk in my coffee. It doesn't really colour it and I am not too enamoured with the taste but it doesn't curdle.

oh coconut milk, what a good idea. i bet it was delicious

pointy you don't get most of this stuff in supermarkets
i know it would be easier but there it is unfortunately

yes, it was jamie oliver's good idea and I have loved him for ages.

So far, I have bought everything I need or desire in supermarkets (apart from boojas natch). I have been surprised and quite impressed.