Share your tips for living with food intolerance with a2 milk - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Whether you have experience of living with your own food intolerance or your child’s, it can be a difficult and confusing experience that you’ve probably now learned a lot from, and a2 milk would like to hear the tips you now have for living with a food intolerance. Maybe you’ve found foods which are surprisingly okay for you? Or sneaky foods which you thought would be fine but weren’t? Perhaps you know about places to eat out which are especially accommodating? Whatever your tips for living with food intolerance, share them with a2 milk below.

Here’s what a2 milk have to say: “If cows’ milk doesn’t agree with you, you might be astonished to learn that not all cows’ milk is the same. a2 Milk™ is healthy cows’ milk with a difference. Gentle on tiny tummies, easy to digest and less likely to trigger symptoms of milk intolerance. Our milk looks the same and tastes the same but there is one important difference - it is naturally free-from the A1 protein found in regular cows’ milk that can cause problems from bloating to indigestion to wind and even eczema. It’s 100% natural, delicious and nutritious that’s why we say ordinary on the outside – extraordinary on the inside!”

All those who share a tip for living with food intolerance with a2 milk below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher from the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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Having a toddler who has diary intolerance it has been hard to find little treats for her that do not cost the earth. Our biggest surprise was Bourbon biscuits. They do not contain milk which was a big bonus and such a shock!! Also as a family we only use dairy free butter because it actually taste nicer then normal butter. I just wish that they made a nicer diary free cheese that is not as rubbery as a bouncy ball.

The internet is your friend! There are lots of suggestions for replacing ingredients in recipes, e.g. Ways to make pancakes without flour, treats without dairy, ways to go egg free.

I am currently on an elimination diet to try and figure out which foods are impacting me and using different substitutes means I don't feel deprived.

I tried to go dairy free for a couple of weeks to see if it would help with my baby's colic, oat milk was ok because I like the taste of oats, but very watery compared to actual semi skimmed milk... and the value ginger biscuits from Tesco also are dairy free.

Check all the supermarkets' Free From sections, as they all have slightly different things. Doesn't help when that one item gets withdrawn from sale though

When my son was diagnosed with several food allergies as a baby I had no idea how I would cope.

For me the trick has been to become ultra organised:
Batch cooking at weekends so there are always at least a week's worth of dinners in the freezer.
Making stock from chicken carcass or just veg and freezing it in ice cube trays so there is always something to make a sauce/gravy.
Making and freezing little cakes so treats are available.
Buying allergy-free foods in bulk when they are (rarely) on offer. Last time Oatley was reduced I bought 8 cartons every day for a week.

I always assume that if we go out there won't be anything my son can eat so I take lunch and dinner in a cool bag. On the very odd occasion that I've tried to wing it it's led to misery and dashes to supermarkets. Even our local go to cafe changed their cooking oil last month so I can't rely on their chips anymore.

BY the way to the pp asking about cheese, morrisons do a dairy and soya free cheese made with coconut oil. I've only had It heated on a pizza so not sure what it's like cold but give that ago.

My son and husband are cows milk protein intolerant and consequently we now use goats milk. I have learnt to use goats milk in my everyday cooking, and do more cooking from scratch. The only repeated failure I've had are pancakes - it just doesn't seem to work,with goats milk, or at least not for us!

One thing I have learnt is that the free-from ranges are expensive, and alot of everyday food doesn't contain milk. You just have to scrutinise the labels carefully.

Another surprise is that most major coffee chains now stock soya milk, which makes it a lot easier for my husband when out.

My son was lactose intolerant when he was a toddler up to the age of 5 (he is now 11) we adjusted quite well by using pure margarine, rice milk, plain crisps and as a treat at a party - some party rings. I think the range of dairy free foods has now improved although I agree with earlier posts that the cost is expensive. It's worth checking the value range of supermarkets because often the omit dairy as a cost cutting measure. This keeps the cost down.

From years of dealing with lactose intolerance (it comes and goes) and now some food intolerances that the boys have I've learnt to always read the label, even if you've bought a product before. Formulations change with the wind, sometimes and those new and improved meatballs might now have parmesan in them, and hard cheese is an awful migraine trigger for both of the boys.

Definitely use the internet to find good recipes and ones that have been tried and tested. I've also seen some good recipes suggested on MN before now. I didn't know that about Oreo cookies!

Having an autistic son with lactose intolerance has been hard. When he was born he had terrible eczema, It was only when I went to the GP who suggested it maybe lactose intolerance and prescribed him special milk - and sure enough the eczema cleared up. It's getting easier every year to catered for a dairyfree diets as supermarkets/restaurants are becoming more aware. However it can be tough explaining to my now 8 year old son what he can and can't eat (when his mates are scoffing cadburys fingers etc). It's just another thing we have to factor in with his challenging behaviour related to being autistic.

My youngest son was diagnosed with cows milk protein intolerance at just 16 days old. His bowel stops working at the smallest amount of digested milk (4 failed milk challenges so far!)
It's important to read labels even if you have had the product before! Manufacturers LOVE changing ingredients!
My sons fave biscuits used to be jammy dodgers but they now contain milk!
I have found though that a lot of the value/smart price products tend to be dairy free (including Asda Jaffa cakes!)
Life is certainly easier now than it was 5 years ago though!!!

Dd2 was cmpi for a year or so after weaning. It was surprisingly ok once I had identified dairy as the culprit. One of the nicest surprised is that fixes pink wafers and party rings are dairy free. Vitalite was fab for cooking and baking. I made all our bread as most commercial breads contain dairy and made all sauces etc from scratch. The hardest thing was putting her on an exclusion diet to identify the allergen - she was dairy, soya, gluten and egg free for a while, that was tricky!

I've been coeliac for over 18 years now, and things really have changed for the better in that time - when I was first diagnosed I could only buy bread at the chemists.
My advice is to use social media all you can. The information that fish and chip shop x does gluten free the first Tuesday of the month isn't easily found unless you are in the FB group for f&c, and people are great at uploading pics of the new ranges as they come into supermarkets so you can search them out. A lot of places don't advertise well about being allergy friendly, so word of mouth is invaluable

We are fortunate in my household to not have food intolerances. However, both girls have friends who do, so I always ask when issuing invitations for tea/sleepovers.

I also make sure I have gluten free cakes/biscuits etc. for my friend when she comes round so I can offer without having to worry.

Ooh! I don't get on with lactose free milk, I wonder if this could be any different? I can hope!

The only milk alternatives I can have are oat milk or coconut milk.

I have many food intolerances ranging from severe, life threatening ones to annoying ones that make. E throw up and make eating out a nightmare. I have to look up menus beforehand or sometimes ring ahead or not even go.

Zizzi have an amazing vegan pizza which I love.

Oreos are another sneaky dairy free option.

I have followed a plant based diet for years and it has only become easier. Especially now that allergies are in the mainstream and more and more supermarkets are offering 'free from' products. I find that Sainsbury's is great at labelling everything. Whenever I fancy something animal based I often sit down and try to 'veganize' it. For me, missing my morning latte was difficult so I tried every plant based milk out there! My favorite is unsweetened almond milk - it doesn't taste like anything and can be substituted in my coffee or chai. I like M&S basic bourbon biscuitsand generally digestive, rich tea and ginger biscuits tend to be dairy and egg free. Other things like crumpets, most bread and pitta bread are also suitable. I follow a page called "accidentally vegan" on instagram and this has loads of suitably dairy free items. I like pure sunflower spread and the pip nut spreads. I bake a lot and love isa chandra moskowitz - her recipes are amazing and fairly inexpensive. I have also become amazing at researching things. I check wherever I'll be eating before I leave the house. Most restaurants have an amazingly helpful policy. Pizza Express has a vegan pizza - their dough and tomato sauce is dairy free and you're welcome to create your own with their toppings and even bring in a dairy free cheese of your liking that they'll use!!! Most coffee shops offer different types of milk. Overall, it's pretty easy once you're armed with loads of info.

DD is cow's milk intolerant and she likes almond milk as the best replacement. We can tell when she has drank cow's milk by accident as she gets a rash around the lower part of her face. Parties can be awkward as we don't want to make a fuss, but we always make sure any adults are aware of her intolerance.

I'm lactose intolerant, I was diagnosed 15 years ago with a hydrogen breath test done on the NHS. Things have got easier over the last few years as labelling has improved.
I cook most things from scratch to be sure, but I have a few cheats... 'basic' garlic bread can often be dairy free (but it changes... new packaging for a food item often means added milk or butter I find!). At the mo Aldi and Morrisons basic garlic bread are dairy free, and Home bargains naan breads are dairy free .
Agree with basic biscuits, too, like bourbons and some rich teas. Aldi and Lidl have nice dark chocolate, and Moo free is the best 'dairy' style chocolate I've found... not cheap but good for a treat. Swedish Glace ice cream is lovely and just like the real thing.

Added lactose in products that shouldn't have it is so annoying, though, like hay fever tablets, gravy granules, sausages, ham etc. And why Aldi have to put lactose and egg in most of their white wines I just do not know... no-one else puts lactose in Pinot Grigio, so why Aldi, why??!

My biggest tip would be to always check ingredients, they don't always say when they have changed the recipe so don't assume that it's fine because you have checked it in the past

Learn to love cooking. If you take nothing for granted, and approach cooking from scratch with an open mind, then DF/EF/GF/etc really is not difficult. Gets trickier if you have to cope with multiple allergies or intolerances! But still do-able. There are so many recipes online, so much you can try.

Having both a dairy intolerance and a wheat intolerance it can sometimes be hard to find alternatives to regular items which are tasty and nutritious.

I've taken to adapting and creating my own versions of foods e.g., pizza can be made quickly and healthily by taking a gluten and dairy free wrap, toasting one side, then flipping over, topping with tomato puree, ham and cheese before popping back under the grill for a few minutes. It's like a thin crust pizza but without the naughtiness and only a fraction of the calories.

Sweets can be tricky for dairy intolerance, so I make my own version of "Percy pigs" using jelly powder, gelatine and soya yoghurt. They come out amazingly well, taste great and only take 20 minutes to make in total (including setting time), win win!

My final tip would be substitution, substitution, substitution. So wanting to make a Victoria sponge for instance? Substitute the SR flour with doves gf SR flour, sub the milk for coconut/nut/soya milk and sub the butter for dairy free spread. The recipe remains the same and the end product turns out so well that no-one believes it's truly free from wheat, gluten or dairy and it always has them coming back for more 😋

I'm gluten intolerant and my tips are:

1. mainlya, try and cook things that are naturally gluten free, so for example make moussaka with aubergines rather than lasagne with gluten free pasta, and cakes that are supposed to be made with ground nuts are usually better than gf flour ones (nigellas flourless brownies are excellent).
2. when you buy free from ranges it gets v boring, so do stock up on different stuff when you get to different supermarkets, and get lots of the Christmas special ranges, as it breaks up the monotony the rest of the year.
3. have your own toaster!