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Alternatives to MILK!

October 23, 2008

With all the talk now about food allergies and intolerances, many parents are wondering how important milk is in their children’s diet, and if the child cannot drink milk, what is a good healthy subsitute.
Avoiding dairy products can be for a variety of reasons, including lactose intolerance, casein intolerance, a milk allergy or a vegan lifestyle. Surprisingly, 80% of the population has a mild but chronic allergy to dairy despite the general consensus that children need milk to grow. In fact, it may not be so surproisng at all- cows milk is milk made by another mammal! Why would humans consume another mammals milk instead of their own?


Dairy products also increase the production of immune-related mucous in your body. I always tell my families that if their child has a cold or an ear infection to reduce if not eliminate dairy form the diet, at least temporarily. In a Georgetown University study, 86% of children’s ear infections studied improved after dairy was removed from their diet.

So what is a dairy allergy versus a lactose intolerance:
Dairy allergy, or milk allergy, refers to an immune-mediated allergic reaction caused by a protein component of milk, namely casein protein or whey protein. Dairy is one of the eight most common allergens in the United States, and as such, current food labeling laws require that the presence of milk be clearly marked on ingredient labels.

Lactose is the sugar in milk that causes an intolerance- this means that the body is not making antibodies to the lactose sugar but the body just cannot digest the lactose because the body lacks an enzyme known as lactase. The symptoms are bloating, indigestion, and diarrhea.

Subsitutes for MILK:

  • 1. Lactose-Free Milk
    Lactose-free milk is only suitable for people with lactose intolerance; it contains the same proteins as milk and is just as allergenic for people with dairy allergies.
  • 2. Goat Milk and Other Ruminant Milk
    Goat, sheep, and other ruminant milks contain similar proteins to cow’s milk and are considered to have a high degree of cross-reactivity so children with cow’s milk allergy are just as likely to react.
  • 3. Soy Milk
    The most widely available dairy-free milk alternative is soy milk, which is high in protein and nutritionally a good subsitutute. However, there is an ongoing debate about the effect of the phyto-estrogens found in soy milk so it is important to monitor the volume of intake.
  • 4. Rice Milk
    Unlike soy and nut milks, rice milk is not allergenic, but because it is low in protein, it does not make a good nutritional replacement for milk unless heavily fortified
  • 5. Nut Milks
    Almond milk is among the most common nut milks. Like soy milk, nut milks are high in protein. Nuts are also high in “good fats” and Vitamin E. However, nuts are a common allergen herself.
  • 6. Oat Milk
    Oat milk has a moderate amount of protein, however Oat milk may not be suitable for those with celiac disease, who may be sensitive to avenin protein found in oats.
  • 7. Hemp Milk
    Like Oat Milk, Hemp Milk is less widely available and has a protein level between that of rice and soy milk.
    What does milk have that is so important?
    Be especially aware of calcium, protein, and vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are found in abundance in dairy products. Here are some suggestions for dairy-substitutes that provide good sources of nutrition:
    • Tofutti Sour Supreme, Better than Cream Cheese, and Nondairy Frozen Desserts
    • Imagine Creamy Soups, all of which are nondairy
    • Amy’s Kitchen frozen and ready-to-eat foods

Posted by NatalieGeary | Filed Under Nutrition 

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