Having a toddler or kid with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance can change the way your kitchen looks and functions, as well as what it holds. It involves buying everything with detailed scanning of labels and cooking dairy-free recipes with a lot of precaution. You also have to use and store stuff in a way that ensures nothing gets mixed, even accidentally.

Many people, kids, and adults are allergic to different food types like dairy, nuts, eggs, fish, etc. Symptoms of an allergy can be mild (rash, itching, or swelling) or severe (wheezing and breathing difficulty). Unfortunately, there has been no treatment for food allergies until now, and the only cure is prevention.

Dealing with food allergies at home requires a lot of work and effort. You need to make sure that your kid does not accidentally consume food that can trigger an allergic reaction, and also work extra to figure out the right meal ideas to cover the nutrients that get missed in avoiding the food to which your child is allergic.

What is milk allergy?

An allergic reaction to cow’s milk is the most common allergy found in kids and infants, with almost 2.5% of kids under the age of 3 being allergic to dairy and dairy products.

Cow milk allergies are an immune system reaction to natural proteins present in milk. The results are either mild or severe allergic reactions hence called cow milk protein allergy (CMPA). It happens when the body’s immune system reacts to milk proteins and releases antibodies that cause allergic symptoms. Some people face minor symptoms, while in others, these can life-threatening.

The severity of symptoms of milk allergy in babies and toddlers can be different for different kids. It can depend on various factors like the amount of allergen consumed or the intensity of reaction from the immune system. The only way to deal with dairy allergies is to avoid dairy consumption in all forms.

Some of the common symptoms of allergic reactions can be:

• Skin irritation
• Redness or rash
• Itching
• Coughing
• Stomach related symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach cramps
• Swelling of the throat that may lead to suffocation
• Dizziness

Milk allergy is generally diagnosed in young toddlers, and at times, in infants too. While many kids outgrow the allergy as they grow, many have to live it with for the rest of their lives and watch everything that goes in their mouth.

Milk allergy vs. lactose intolerance

Milk allergy in kids is often confused and mistaken as lactose intolerance. However, these 2 conditions are very different and should not be confused with one another. Dairy allergy, as discussed above, is an immune system reaction to milk proteins and can be deadly in some cases.

Lactose intolerance, on the other hand, has nothing to do with proteins or the immune system. Instead, lactose intolerance is when the body’s digestive system does not have enzymes to digest sugar present in milk called lactose. This makes the work of the digestive system difficult, thus causing the condition better known as lactose intolerance, symptoms of which are gas, nausea, bloating, stomach ache, and at times diarrhea.

Substitutes for dairy products

When it comes to allergies and intolerance, prevention is the only cure. If your child is diagnosed with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, you will have to remove all traces of dairy from every meal. This also means all the nutritional benefits coming from milk and milk products will have to come from other sources. Simple tweaks and replacements in the pantry list can help you deal with it.

Here’s a list of simple replacements you can incorporate in the everyday meals:

• Milk-Fortified soy milk, oat milk, almond, or any other plant-based milk make good milk alternatives for toddlers and other kids.
• Butter-Olive oil, vegetable-based margarine or shortening, plant-based oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, peanut butter are good non-dairy fat sources.
• Yogurt-soy yogurt, dairy-free yogurt
• Cheese-vegan cheese

Dairy-free recipes you should introduce to your family

Cooking for a kid with a food allergy or sensitivities is a real challenge. Some noteworthy points to keep in mind while meal planning and cooking for allergic and lactose intolerant kids include:

• Dairy is the primary source of essential nutrients in a child’s meal. It provides calcium, protein, fat, and vitamins A and B, etc. So you have to make sure to replace dairy with substitutes that also tick off these nutrition boxes.
• Most of the recipes here are effortless and dairy-free versions of our favorite recipes that kids love. As kids usually prefer food with more straightforward and uncomplicated flavors and textures, these meals have fewer ingredients and some tweaks to make it kid-palate friendly.
• Most of the recipes can be made ahead in a bigger batch and stored in the freezer to use later.
• Some of the meals include ingredients that may consist of food allergens from other food categories like soy, nuts, or seafood like prawns. If you or your child has an allergy to any of these food categories, remove it or replace it faccordingly.
• Switching to non-dairy products generally needs some effort from the kid’s side too. Dairy substitutes have a different taste, and although it is not unpleasant, it needs some time to get used to the taste. If your baby/toddler is used to the taste of milk, cheese, or yogurt, it will take some time to get familiar with the new taste and texture.
• To help with that, most of the dairy-free recipes come with a flavor (like fruit, berries, or nuts) that you can change and adjust to your child’s liking and preferences to make the transition smoother and tastier.

So here are some dairy-free recipes for kids to make this challenge a little easier for you.

Dairy-free oatmeal with berries and nuts

A 2-in-1 dairy-free breakfast recipe that you can serve as oatmeal or a smoothie. The recipe shows the procedure to make warm porridge, but if you are in a rush or if your baby prefers to drink over chewing his meal, all you need to do is put everything in a blender with some ice cubes and whip a healthy smoothie.

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk or soy milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries of choice strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry
• 2 almonds crushed or thinly sliced
• 1 tsp maple syrup optional

Instructions

• Heat almond milk in a pan. Add oats to it and stir.
• Bring it to a boil. Then simmer on a lower flame for 3-4 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Keep stirring to avoid burning.
• Remove from flame and add the mashed banana puree.
• Mashed banana should add sufficient sweetness to the porridge, but if your child needs more, drizzle some maple syrup over it. Serve with berries and nuts.

Notes

Cut berries into smaller pieces to avoid choking. You can also mash the berries and the porridge for extra natural sweetness and flavor for younger babies. 

You can also powder the nut and cook it with oats in milk to make it easier to digest for younger ones.

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Split red lentils with rice

Indian-style lentil curry; works as the best dairy-free lunch recipe for all.

Servings: 3 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 cups water or more

Instructions

• Wash the lentils and soak for 10-15 minutes. If you don't have enough time for soaking, you can skip it. It will then need more time to cook, though.
• In a pot, heat the oil. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
• Add onions and sauté for a minute. No need to brown the onions; cook until it softens.
• Add tomato and cook for another minute or two.
• Add salt and turmeric and mix well.
• Add lentils and water. Bring it to a boil.
• Lower the heat. Let it simmer covered for 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
• Adjust the amount of water depending on the consistency you desire.
• Mix it with a ladle and press gently to break the lentils. This makes the consistency smoother and thicker.
• Serve it with rice.

Notes

You can also make it runny by adding more water and feed it to weaning babies like soup.

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Hummus with vegetables

This is a perfect snack or between meals energy snack for both kids and grown-ups. Rich in protein and goodness of vegetables, it offers complete nutrition.

Servings: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup assorted seasonal vegetables celery, carrot, cauliflower, etc.
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsps lime juice
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• pepper optional
• ½ cup water or reserved liquid from chickpea can or as needed

Instructions

• Drain and wash the chickpeas thoroughly
• Chop and blanch or boil the vegetables to make them soft.
• Throw everything in a blender and give it a whirl.
• Add some water to the mix and reach the desired consistency.
• Serve it with bite-size vegetables, bread bites, or crackers.

Notes

If you wish to skip tahini, replace it with one extra spoon of olive oil or peanut butter. You can also change the vegetables to play a little with the flavor and taste.

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Dairy-free pumpkin soup with coconut milk

This recipe uses coconut milk, but I have tried it with almond milk too, and it came out delicious. You might need less water in that case, as almond milk is more watery than coconut milk.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin
• 1.5 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 tsps salt or to taste
• pepper optional
• water as needed

Instructions

• Heat a pan and add the olive oil.
• Add pumpkin puree and cook for two minutes.
• Add onions and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add coconut milk to it and stir.
• Let the mixture come to a boil. Then reduce the heat.
• Add salt and pepper. Add some water to adjust the thickness and consistency of the soup.
• Skip adding water if you desire a denser consistency for the baby,
• Let it simmer for 5-8 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

This soup goes well with bread (make sure it’s dairy-free). My kids like it with rice too!

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Prawn and mango curry

This is a Thai-style curry with no/low spices and not-so-complex flavor.

Ingredients

• 8 prawns
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 ripe mango pureed
• 2 tsps salt or as per taste
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper avoid if cooking for babies
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ cup coconut milk

Instructions

• Clean, de-vein, wash, and pat dry prawns.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Place prawns in it and let them cook for 4 minutes on each side until fully cooked.
• Remove prawns to a plate and place the same pan back on the flame.
• Add onion and garlic and sauté.
• Add tomatoes and cook. Keep mixing it with a spoon while squashing tomatoes to get a smoother sauce.
• Add salt, turmeric, and pepper, and cook for a minute.
• Pour in coconut milk and mix well. Bring the sauce to a nice boil and then simmer on low flame for a couple of minutes.
• Place prawns back in the curry and boil for one minute before removing the curry from the flame.
• Serve with rice.

Notes

Cut prawns into smaller pieces to avoid choking. Also, ensure that the child is not allergic to seafood or shellfish.

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Pasta with dairy-free pesto

Pasta is every kid's favorite food. This quick and delicious dairy-free dinner recipe is also perfect for baby-led weaning.

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup pasta of your kid's choice fusilli or spaghetti
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup pine nuts can be replaced with walnuts or sunflower seeds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsps salt or to taste

Instructions

• Boil and cook pasta as directed on the package. Remember to add a sufficient amount of salt while boiling pasta to give some taste to the noodles.
• Wash and dry basil leaves.
• Dry roast nuts for a couple of minutes and let them cool.
• Place basil leaves, nuts, and garlic in a blender jar. Add salt to it and start to blend.
• Add olive oil a little at a time until you get desired consistency.
• Place boiled pasta in a bowl, pour over some pesto, and mix well to coat pasta evenly.
• Serve warm.

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Chicken and avocado sandwich

A quick and customizable recipe for dairy-free lunch; you can replace chicken with tuna or tofu (for vegetarian/ vegan options). I have used mayonnaise for sandwich spread, but you can also substitute it with hummus that we made earlier.

Servings: 3 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 6 slices whole wheat dairy-free bread
• 3 Tbsps mayonnaise
• 6 fresh lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato sliced or chopped to small size
• 1 grilled chicken breast shredded or cubed
• 1 avocado sliced or cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Take two bread slices and cut the crust from it. You can toast the bread slices before using them, but that is optional.
• Apply ½ tablespoon mayo on each portion and set them aside.
• Take one slice of bread and place one leaf of lettuce on it. You can tear it into smaller pieces if your child prefers it that way.
• Place ⅓ of shredded chicken on it. Layer it with 2-3 slices of avocado.
• Add salt and pepper to it and layer another lettuce leaf over it.
• Cover the sandwich with the second slice of bread with mayo side down.
• Cut in half or quarters and serve.

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