Wheat and Milk allergy -where to begin?

[cckwmh]

DD was just diagnosed with a wheat and milk allergy. I am VERY lucky that it is a moderate allergy and does not cause anaphylaxis. DD is 7, and in first grade. Starting tomorrow the family is wheat and milk/dairy free. Any suggestions on good tasting alternatives? Any suggestions on good sites or books??

Thanks!

[Nooknookmom]

DD2 was MSPI (slight corn too) it seemed to get better around 3-4 but has resurfaced (mainly dairy). I don't have a book to recommend but I can say read labels on EVERYTHING bc it is hidden. Arm yourself with terminology, dairy comes in different forms and is found in the oddest things that you never would think it would be in.

You will find a lot of rice based products to replace wheat.

Hopefully the allergy will be outgrown...that said DD's is resurfacing.

You never know-good luck to you both!

[bigsis]

My DS has allergies to wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts and shellfish. Luckily, it does not result in anaphylaxis shock either. He just throws up and has hives.

Trader Joe's has brown rice pasta. It's $1.99 instead of double for Whole Foods. I cook regular pasta for the rest of the family and do a separate pot for him. Obviously, be careful with cross-contamination. Make sure you use separate ladles, spatula, etc. Make sure you sterilize between use.

I cook a lot of Mexican food: rice, beans, meat, corn tortillas, salsa. I avoid Italian food--everything is wheat and dairy. I avoid Asian food---soy sauce has wheat.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

[MamaMolly]

www.kidswithfoodallergies.org Start there. They have forums, recipes, great links, etc.etc.etc. I have some more sites on DH's laptop. I'll edit later and add them! :)

I agree that the hardest thing is going to be the learning curve when reading labels. It is going to be overwhelming at first, but you can do it. It just takes a LOT of time.

I'd chat with her classroom teacher asap and let them know. Ask if you can keep a small container of safe pre-packaged snacks in the room for things like birthday parties.

Playdoh contains wheat, I'm not sure if your DD has a contact allergy or not. Moon sand is wheat free.

[Katigre]

If you are what free and milk free then you might find the paleo diet to work well for your family. There are tons of boats and links on Longstreet to get you started. One common misconception is that paleo is heavy on the meat but that doesn't have to be the case. We are wheat free dairy free paleo eaters and go through about 4 lbs of meat TOTAL per week. We're much heavier on vegetables and do lots of soups /salads and one meal of fish per week instead.

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[marymoo86]

In my experience it is just easier to have the family eat the same thing. It will be an adjustment at first but will be worth after awhile.

Google allergy free and you should get a lot of results recipes.

One of my faves is : http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/allergy-free-wednesdays

There are a lot of flours/starches that you can use to replace wheat. We use coconut milk but a lot of folks use almond milk as well. I haven't noticed much in taste difference for cooking. I don't drink either though.

[wendibird22]

Wegmans has some very good, thorough info on their site about allergy diets and gluten. http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&identifier=CATEGORY_2941

Celiac.com is great for articles, info, lists of do's/don'ts and also has an informative online community (though not as fun as the BBB!): http://www.celiac.com/ Many of the posters are GF, dairy free, soy free, etc etc as it is very common to have multiple sensitivities with celiac.

Some sites for recipes: http://www.adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

I have this cookbook on my kindle and she does dairy free options for every recipe: http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Mix-Doctor-Bakes-Gluten-Free/dp/0761160981/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357565211&sr=1-1&keywords=gluten+free+cake+doctor. Very helpful for treats for kids parties, school, etc. I've made several of the recipes and my "normal" eating family can't tell the difference.

[mytwosons]

We really prefer corn pasta to rice. TJs also carries corn pasta for a very low price.

We were dealing with additional allergies....we used Earth Balance spread instead of butter, but you might be able to find other dairy-free margarines for cheaper.

We used spectrum shortening for baking.

Udi's bread and bagels are good. I think they are dairy-free, but double-check.

GF items are so much more readily available now than even 2 years ago. Many are also DF.

You can google how to make your own GF playdough, but we also loved Floam (IIRC).

[Melbel]

Our 3 CC went Dairy and Gluten free this summer after blood testing showed sensitivity (apparently common in Lyme due to inflammatory response).

You have already received good advice for sites, so I will list a few of our favorite substitutes:

GF Bisquick
Bell & Evans GF Chicken Nuggets/Strips from Whole Foods (most of the other brands tasted liked cardboard)
Glutenfreeda's Instant Oatmeal
Whole Food's Brand Unsweetened Vanilla Milk
Earth Balance spread (replaces butter)
Udi's Bread
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Justin's Hazelnut Butter Blend (healthier DF version of Nutella)
Applegate Farms Lunch Meat (or some Boar's Head)

Un-breaded meat, vegetables and fruit are all safe bets.

Here is my Pinterest Board (some are only GF, some only CF others are both GFCF, so you may need to make substitutions: http://pinterest.com/melissabfl/gluten-and-casein-free-recipes/

There is a GF (Tamari) soy sauce that tastes just like the regular version.

[cckwmh]

Thank you all so much!!! I am a bit overwhelmed, but day one went ok. I think i spent hours in trader joes on sunday night reading every label. DH and I are also going to follow her diet - i think it will be harder on DH than DD!! Lots of reading to do!