Relax!  While it can be frustrating at times, cooking without dairy can be
quite manageable and inexpensive.

But, as you learn the habit of reading labels for everything, in the
beginning you may find this frustrating.  If you already cook from scratch,
the adjustment based on what you usually eat can be easy.

If you often eat processed food, well, I found that if a prepackaged
processed food product had a (a) glaze; (b) gravy; (c) mashed potatoes, then
it had milk.  Frozen pie crusts have milk.   Most items with batter, such as
chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and the like, are likely to
have milk in them too (read the label, read the label).  Cold cuts, sausage
and hot dogs can also be problematic.  Cream soups are dicey.  Most cereal
is safe but others, like Honey Bunches of Oats, are not.  Pre-flavoured
oatmeal is often with milk.

Baked goods are tricky.  Read the labels always.  Doughnuts are 100% out.
Cookies are hit and miss.  If it doesn't have a label, don't buy it.  I bake
most of my own and my son loves it.

When we lived in the United States, we found it very difficult to find bread
without milk and became brand loyal to a few brands.  Back in Canada, most
bread IS without milk.

Soy cheese is another potential minefield.  I often put back soy cheese
because it has casein in it; why put a milk protein in a soy product is
beyond me.  We just do without.  Pizza and other cheesy dishes (lasagna,
etc.) doesn't happen here.  Life without cheese was the hardest but I don't
miss it so much now (nor the fat nor the price!).

You can substitute soy, rice or almond milk for cow's milk in most recipes.
You can use a lactose or dairy free margarine or just plain vegetable oil
for most baking.  It can be difficult to find a dairy free margarine in a
regular grocery store; Fleischmann's is one that is not too $$ and tastes
good too.  Watch out for some of the dairy free margarines though: some have
a high water content and are perfect for toast but not good for baking.

One caveat: anything that requires rolling, e.g. pie crusts, Christmas
cookies, should not be made with an oil substitute.  It will be edible but
difficult to roll and the pie crust is dense.

Stick to homemade crusts using a traditional recipe and lard: you will have
a fantastic crust; frozen commercial crusts often have milk in them.

I generally avoid desserts, however, that call for cream as soy cream is
harder to find but I did make a great pumpkin pie using soy milk and soy
cream.  But if you surf the net enough, you will find a substitute for
everything eventually, especially from vegan sites.

My son eats a wide variety of foods.  All meats - chicken, turkey, duck,
pork, beef and lamb.  Carbs are very popular: pasta, bread and couscous.
Asian cuisine is often safe so my son also has had sushi, and most Chinese
dishes (watch out for the dough in dumplings).  Lebanese cuisine is also
usually safe: falafel, couscous, shish.  Fruits and veggies are also in full
supply here.  If it's only dairy the problem, then most candy that is not
chocolate is also safe (think Halloween).

Good luck!

On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 8:26 PM, Elizabeth Cox <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> My 1 year old son has been diagnosed with a milk allergy I am learning how
> to cook not using milk dairy. I am finding it very hard if anyone has
>
> Any good recipes that a little boy might like please send them this way, or
> if anyone has any helpful suggestions with substitutes please help.
>
> Thank you for your help
>
> Elizabeth
>
> [log in to unmask]
>