On Sun, 16 Feb 1997, Jeny Walker-Hughes wrote:

> Has anyone else taken their children off of milk after years of freely
> drinking it?  What advise would you give?

Jeny,
I have been milk-free for almost as long as I can remember.  I became
lactose intolerant when I was four years old.  I want to share a couple
of ideas about growing up dairy-free.

You indicated that your daughters have a positive attitude about the
change.  I think that is great!  How old are they?  That makes a
difference in school because there are different kinds of peer pressure
at different ages.

Are your children old enough to help cook meals for the family?  If not, can
you include them in menu planning and grocery shopping?  This may allow
them to feel more involved and active in their dietary choices.  That can
help it all seem like a fun family project and not some unreasonable
burden.  It really isn't unreasonable.  There are lots of wonderful
dairy-free foods in any good health food store or even in the average
grocery store.  In addition, I feel like I have recipes for everything I
could ever want to eat and I find more dairy-free recipes all the time.  In
fact, just this morning, I found a recipe for a Vietnamese soup that I
can't wait to try.

I wish you lots of success in your change to a more healthy diet.  I hope
you will post again telling how things are going.  I want to see you brag
about the positive changes you see.

Good luck!
Amanda Ackerman