Dairy-Free Rice Mac & Cheese?

[Minette]

My 7 year old DD was diagnosed last spring. She has been gluten free for ~7 months, and now may need to go off dairy and eggs too, at least for a few months. (Her immunologist said she doesn't have to be completely dairy- and egg-free, but to avoid eating them straight up or in large amounts.)

She subsists largely on Amy's boxed rice mac & cheese. The only dairy-free rice mac & cheese I've found is also Amy's, but frozen. Does anyone know of any alternatives?

I know we need to get her eating more foods, but we also need a reliable fallback food... Just about everything she eats contains cheese.

[nvsmom]

Daimyo makes a good shredded cheese substitute. It melts well but needs more mixing than regular cheese would. I've used it on pizza, on chilli, and on noodles. You could try it on a gluten-free/egg free noodle with earth's balance (instead of butter) and a milk alternative.

[StephanieL]

I have a great mac and cheese recipe for you. Free of gluten, dairy, egg, peanut and tree nuts. I can send it to your inbox if you are interested.

[Kelleybean]

There are a couple of boxed brands at my local health food store - sorry I can't remember the names. But I thought they tasted really bad. Amy's frozen was better. Can she do nuts? I do either the "Oh Geez Mac and Cheese" from Chocolate Covered Katie or the "5 minute mac and cheese" from Spunky Coconut. Both use nuts as their base. I should tell you that it doesn't taste exactly like mac and cheese, but still really yummy. My super picky 4 year old eats it.

[Juliebove]

Daughter liked the Mac and Chreese. I didn't. Tasted to me of mustard but then she likes mustard. I often put ham cubes in it and I think that makes it better. If you like ham. Which I don't. I preferred the Say Cheeze but husband wouldn't eat that because it had hemp seeds in it.

You can also make your own with whatever faux cheese you like. I kind of like Daiya but I have to eat it in limited amounts. It doesn't exactly taste like cheese to me. There is a new cheese on the market but I haven't tried it.

Open Original Shared Link

[jacksonsmummy]

I make a great Mac and Cheese ! I use rice pasta spirals and then melt goat cheese with natures balance butter substitute and some sea salt. It tastes like the Annie's my son always loved! Goat cheese and milk is great, tastes almost exactly like cows milk but no allergy issues!

[StephanieL]

I make a great Mac and Cheese ! I use rice pasta spirals and then melt goat cheese with natures balance butter substitute and some sea salt. It tastes like the Annie's my son always loved! Goat cheese and milk is great, tastes almost exactly like cows milk but no allergy issues!

98+% of kids with a cow milk allergy are also allergic to goat milk/cheese. It isn't a good idea to try it without an allergists go ahead because of this high likelihood of cross reaction.

[thegirlsmom]

98+% of kids with a cow milk allergy are also allergic to goat milk/cheese. It isn't a good idea to try it without an allergists go ahead because of this high likelihood of cross reaction.

Interesting! Anyone know about sheep cheese? What symptoms does your child have with dairy?

[nicolebeth]

Do you know if it's casein or lactose? Our household can tolerate butter (at least, the pastured butter) well, but we seem to have issues with milk, cream, yogurt, cheese, etc. Some of the substitute products taste better with actual butter (like the Chreese). Amy's also does a boxed dairy-free/gluten-free. We found it at Whole Foods. It got mixed reviews from my three kids. (Two liked it; the little one did not like it.)

 

We've also mixed Daiya cheese with butter (or olive oil) and a little almond milk. I don't love it, but the kids think it's great.

[StephanieL]

Interesting! Anyone know about sheep cheese? What symptoms does your child have with dairy?

It's about the same for sheep/goat/cow from what I recall of the study.  

 

I'm not the OP but my child is anaphylactic to cows milk. On advice from our allergist we haven't ever tried the others.

[Hala]

This might not be in supermarkets where you live but there's probably an equivalent.
Open Original Shared Link

It's really easy as a quick sauce for when you're feeling lazy. Just heat it up with water and vuala, instant dairy-free 'cheese' sauce .
It's got quite a mature taste but I think a 7-year-old would be okay with it. Tastes like real cheese too!

[jacksonsmummy]

My son is not allergic to milk but because his gut is a mess he can't tolerate it. Goats milk is the closest milk to human as far as digestability and he tolerates it beautifully! Of course one should never introduce a new food with out supervision.

[jacksonsmummy]

This was the article I read and brought to my pedi when I was looking for a substitute for the cows milk, there is a lot of good information out there and fortunately tons of milks! I bake with rice, coconut, almond, sunflower... each one has something a bit differently nutrition wise but my son doesn't like the taste of any but the goats. I bake with the others trying to get more nutritional variety in to him!

 

Benefits of Goat Milk vs. Cow Milk

by Open Original Shared Link on AUGUST 20, 2010

 

Happy free range goats.

“Milk, it does a body good.” This was the marketing mantra employed by the cow industry in the 1980’s to boost interest in cow’s milk. The campaign was wildly successful and as a result, The Dairy Farmers of America have reported sales topping 11 billion dollars in 2007. But does the overwhelming popularity of cow’s milk in the United States signify that it really is the best? Should we assume that quantity equates quality when referring to a substance that is such an integral part of our food supply? Interestingly enough, when worldwide consumption of milk is taken into account, it is not cow’s milk that is most popular but goat’s milk.

In fact 65% of the milk consumption worldwide is from goat’s milk, and this popularity hasn’t come about due to high profile marketing campaigns or big-budget advertisements.

The reasons for the worldwide popularity of goat’s milk are multifaceted. First, we need to remind ourselves that “All milk is not created equal.” The differences between cow’s milk and goat’s milk may not seem apparent upon first examination. A closer look, however, reveals several key factors that play an integral part in how milk (from either cows or goats) matches up with the human body in its various stages. All humans have been created to be sustained entirely upon mothers’ milk for at least the first six months of life. There is no other food in the world better than mothers’ milk, and it truly shows both in the laboratory and the real world. But what about after these first few months are over, and one is faced with the rest of life? Why would someone choose goat’s milk products over the far more popular and accessible cow’s milk?

Here are 5 reasons goat milk is better than cow milk.

 

1. Open Original Shared Link

2. Open Original Shared Link

3. Open Original Shared Link

4. Open Original Shared Link

5. Open Original Shared Link

1. Goat milk is less allergenic.

In the United State the most common food allergy for children under three is cow’s milk. Mild side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes and severe effects can be as serious as anaphylactic shock! Needless to say it is a serious condition. The allergic reaction can be blamed on a protein allergen known as Alpha s1 Casein found in high levels in cow’s milk. The levels of Alpha s1 Casein in goat’s milk are about 89% less than cow’s milk providing a far less allergenic food.  In fact a recent study of infants allergic to cow’s milk found that nearly 93% could drink goat’s milk with virtually no side effects!^{Open Original Shared Link}

2. Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized.

If you were to place both a glass of fresh cow’s milk as well as fresh goat’s milk in the refrigerator overnight, the next morning you would find that while the goat’s milk looks exactly the same, the cow’s milk has separated into two distinct ‘phases’ of cream on the top and skim milk on the bottom. This is a natural separation process that is caused by a compound called agglutinin and it will always cause the cow’s milk to separate. As Americans, we like everything neat and tidy and so to get the milk to the consumer in a uniform manner, the dairy industry utilizes a process called homogenization. This method works by forcing the fluid milk through a tiny hole under tremendous pressure which destroys the fat globule cell wall and allows the milk and cream to stay homogeneous or suspended and well mixed.

The problem with such homogenization is that once the cell wall of the fat globule has been broken, it releases a superoxide (free radical) known as Xanthine Oxidase. (see picture) Now free radicals cause a host of problems in the body not the least of which is DNA mutations which often lead to cancer! Thus, the benefit of natural homogenization comes into clear view. Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules and does not contain agglutinin which allows it to stay naturally homogenized thus eliminating the dangers associated with homogenization.

3. Goat’s milk is easier to digest.

Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules as well as higher levels of medium chain fatty acids. This means that during digestion, each fat globule and individual fatty acid will have a larger surface-to-volume ratio resulting in a quicker and easier digestion process. Also, when the proteins found in milk denature (clump up) in the stomach, they form a much softer bolus (curd) than cow’s milk. This allows the body to digest the protein more smoothly and completely than when digesting cow’s milk.

4. Goat’s milk rarely causes lactose intolerance.

All milk contains certain levels of lactose which is also known as ‘milk sugar.’ A relatively large portion of the population suffers from a deficiency (not an absence) of an enzyme known as lactase which is used to, you guessed it, digest lactose. This deficiency results in a condition known as lactose intolerance which is a fairly common ailment. (Lactose intolerance and cow’s milk allergy (cma) are two distinct conditions. CMA is due to a protein allergen, while lactose intolerance is due to a carbohydrate sensitivity.)

Goat’s milk contains less lactose than cow’s milk and therefore is easier to digest for those suffering from lactose intolerance. Now the interesting aspect to consider is that goat’s milk isn’t much lower than cow’s milk (contains about 10% less than cow’s milk) and yet, countless lactose intolerant patients are able to thrive on goat’s milk. Although the answer for this is unclear, it has been hypothesized that since goat’s milk is digested and absorbed in a superior manner, there is no “leftover” lactose that remains undigested which causes the painful and uncomfortable effects of lactose intolerance.

5. Goat’s milk matches up to the human body better than cow’s milk.

This matter is both an issue of biochemistry as well as thermodynamics. Regarding the biochemistry of the issue, we know that goat’s milk has a greater amount of essential fatty acids such as linoleic and arachidonic acid than cow’s milk as well as significantly greater amounts of vitamin B-6, vitamin A, and niacin. Goat’s milk is also a far superior source of the vitally important nutrient potassium which we discussed in a previous High Road to Health issue. This extensive amount of potassium causes goat’s milk to react in an alkaline way within the body whereas cow’s milk is lacking in potassium and ends up reacting in an acidic way.

Thermodynamically speaking, goat’s milk is better for human consumption. A baby usually starts life at around 7-9 pounds, a baby goat (kid) usually starts life at around 7-9 pounds, and a baby cow (calf) usually starts life at around 100 pounds. Now speaking from a purely thermodynamic position, these two animals have very significant and different nutritional needs for both maintenance and growth requirements. Cow’s milk is designed to take a 100 pound calf and transform it into a 1200 pound cow. Goat’s milk and human milk were both designed and created for transforming a 7-9 pound baby/kid into an average adult/goat of anywhere between 100-200 pounds. This significant discrepancy, along with many others, is manifesting on a national level as obesity rates sky rocket in the U.S.

To conclude, we have seen that goat’s milk has several attributes that cause it to be a far superior choice to cow’s milk. Goat’s milk is less allergenic, naturally homogenized, easier to digest, lactose intolerant friendly, and biochemically/thermodynamically superior to cow’s milk. As if these benefits were not enough,Open Original Shared Link do not contain any growth hormones or antibiotics that massive cow dairies have come to rely upon to turn a profit! So to sum up and paraphrase the cow industry catchphrase: “Goat Milk: It Does a Body Good.

Thomas R. Cooke, Doctor of Osteopathy; Graduated in 1976 from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. For over thirty years Dr Cooke has been caring for patients in a culture of holistic treatment, practicing a preventative illness approach, while teaching and encouraging patients the importance of wellness care.

1. Freund G. Use of goat milk for infant feeding: experimental work at Creteil (France). Proceeding of the meeting Interets nutritionnel et dietetique du lait de chevre. Niort, France: INRA, 1996:119–21

[Minette]

(OP here...) My daughter is not allergic to dairy or eggs, and her gut seems to tolerate them fine. But based on her blood testing, the immunologist said she reacted to them very slightly (still within the normal range, but not zero). So he recommended significantly reducing them. It was actually not a celiac or allergy thing at all, but rather an attempt to calm her immune system to see if that might help her anxieties.

 

We did try for several weeks after I posted (the original post was 2 months ago), but without being told to absolutely cut it out, it is a slippery slope and it's largely crept back in to her diet. I never made any changes to my baking. The only change that really stuck was that she's now eating soy yogurt (which she likes) and not eating scrambled eggs (which she didn't like anyway). But she said she feels exactly the same on dairy/eggs vs. off them.

 

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions!

[stanleymonkey]

Our daughter had an allergy to milk. She outgrew it but we limit it. To help her system we rotate between non dairy milks and cows milk. Try almond yogurt yummmmmmy!

We also mix daiya gluten-free dairy and soy free cheese with regular cheese in things.

Baking changes the molecular structure of egged and milk so you don't need to worry about baking. Our allergist said most people with milka and egg allergies can tolerate them in baked goods. Our daughter never could but she was anaphylactic.

If you create a rotation system it should help

[Juliebove]

Interesting! Anyone know about sheep cheese? What symptoms does your child have with dairy?

I have had to avoid any cheese from any animal source.  All make me equally sick.  Not an allergy but an intolerance.  I get big D.