Where Soy is Lurking

I found this from a helpful allergy/breastfeeding website. Wanted to post it here!

SOY FREE DIET

Avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:

miso
shoyu sauce
soy (flour, grits, nuts, milk, sprouts)
soybean (granules, curd)
y protein (concentrate, isolate)
y sauce
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
tofu Ingredients that MAY indicate the presence of soy protein:
flavorings
hydrolyzed plant protein
hydrolyzed soy protein
hydrolyzed vegetable protein
natural flavoring
vegetable broth
vegetable gum
vegetable starch Studies show that most soy allergic individuals may safely eat products containing soy lecithin and soy oil.

Chicken Francese (yummy and easy!)

This is a staple in my kitchen for dinner. I usually thicken it with butter, but dairy and soy free just requires adding in a little extra flour to thicken the juices. Plus, it's much healthier this way! I can make this meal in less than 20 minutes. So easy!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. Imagine soy-free Chicken Broth
1/4 c. white cooking wine
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 eggs
salt
pepper
olive oil
all-purpose baking flour
4 cups cooked brown or white rice

Heat olive oil in a frying pan
Beat eggs in a wide bowl
Salt and pepper chicken breasts and dredge in flour
Then dredge in beaten eggs and put in hot frying pan.
Brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side)
Remove chicken from pan and add about 1T of flour to make a rue with leftover chicken juices
Whisk in broth, wine, and lemon juice until smooth
Add chicken back into pan.
Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, turning chicken once.
Serve over cooked rice.

Crockpot Vegetarian Stew

1 medium eggplant, peeled -- cut in 1/2" cubes
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
15 ounces garbanzo beans, canned -- drained
8 ounces red kidney beans, canned -- rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
3 cloves garlic -- minced
3 cups Imagine brand soy free chicken broth
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf

1. In a 3 1/2, 4 or 5-quart crockpot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, onion, celery and garlic.

2. Combine vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and bay leaf. Pour over vegetables.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Discard bay leaf. Makes 6 servings.

It's all kosher

There are two kosher symbols that can be of help for those with a milk allergy: a "D," or the word "dairy," on a label next to "K" or "U" (usually found near the product name) indicates presence of milk protein, and a "DE" on a label indicates the product was produced on equipment shared with dairy. Here is an example of what this symbol looks like:



If the product contains neither meat nor dairy products it is "pareve" (parev, parve). Here's what it looks like:
Pareve-labeled products indicate that the products are considered milk-free according to religious specifications. Be aware that under Jewish law, a food product may be considered pareve even if it contains a very small amount of milk. Therefore, a product labeled as pareve could potentially have enough milk protein in it to cause a reaction in a milk-allergic individual.

Where milk is lurking ...

Hidden Sources of Milk

BEWARE! (From the food allergy network)
Deli meat slicers that are used for both meat and cheese products
Some brands of canned tuna fish contain casein, a milk protein
Many non-dairy products contain casein (a milk derivative), listed on the ingredient labels
Some meats (like hot dogs, etc.) may contain casein as a binder. Check all labels carefully.
Meats cooked in restaurants -- steaks, chicken, fish, etc. The reason they taste so good in a restaurant is because they are coated in butter. It may have melted by the time it was served to you, but it's there!

You're SAFE!

The following ingredients do not contain milk protein and need not be restricted by someone avoiding milk, according to foodallergy.org, which is run by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance -- a group that was established in 1999 by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to facilitate information-sharing among nonprofit organizations working in the field of food allergy around the world. (If you get to browsing around their site, be careful to avoid their soy-alternative recommendations):

Calcium lactate

Lactic acid (however, lactic acid starter culture may contain milk)

Calcium stearoyl lactylate

oleoresin

Cocoa butter

Sodium lactate

Cream of tartar

Sodium stearoyl lactylate

Cut this list out, and put it in your purse/diaper bag!

Nothing better than something you can print out and take with you. Check out this easy cutout from kidshealth.org. It's not all inclusive, but it could certainly help in a pinch!

Helpful list of lesser-known milk products

LOOK OUT FOR THESE INGREDIENTS, WHICH CONTAIN MILK PROTEIN!

I came across this very helpful Website, that included this list of lesser-known milk-containing ingredients.
▪ Acidophilus milk
▪ Ammonium caseinate
▪ Binding agents
▪ Calcium caseinate
▪ Caramel
▪ Carob
▪ Casein
▪ Casein hydrolysate
▪ Ghee
▪ Lactalbumin
▪ Lactate
▪ Lactic acid
▪ Lactoferrin
▪ Lactoglobulin
▪ Lactulose
▪ Malted milk
▪ Milk protein
▪ Nougat
▪ Opta™
▪ Protein hydrolsate
▪ Rennet casein
▪ Simplesse™
▪ Sodium caseinate
▪ Whey
▪ Whey protein hydrolysate
▪ Some artificial flavoring, brown-sugar flavoring, caramel flavoring, and butter flavoring may contain milk products

Don't forget, if you have a milk allergy to exclude all milk products, including cheese, yogurt, sour cream, coffee creamer, whipped cream, ice cream, butter, and margarine, from your diet. Also avoid non-dairy creamers, powdered milk and evaporated milk.

Crock Pot Recipes

Homemade Vegetable-Beef Soup

1 lb. lean stew beef

2 large cans diced tomatoes with basil (Hunts brand)

1 small bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

celery leaves whole (from the heart of the stalk, remove when done cooking)

1-2 cups Imagine organic beef stock

1 14-oz. can diced white potatoes

1 bay leaf

Throw all ingredients in a crock pot, place on low and cook for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.

Couldn't be easier, and it's so yummy! Makes a vat. Freeze some and save for later. Serve with soy-free, dairy-free rolls like Sister Schubert's.

White Chicken Chili recipe

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped green chili pepper
3 tablespoons casein free, gluten free all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cups of cooked white beans (avoid canned white beans -- they contain firming agents that can have casein in them)
1 can chicken broth (Imagine brand, soy free)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken breast
salsa (optional)

Directions
In a large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken, cook until hot. Garnish with onions and salsa, if desired.

Mild Milk Protein Allergy

Here's my hint on this, ladies: When you're making the switch from breastmilk to formula, and all of a sudden your baby starts with the projectile vomiting and fussiness, it could be a milk protein allergy. My daughter started exhibiting hives around her mouth shortly after I made the switch, using a can of the Enfamil they gave me at the hospital. Then she started with the big-time spitting up. Then it was full on projectile vomiting. I called my pediatrician, and they said switch her to soy. 

I had a number of issues with this, namely that all my research has shown that a baby with a milk allergy is just as likely to have a soy allergy. Also, I had concerns about the hormones that are passed along with soy products. Regardless, I was preparing to go back to work, and my baby needed to eat, so I tried the soy formula. She HATED it. Went on a hunger strike for days. Refused a bottle entirely. Would do nothing but breastfeed, and here I was trying to partially wean her. 

After scouring the Internet in search of a solution, somewhere along the way I'd read a post about Nestle Good Start formula. Something about the way they process the milk protein being different than the way Enfamil does it and that it was more tolerable to babies with mild milk protein allergies.

Needless to say, it worked! I was so relieved. She still gets eczema around her little mouth where the formula sits on her face, but Vaseline on her chin before a bottle helps a lot, and when she does get a reaction, it doesn't seem to bother her at all. I figure it's a worthy sacrifice for keeping those hormones out of her system. Plus, it doesn't break the bank the way a hypoallergenic formula would. So, before you go soy, try the Good Start! 

You're invited to become part of the Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Solution!

This blog is being born out of frustration. Frustration over a lack of information. Frustration about the need for a simple solution to problems of diagnosed colic and persistent fussiness in our newborns. And frustration concerning a lack of consistent information being provided by pediatricians about possible milk and soy allergies in infants.

I am the mother of an eight-month-old who has a very mild milk-protein allergy. However, I am also the friend and family member of several moms who have struggled with milk and soy allergies that are passed through breastmilk to their infants. I am also the sister of a brother who endured -- needlessly -- an undiagnosed milk allergy for the first year of his life. This, coupled with the fact that I know of a half dozen women in the last year who have struggled with pass-through allergies of milk and soy, tells me that there is a problem that isn't being addressed by the medical community. 

Internet searches for milk- and soy-free products inevitably lead to links to casein- and gluten-free diets for autistic children that are complicated and, frankly, far more strict than simply eating dairy- and soy-free foods. New moms don't have time to take a shower most days, and they certainly don't have time to peruse the internet for recipes and hints that may be buried pages deep in a Google search. We definitely don't have time to leisurely browse the aisles of the grocery store, reading the backs of every label for an ingredients list, especially if our babies are screaming their little heads off! 

I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if there were a clearinghouse for easy recipes, helpful hints, and common grocery lists that would allow a new mom struggling with a diagnosed milk/soy allergy in her infant?" Or, and this is more often the case, I thought, "Isn't there any easier (and less expensive) way for a new mom to cut milk and soy out of her diet if she even suspects that milk and/or soy may be to blame for her baby's persistent crying, mild rash, bloody stools, and/or projectile vomiting and spitting up?"

It's amazing how many convenience items contain milk and/or soy that we never think about. Deli meats. Cereals. Hot dogs. Peanut butter. Muffin mixes and brownie batters. Bread crumbs (or breaded fish, or chicken nuggets, etc.). Marinara sauce. Salad dressing and marinades. Bread and rolls. The list goes on and on. There's scarcely an item in our pantries or refrigerators that doesn't contain milk or soy.

I'd like to invite moms who have successfully navigated a milk- and soy-free diet to post their suggestions under one of three categories:

- Easy Recipes (no more than 30 minutes of hands-on time!) 

- Stock-the-Pantry items (convenience products that will help you throw a dish together with, or without a recipe)

- Cheat Eats (foods and tips that help you get around the milk-free, soy-free diet) 

As more suggestions are added, I'll sort and organize them into categories. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack; pantry, fridge, freezer; you get the drift!

I'm looking forward to providing an interactive and educational forum that allows us to diagnose and treat the milk and soy allergies in our newborns earlier and more easily than ever before. And you're invited to take part!