I’ve found that the best way to deal with her allergy is to focus on what she can eat rather than what she cannot eat. It’s so simple, yet, overlooked. I realized that she can eat many of the meals I make, and other meals would just need some milk substitutes.

Since milk contains calcium, an important mineral, I also had to find other foods that had a good amount of calcium for her. Kale, broccoli, salmon, and spinach all contain calcium, and several juices, cereals and soy products which are calcium fortified. According to a committee on the food and nutrition board at the Institute of Medicine, children ages 1-3 need 500 mg of calcium each day. I found a great chart for determining the amount of calcium in each serving of a particular food here.

So instead of spending tons of money on rice cheeses and such, I’ll stick with veggies.

Do you have a family member with milk allergies?  Stop over at the Blissfully Domestic Forum and share!

Rachel writes about milk allergies and more at Modern Mommyhood.