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Milk free (Dairy Free) diet

Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

Cow's milk is used widely in the foods we eat. Sometimes it is easy to see where it is used and sometimes it is harder to find. Usually children who react to cow's milk will also react to goat's milk and milk from other animals. Children sensitive to cow's milk are not usually sensitive to beef.

Look carefully for the word "milk" on packaged food ingredient lists and avoid those foods.

Avoid foods which contain:

Food likely to contain cow's milk protein:

Cow's milk substitutes

Instead of:	Use:
Cow's milk infant formula for a child less than I year of age	Breast milk, soy formula, hydrolysed formula or amino acid formula. Speak with a medical professional to choose the right one based on your child's diagnosis
Cow's milk for a child over 1 year of age	Soy drink - choose one with more than 120mg calcium /100mls soy drink Rice drink - choose one with more than 120mg calcium /100mls rice drink
Yoghurt	Soy yoghurt
Cheese, sour cream	Soy cheese, soy sour cream
Ice cream	Soy ice cream, sorbet, milk free gelato
Butter and margarine	Milk free margarine eg Becel®, Sundew®, Nuttelex®

Some soy products may contain small amounts of cow's milk protein and may need to be avoided if your child is highly allergic. Ask your doctor or dietitian.

These include:

• Soy yoghurt (a milk-based starter may be used)
• Soy cheese (may contain casein).

Note: Toffuti brand sour cream, cream cheese and cheese is milk free

Milk and Nut-Free Chocolates

Sweet William - milk chocolate/ tangerine milk chocolate (dairy free, gluten free, lactose free, peanut free)
chocolate spread (gluten free, lactose free, dairy free, peanut free)
available in Woolworths, Coles (health food isle), IGA (confectionery isle), health food shops.
www.sweetwilliam.com.au

Kinnerton- milk/dark chocolate (nut free, dairy free, gluten free, egg free)
available at Big W, Target, Aldi, Darrell Lea, Kmart., Myer, Sugar Fix

Willow - chocolate bars, Christmas, Easter and Valentine novelties, frogs
Available 03 9587 1079 or via www.allergyblock.com.au

For more information

• www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/#allergy
• Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
• FSANZ - Food Standards Australia and New Zealand for information on food labelling

Cow's milk and dairy products are the main source of calcium in our diet. When it isn't possible to use cow's milk it is essential to make sure your child gets it from other sources.

Daily calcium requirements are:

	CHILDREN	BOYS	GIRLS
1 - 3 years	500mg
4 - 8 years	700mg
9 - 13 yrs		1000 - 1300mg	1000 - 1300mg
14 - 18 yrs		1300mg	1300mg

Add up the usual amounts of these foods each day

FOOD	CALCIUM CONTENT	QUANTITY CONSUMED	CALCIUM CONSUMED mg
Soy drink* - 100ml	120 mg
Rice drink with added calcium*-100mls	120mg
Soy Yoghurt **- 200g (1 large tub)	300 mg
Soy Cheese - ** 20g (1 slice)	60 mg
Soy Ice cream ** -2 scoops	120 mg
Soy Custard** - ½ cup	150 mg
Tofu*- 60 g (2 cubes)	14 - 190 mg
Salmon with bones - ½ cup	400 mg
Sardines - 1 small tin	230 mg
Breakfast cereal with added calcium**	Check label
Broccoli ½ cup	20mg
Supplement
Other
TOTAL

* Calcium content of foods can vary between brands
** Check all ingredient lists carefully as they may contain cow's milk protein

Calcium Supplements

In some cases it may be necessary to give a calcium supplement.

Examples:

• Sandocal, (1000mg calcium/tablet) a pleasant fizzy drink which can be made up with water or juice
• Caltrate, (600mg/tablet) a tablet which can be crushed and added to food or drink
• Nature's Way Kids Calcium chewable Burstlets (200mg calcium) - strawberry flavoured. Can be chewed or popped and squeezed into mouth or food.
• Calcia (500mg) chewable lemon or orange flavoured tablet
• Calsup (500mg) mint flavoured chewable tablet

For more information

• www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/#allergy
• Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
• FSANZ - Food Standards Australia and New Zealand for information on food labelling

The Children's Hospital at Westmead Tel: (02) 9845 3585 Fax: (02) 9845 3562 www.chw.edu.au	Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick Tel: (02) 9382 1688 Fax: (02) 9382 1451 www.sch.edu.au	Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network Tel: (02) 4921 3670 Fax: (02) 4921 3599 www.kaleidoscope.org.au