Milk free diet

The purpose of this diet is to remove cow's milk protein from your child's diet. This is done by avoiding all cow's milk and cow's milk products from the diet whilst still providing good nutrition. Milk, yoghurt and cheese are all good sources of calcium so it is important to replace them with suitable calcium rich alternatives. Your dietitian will be able to help you. Many processed or commercially prepared foods, including frozen, canned or packaged foods, contain milk, so always check the ingredient list on the label before you use the product.

Always check labels for the following ingredients:

• milk
• milk solids
• non-fat milk solids
• skim milk solids
• casein or sodium caseinate
• whey powder
• lactose (milk sugar)
• yoghurt
• cream
• cheese and cheese powder
• butter.

It is important to include appropriate milk-free foods from each of the five food groups every day:

• breads and cereals - include milk free bread, milk free cereals, rice, pasta and other grains
• fruits and vegetables - include fruit, vegetables and salad (check the labels if packaged)
• meat and meat substitutes - include lean meat, poultry, fish, egg or legumes (avoid crumbed foods or products coated in batter)
• dairy foods - include milk substitutes eg. calcium fortified soy beverage, soy based infant formula and soy yoghurt
• fats and oils - include oils and milk-free table margarine (eg: Becel®, Sundew®).

• Check with your dietitian that your child’s calcium intake will be adequate.
• If you are unsure if a product contains cow’s milk protein, look at the ingredients list.