Nondairy diets for kids are used because they cannot digest either the sugar or the protein in milk. The first problem is a lactose intolerance that requires kids to avoid some dairy products; the second necessitates a completely casein-free diet. Stores are full of alternatives for children who are on nondairy or dairy-free diets.
Lactose Intolerance Diet
If your child is lactose intolerant, this means she needs to avoid lactose--the sugar in milk--because she lacks the enzyme lactase. This does not mean she has to avoid all dairy products. For example, lactose-free milk, butter, ice cream and cheese are otherwise essentially the same as typical dairy products. Hard cheese such as cheddar is naturally low in lactose, and a child with mild lactose intolerance can digest this type of cheese. The severity of the intolerance can be determined only by trial and error. Low-fat alternatives tend to be higher in lactose because of the additives.
Lactase supplements are available to be chewed before someone eats dairy. However, children tend to dislike the chalky texture and taste.
Casein-Free Diet
A casein-free diet is used when a patient has an allergy to milk and can't digest the protein, or casein, in dairy products. If your kids are avoiding casein, then they must avoid substances that are typically OK for lactose intolerance such as whey or the sodium caseinate typically found in nondairy creamers and products such as Cool Whip.
A casein-free diet is more demanding to design than a lactose-free diet because it requires complete removal of all dairy products, including those in which dairy is an ingredient to baked or packaged items such as waffles, doughnuts and bread. Casein-free diets use soy, almond, rice, hemp or coconut milk instead of cow milk.
Nutritional Information for Nondairy Alternatives
The nondairy milks are healthier than cow milk because the foods from which they're made have more vitamins and minerals and they are comparable to cow milk in protein and fat. Soy and coconut milks are richer in B vitamins than cow milk, which has minimal amounts that do not count toward daily dietary requirements. Rice milk, however, has less fat and protein--about one gram each--than cow milk and is not the best choice for developing children.
The main vitamins and minerals in cow milk--calcium, folate, vitamin D and vitamin A--are in nondairy milks, with the exception of rice milk. Children who drink rice milk should take calcium supplements, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends.
Nondairy ice cream made from rice, soy, coconut or even sorbet can still be enjoyed by children on nondairy diets, and the product is healthier for them than typical ice cream.
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