Dairy Free Taco Soup Recipe

Learning to manage a dairy allergy requires a shift in thinking when it comes to cooking for your family.  It can feel like every recipe includes a dairy product.  You would be surprised how many times a great recipe is still a great recipe when the dairy products are omitted or substituted for other non-dairy alternatives.

One of our favorite soup recipes, Taco Soup, called for cheddar cheese and sour cream, as items to be served with the soup.  We found that it tasted great without the extra cheese so we continue to make it as one of our staple allergy free recipes.  When my husband craves something cheesy or creamy we let him add it to his own bowl, and then everyone’s happy!

Click here to get the recipe:

Taco Soup (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free,fish-free, wheat-free, gluten-free)

Spotting the Allergen: Milk Protein

It seems ironic that the food on which most babies thrive, can be dangerous and even fatal for others.  Milk is the most common food allergy in children, affecting 2.5% of children under 3. An allergic reaction is triggered by proteins in cow’s milk called caseins.  In many cases it is obvious which foods contain dairy products, but is surprising how many seemingly “dairy-free” products contain casein.  Even though it is required by law for manufacturers to list "milk" on the product label if applicable, it is still worthwhile to be familiar with the following foods and ingredients.

Food containing milk:

• Butter, butter fat, butter oil, butter flavoring, butter acid, butter ester
• Buttermilk
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Cream
• Curds
• Custard
• Ghee
• Half-and-half
• Milk in any form (evaporated, powdered, etc)
• Pudding
• Racaldent (strengthens teeth)
• Sour cream
• Sour milk
• Yogurt
• Frozen yogurt
• Goats milk (has a similar protein to cow’s milk)
• Brown sugar flavoring

Ingredients containing milk protein:

• Casein, calcium casein, casein hydrolysate, magnesium casein, potassium casein, rennet casein, sodium casein, caseinates (all forms)
• Lactalbumin, lactoalbumin phosphate, lactablobulin, lactose, lactoferrin, lactulose
• Whey, whey hydrolysate
• Diacetyl
• Tagatose (sweetener)
•  

Ingredients that DO NOT contain milk protein:

• Calcium lactate
• Calcium stearoyl lactylate
• Cocoa butter
• Cream of tartar
• Lactic acid (lactic acid starter culture may contain milk)
• Oleoresin
• Sodium lactate
• Sodium stearoyl lactylate

Food often containing milk:

• Canned fish
• Chocolate
• “High-energy” foods with high-protein flour or added protein
• Margarine
• Processed meats
• Seasoned potato and tortilla chips
• Seasoned French fries
• Homemade jams/jellies
• Bouillons

Likelihood of Outgrowing Food Allergies

It is possible that children with food allergies will outgrow their allergies or become less sensitive over time.  While it is estimated that 8% of children inthe U.S. have at least one food allergy, only about 3% of adults do.  These numbers may offer a little bit of hope:

• Milk : 80% of children outgrow the allergy by age 16.

• Egg: 68% of children outgrow it by age 16.

• Peanut: 20% outgrow it by the age of 6.

• Tree Nut: 9% who outgrow it by age 6.

While it is encouraging to know that many children will outgrow their allergies over time, it is important to be prepared mentally and emotionally for the chance that this might not be the case for your own child.  This is especially true if your child has a nut allergy, which is far less likely to be outgrown. 

In our case, I was certain we wouldn’t have to worry about our son being in anyone else’s care since I was confident he would have outgrown his allergies before we sent him to school.  It’s been hard to make that mental and emotional leap to thinking this might be a permanent challenge rather than a temporary one.  Maybe it’s better not to know the numbers so it is a pleasant surprise when your child outgrows an allergy, rather than a sore disappointment when they don’t.  Perhaps it’s a little foolish but I like to hold onto the hope I see in those numbers. :)

The bottom line is whether or not your child outgrows the allergy, prepare and educate yourself and those around you, especially anyone who will be in the care of your child.  Your confidence in managing the allergy will benefit you and your family for the duration of the challenge, whether short or long.

Helpful Resources:  Allergy Stats

The Top Eight

While it is possible to be allergic to nearly any food imaginable, 90% of food allergy reactions in the United States involve one of the following:

• Milk
• Egg
• Peanut
• Treenut
• Shellfish
• Fish
• Wheat
• Soy

According to the AAAAI, out of the eight common allergens listed above, milk is the most common childhood food allergy affecting 2.5% of children under the age of 3.  Egg is the next most common childhood food allergy affecting 1.5-3.2% of children. Peanut allergies and tree nut allergies each affect 1.2% of the population. Shellfish affects 1.4%, fish affects 0.5%, soy and wheat allergies affect 0.4% of children.

A study published in 2003 by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that food allergy prevalence seems to be increasing.  The study estimated about 8% of children in the U.S. have at least one food allergy.  That means about one out of every 12 children has a food allergy.

An estimated 30% of children with food allergies have more than one allergy.  A child can have any combination of allergies, making it particularly difficult to navigate around offending foods.  Our family works around milk, egg, peanut and tree nut allergies, which is the primary focus of this blog.  Although I hope everyone struggling with food allergies will find some helpful ideas and information here.