SNACKZILLA meets The Dairy Free Mum

We sat down to chat to Kate, mum to Violet and instagram blogger, who creates and shares the most amazing dairy free family friendly recipes over at @thedairyfreemum.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm Kate, mum to Violet (V) who is 21 months old. We live in Essex with my partner Mike. I've always been a foodie and loved cooking, but with pregnancy & having a newborn I lost my mojo in the kitchen. When V was diagnosed with CMPA and I had to go dairy free it spurred me on to create new. I really wanted to help any other parents dealing with CMPA or other allergies so I started my instagram page as a way of sharing meal ideas and tips, and it's grown incredibly from there! 

How did you find out your daughter had CMPA?

Looking back V presented symptoms from a couple of days old, but we didn't know what it was at the time. She had mucousy, often green nappies, an angry rash on her face, and eczema on her cheeks and chin. She was very unsettled and 'colicky' constantly pulling her knees to her chest and screaming in pain. It was a challenging road to diagnosis as our GP didn't think it was allergy related, but after doing my own research I realised a lot of her symptoms matched CMPA. As I was breastfeeding, I cut out all dairy from my diet for 4 weeks and her symptoms improved - when I tried to reintroduce they returned. Armed with this I saw a different GP who diagnosed CMPA and referred us to the allergy team at our local hospital. 

How do you have to adapt to nursery and birthday parties?

V has attended nursery since 11 months old, we were very lucky to have found one that is excellent at dealing with allergies. In her class of 8 children, three are dairy free, one is soya free and one is allergic to eggs. So the team are very well versed in dealing with it! Before she started I discussed her CMPA with the nursery manager, reviewed the meals they offer and the processes they have in place (they have signs in every room saying what the different children can't eat, plus different coloured plates for mealtimes) I was nervous at first and constantly checked up on what she was eating but soon got more confident. The only thing that's hard now is seeing she has had fruit for pudding when everyone else has had a yummy crumble!

For birthday parties, one of the biggest concerns is them 'missing out' so I would always take something safe that V could eat if there weren't dairy free options. Luckily V isn't anaphylactic but it's still a challenge trying to make sure she doesn't steal another child's food or eat something she shouldn't - I'm used to being very vigilant! 

What do you find most difficult about restricting foods?

At first I found going dairy free really daunting, it seemed like everything I wanted to eat had milk in it! But as you get more experienced you realise there's tons you CAN eat and actually enjoy using alternatives in cooking. I hope my recipes prove you can make delicious meals the whole family will enjoy with no dairy! The thing I find hardest is being out or at a friends house and not having total control over what is available. There's usually great vegan menus now when out at restaurants which has really opened up a lot of options but it can still feel restrictive when you're limited to a couple of choices. 

What are your top tips for parents of kids with dairy allergies?

My top 5 tips would be:

1. Know your nutrition. Do your research and make sure you know the RDAs for calcium, protein, iodine, vitamins D and B12 and how to include natural sources into the diet. This takes away some of the fear of 'are they getting the nutrients they need'

2. Meal plan. It's so much easier to do your food shopping with meals in mind!

3. Check the ingredients on everything. EVERYTHING! 

4. Experiment with alternatives. You don't have to rule out certain dishes such as creamy pasta, lasagne or desserts just because you're dairy free. You can get amazing soya / oat creams and custards or can even make sauces from cashews. Check out the recipes on my page for more ideas.

5. Have a support network. This can be in real life or through social media, connect with other CMPA parents who understand and you can share progress and tips with. The good news is the vast majority of children with CMPA grow out of it by 2 years old but it can still be a scary, stressful time. 

Kate’s Vegan Berry Muffins

𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 / 𝐞𝐠𝐠 / 𝐬𝐨𝐲𝐚 / 𝐧𝐮𝐭 / 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞⁣

Makes 12
Keep in airtight container for 3 days⁣
Freeze for up to 3 months⁣
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INGREDIENTS ⁣
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- 250g plain flour⁣
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate soda⁣
- 1/2 tsp baking powder⁣
- 150ml oat milk⁣
- 50ml vegetable oil⁣
- 4 tbsp maple syrup⁣
- 1 tsp vanilla extract⁣
- 180g chopped berries (I used raspberries & blueberries)⁣
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METHOD ⁣
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1. Pre-heat oven to 180•c & line a 12 hole muffin tin with cases⁣
2. Sift the flour, bicarb & baking powder into a large bowl⁣
3. In a separate bowl mix the milk, oil, maple syrup & vanilla⁣
4. Combine the wet mix & dry mix, gently folding together until all mixed⁣
5. Gently fold the berries into the mix then spoon evenly into the muffin cases. Bake for 20 mins / until a knife comes out clean⁣
6. Cool on a wire rack & serve⁣