# What to replace cow's milk with for saturated fat and growing brain?



## bobcat (Mar 4, 2010)

I may not be able to nurse my son beyond 12 months, though I will try. He is 11.5 months old, and we found out today that he has a cow's milk allergy (he got hives!!!) I don't even think I will be able to give him cheese or yogurt. He also had projectile vomiting with eggs, after two hours, both times, so it's not a true allergic reaction, but he can't consume egg either. Unfortunately, he seems to take after me and other in my family, and have some genuine issues with some foods. 

I know how important saturated fats are for the developing brain. I tried fish oil once, and his poop got really weird. I think his body was not processing it. He gets avocado, but that's monounsaturated fat. I am trying to get the benefits of whole cow's milk or breastfeeding. I would like him to get some good liquid nutrition from months 12-24. Advice?


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

Has he ever had cheese/yogurt or just milk?


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## OrmEmbar (Oct 25, 2012)

We use home-rendered lard from local pigs, coconut oil and palm oil. I know others also use beef tallow and chicken fat.


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## bobcat (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks. We tried full fat cottage cheese and he kept spitting it out. But he didn't get hives, which is why I was so shocked about this with the little bit of milk. He did that with egg too, before he vomited, so either he knew it didn't agree with him, or he just didn't like the flavor/texture.

Haven't tried other cheeses or yogurt. At one point I gave him some tastes of my gluten free Mac n cheese too, and he seemed okay.

I wonder if goats milk would be okay? I remember knowing a mom who used to drive to a farm because goat milk was all her baby could have for milk, and she was having issues making milk....but that was when I used to live in the Midwest.

I will think about the lard: etc. I try to give him meats rhat have the fat in there. I do feel strange having a little 12 month old that can't have so many things to make his diet complete....it makes me feel like I will have to breastfeed him forever. I might be able to do it, but I was hoping to ease up on it....it has been wearing on me physicslly


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## sillysapling (Mar 24, 2013)

Goat's milk may help. Not all kids can handle it, but some who can't handle cow's milk do well on goat's milk. Worth a try at least. You should be able to find pasteurized goat's milk at a store near you. Unless you're really lucky, raw goat's milk tends to be REALLY expensive.

Have you considered raw milk? Make sure that you get it from a source you trust, but some people who can't tolerate pasteurized/homogenized milk do well on raw milk. It has enzymes and good bacteria that make it easier to digest, like breast milk does. But there can also be bad bacteria and things in it- so especially with such a young child you have to make sure you get it somewhere safe.

If the problem is the protein in cow's milk, then anything from cow's milk will be a problem, if the problem is lactose- then you may want to try milk kefir, almost all of the lactose is out of it (it's similar to yogurt, but with more probiotic strains and it's more of a smoothie). If you're in the US, a lot of stores are selling Lifeway kefir nowadays, nad if it's working for you you can get kefir grains and make your own quite easily. 

Ghee may work. It's rendered from butter, but almost all of the lactose and casein (protein) is out of it so many people who can't tolerate dairy can tolerate ghee. Grass fed is always better if you can afford it.

You can also make bone broth. Beef bone broth ends up with a layer of fat on top that you can remove and use in cooking (if you're worried about toxins, make sure you get the bones from a source you can trust, I've heard of some online options that are quite good and you may find a butcher near you) as well as having some fat in it. Marrow bones should be very cheap, if you're lucky you can even find a good butcher near you who'll give them to you for free. I'm not sure how much fat is in chicken bone broth, but there is some in it. If your family eats chicken then you can get whole ones on the bone and use the meat off of it and cook the bones afterwards. If you go this route, you'll likely want to get a crockpot. Bone broth is also just wildly healthy, so it's a good idea to make it a daily part of your diet if you can.


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## sillysapling (Mar 24, 2013)

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/yet-another-primal-primer-animal-fats/ I just found this and thought of you- it's a list of animal fats and where to get them. I'm not 100% positive, but they should all be good sources of saturated fat provided you get them from good quality animals. Fortunately, most of them aren't popular, so often you can get them for cheap.


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## apeydef (Mar 16, 2013)

My son has a dairy intolerance as well. I started out with coconut milk. Then I switched to almond milk when he was a little older and I was sure he did not have a nut allergy. I give him coconut milk yogurt as well. He doesn't do cheese except the occasional Mac n cheese I make with almond milk. I will say he seems to be growing out of it at 20 months. We've been on vacation and stuff and I haven't been very strict at limiting his dairy intake and he seems to be ok. Often times toddlers grow out of it.


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## pumabearclan (Nov 14, 2012)

Raw egg yolks may not produce the same response as the whole egg. You can add them to smoothies or offer them in a small cup alongside other meals. Egg whites have several hormonal and chemical agents that the yolks do not have. Other than protein, the whites have no nutritional value that I'm aware of and can cause allergic reactions.


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## apeydef (Mar 16, 2013)

Yes I feed my kids egg yolks before they are even one.


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## Mylie (Mar 15, 2004)

I had This same worry for my 6 year old when she turned 1...She has a complete dairy allergy and was on a special fórmula...Both the Ped and I knew she couldnt go to cows milk and was concerned..What we ended up doing to make sure she got what she needed was I left her on her special fórmula for an extra year...then we added in coconut milk..She drinks coconut and Rice milk now...


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## crazyms (Jan 8, 2010)

My dd has a lactose intolerance and we use rice milk and almond milk for her (she's 8). We've tried soy and coconut but they didn't pass here although they are options. We are actually testing out goat's milk products with her now and so far she seems to be tolerating them well. I've heard a lot of kids with lactose intolerance can tolerate goat's milk so it's worth a shot but I'd still start small just in case.


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## sillysapling (Mar 24, 2013)

Goat's milk has a different protein than cow's milk, so people that can't tolerate the cow's milk protein can usually tolerate goat's milk. It also has lower lactose, I believe, so it can be easier on lactose intolerance, but people who are highly lactose intolerant can still have a problem with it. 

If lactose is truly the problem, not proteins, then milk kefir would be a good way to go, the kefir grains eat up a lot of the lactose and really reduce the amount. You can get kefir grains to make it at home.


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## scwendy71 (Jul 3, 2014)

All we have given after weaning are the full fat versions of non-dairy milks (No allergies. I am vegan.). As far as their diets beyond that, they eat almost exclusively a plant-based, whole foods diet. So they get fats from the fruits/veggies (yes, fruits & veggies have fat), nuts, and seeds in addition to the plant milks.

My kids are 16 mos, 3 1/2 years, 9 years, almost 20 years, and 22 years:smile:


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## marsupial-mom (Feb 3, 2010)

I would - and did - wean to fortified soy milk. You can get fortified soy milk with flax seed oil added to help with brain growth.
Soy is less likely to cause an allergy than most animal-based milks.


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## apeydef (Mar 16, 2013)

Soy can mimic dairy allergies.any people allergic to dairy also have sit allergies. They both have the same kind if protein. Also soy can be a hormone disrupter. I researched on it a lot.


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## Alina at orgali.ca (Oct 11, 2014)

If you would like to offer your son omega 3-rich foods, then wild salmon, sardines, walnuts, seeds (chia, hemp, flax) would be great choices.
I have a recipe with chia seeds and coconut milk that my whole family (and our friends) love. You can find it here: http://orgali.ca/2014/09/tasty-tuesday-chilled-vanilla-coconut-chia-pudding/.
If you want to offer your child foods rich in other healthy fats, here are few ideas: coconut (milk, cream, oil, butter), olives and olive oil, avocados and avocado oil, ghee, grass-fed meat.
My son is gluten and dairy sensitive and I had to change our whole diet to accommodate his dietary restrictions. It was not easy, but it is possible.
Also, you can try offering your son raw goat milk. Goat milk is less allergenic and is easier to digest. You might find that your son can tolerate it.


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

My daughter grew out of her egg sensitivity right around 12 months, so you might get lucky. 

We made a lot of tofu scrambles until that time came, just to keep variety in breakfast foods, even though I know it doesn't have the same nutrients as an egg scramble. 

As for fats, he'd probably have a better time digesting fish than fish oils. We eat a LOT of tilapia/mahi maui/salmon around here. 

As for milk substitutes, I wouldn't recommend nut milks and all that jazz. I'd only use them when you're looking for the flavor of milk rather than the nutrition. The popular ones like almond milk and soy milk are just too processed and different in composition to compare to full fat milk, but they will come in handy.


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