[mum19]

I just read the article someone posted the link to warning people about the high level of plant oestrogens that are toxic to people? in the news report on soya milk.

My son is allergic to cows milk, and been drinking lots of soya milk every day for the last 2 years since I stopped breastfeeding him....now im scared!

What is the best alternative to soya milk?

PLEASE HELP

 

[twins10705]

raw cow or goats milk would be the best options IMO. Try realmilk.com

 

[MsElle07]

You might also try rice milk, although I don't think it qualifies as a traditional food.

 

[cobluegirl]

I have two that are allergic to milk too..and raw milk....so we use almond milk. pacific foods make several different kinds, rice, almond, oat, hazelnut..

 

[mamachandi]

I am sorry but I don't neccasarily believe the reports about soy. I do however believe everythingtaken in moderation is best. so we do consume some soy products (1serving 1-2 times per week) ,almond milk,oat milk and rice milk are our prefeered non-dairy milks. We occasionally eat tofu and chocolate soy ice cream(its not any worse than frozen cow mucus,lol) as our soy products. we are allergic to cows milk in our house. The rice milk ice cream is not very good imo. I do reccomend goats milk if you are into animal milk,I have heard its the better than cows milk. but it is not safe as a formula/bm replacement so better to wait until at least 2 years old, before giving it to him.
don't freak out! I wouldn't be surprised if all those "studies" were backed by the dairy industry itself

:

 

[tboroson]

Yeah, and I bet all the studies about how unhealthy milkfat is are sponsored by the soya industry. Whatever. I thought this was the "Traditional Foods" forum, not the "Vegetarian and Vegan" forum?

Anyway, OP, how old is your son? My response would vary greatly based on that info. You said he weaned two years ago, so he's clearly older than 2

but, given that this is MDC, I'm assuming he's older than 3 and possibly older than 4?

In any case, I think it's a rare child who *needs* milk, or replacement milks. If he is younger than three, I'd be concerned about getting fat and cholesterol into him. I'd be feeding him liver and fatty meats and egg yolks, cod liver oil and, if he can tolerate it, butter oil. I would use coconut milk in smoothies and maybe make homemade coconut milk ice cream or yogurt. Between about 3 and five, I'd try to get some of those things in sometimes, but I wouldn't consider it as critical. Over five? As long as he's eating a decent amount of healthy fats and nutrient-rich foods, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

It's obvious that human milk is for human babies until they're old enough to wean; after that, no milk is neccisary. That doesn't mean it's not valuable. It is a highly concentrated source of nutrition, and as such it's very economically valuable for those who can tolerate it. But, it's not biologically *neccisary*. It's most valuable when a child weans early and still requires the fats and cholesterol to build his brain. The same value can be had from other sources (liver, egg yolks, CLO), but it's far easier to get a couple glasses of milk into a 2 year old...

Whether your child weaned at 1 or 4, if he's past the age when most (and I'm talking worldwide most, not US average "most") children wean, he doesn't need milk. At such an age, if he still wants it for emotional reasons (and, as I've been trying to cut gluten out of my diet entirely, I can attest that social/emotional attachments to food are tremendously influential), I would try homemade almond milk, or maybe coconut milk watered down with coconut water.

 

[mum19]

Oh...
well he is only 3 years old. This is what he has-

soya milk to drink 2 or 3 times a day

3 soya yoghurts a day

soya butter everyday on toast / in sandwiches (I could change that to sunflower oil butter instead)?

soya cheese slices several times a week on toast or in sandwiches

soya ice cream once or twice a week

carob chocolate but that has soya in it too I think, he has some about twice a week

non-dairy chocolate biscuits, ive thrown the packet out but think they contain soya too

we dont eat much meat really...

 

[member]

That's a lot of soy... I used to eat that much when I was vegan (it was all I ate) and now I have a hypothyroidism.... just sayin'.

 

[eirual]

Ditto....I replaced milk with soy for a long time, ate tofu and TVp regularly....now I've got hypo too...albeit mild.

 

[tboroson]

Yep, me, too. I'd used soy milk for years, plus TVP, tofu, etc. DD1 was sensitive to milk in my diet when she was a baby, so I stepped up my use of those products - and blew my thyroid, too. I totally blame it on the soy.

 

[twins10705]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mum19 Oh... well he is only 3 years old. This is what he has- soya milk to drink 2 or 3 times a day 3 soya yoghurts a day soya butter everyday on toast / in sandwiches (I could change that to sunflower oil butter instead)? soya cheese slices several times a week on toast or in sandwiches soya ice cream once or twice a week carob chocolate but that has soya in it too I think, he has some about twice a week non-dairy chocolate biscuits, ive thrown the packet out but think they contain soya too we dont eat much meat really...

Unless he is really allergic to cow's milk and not just "intolerant" -- I would try small amounts of regular yogurt or kefir over a few days to see how he does with it. It is easier to digest than cow's milk...also if you can find raw cow milk near you, that would be worth a try. A lot of people intolerant to pasteurized/homogenized cow milk do great on raw...otherwise, raw goat milk would be a fine alternative.
If you do an online search you can find great recipes for oat or almond milk which may be the best way to wean him off the soy milk he is used to. I drink raw cow milk myself, but almond and oat milk taste great IMO and are very healthy if you sprout them and keep them raw. When I made this, I mixed the two milks together b/c all the raw almonds can get expensive.
I feed my two 10 month old sons, soft free range egg yolks -- they are so nutritious for growing older babies/kids -- especially since you don't do much meat, I would feed yolks every day.
Soy contains a lot of plant estrogens which can be particularly harmful to developing little boys.
Avocados are a good source of fat and nutrients -- you can blend them up and spread them on bread in place of butter as well.

 

[mum19]

Okay thanks....wow they should stop selling soy products if it causes the thyroid and other problems....

twins10705 thanks for your advice. I will see which has the highest calcium content out of rice milk, almond milk and oat milk....if I can find them all. Ive seen rice milk in the supermarket, its never fresh though? because its not kept in the fridges...is that bad? goats milk ive seen in the fridges. some soya is in the fridges, some is where the rice milk is though on regular shelves.

He has a SEVERE allergy to cows milk, I have to check everything I buy incase it contains any cows milk. Also he has a severe allergy to EGGS. Otherwise yeah good idea giving them that everyday if you dont do much meat. damn =/

But yeah if he has this stuff he gets a red itchy rash all over his face, he vomits, and theres a chance his windpipe could close up stopping him breathing...for that reason I have to carry injections of adrenaline everywhere we go, and allergy syrup for milder reactions if its just a slight amount of milk he has in a particular food. Fingers crossed he grows out of this, but hes 3 and hasnt so far.....Just makes it that much harder to cook meals for him.

Oh what is TVP?

 

[twins10705]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mum19 Okay thanks....wow they should stop selling soy products if it causes the thyroid and other problems.... twins10705 thanks for your advice. I will see which has the highest calcium content out of rice milk, almond milk and oat milk....if I can find them all. Ive seen rice milk in the supermarket, its never fresh though? because its not kept in the fridges...is that bad? goats milk ive seen in the fridges. some soya is in the fridges, some is where the rice milk is though on regular shelves. He has a SEVERE allergy to cows milk, I have to check everything I buy incase it contains any cows milk. Also he has a severe allergy to EGGS. Otherwise yeah good idea giving them that everyday if you dont do much meat. damn =/ But yeah if he has this stuff he gets a red itchy rash all over his face, he vomits, and theres a chance his windpipe could close up stopping him breathing...for that reason I have to carry injections of adrenaline everywhere we go, and allergy syrup for milder reactions if its just a slight amount of milk he has in a particular food. Fingers crossed he grows out of this, but hes 3 and hasnt so far.....Just makes it that much harder to cook meals for him. Oh what is TVP?

TVP = T(tofu?) Vegetable Protein ie: fake soy meat, I believe.

Well, cow milk and eggs are out then -- that must be so stressful knowing that he could have such a bad reaction!

If you can make the milks yourself it will be cheaper and healthier -- store bought almond, rice and oat milks tend to have a lot of sugar. Raw/Sprouted milks are going to be a bit more time consuming - here is an easy/cheap recipe for oat milk though it is cooked:

Quote:

* 4 cups (cold) water * 1 ripe banana * 2 cups cooked oatmeal * 1 tsp. vanilla * Pinch of salt (opt.) * 1 tsp vanilla (opt.) * Sweetener to taste (if desired) Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth about 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate. Shake before using.

Since eggs and milk are out, I would try to add some liver in at least a couple of times per week. Maybe puree it and add it to some sauces(somebody help me out here

). Good quality nutritional yeast(not brewer's yeast) is a good source of iron and amino acids.
Here is a link to some raw milk formula recipes that might give you some ideas on how to doctor up his milk to make it more nutritious:
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html

I hope you get some more ideas!

 

[eirual]

TVP= Textured Vegetable Protien

The main ingredient of which is Soy Flour

 

[Ruthla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mum19 Oh... well he is only 3 years old. This is what he has- soya milk to drink 2 or 3 times a day 3 soya yoghurts a day

That's a LOT of soy! I personally wouldn't worry about the carob or the soy ice cream, since those are only used as occasional treats. Ditto on the "few slice of soy cheese a week." Not that you shouldn't eventually phase out those items, but I'd focus on a healthier replacement for the soymilk and soy yogurt first, since those are a huge part of his diet right now.

Are you sure he hasn't outgrown his dairy allergy? Is he allergic to goat or sheep milk?

ETA: ok, it sounds like he has a true allergy, not just an intolerance. I wouldn't try him on any cow's milk products, even raw cow's milk, since his allergy is so severe. I'd try goat or sheep milk in very small quantities to see how he reacts (like a teaspoon of yogurt a day for a few days) before purchasing large quantities of either one.

 

[eirual]

Oh ya, I wanted to suggest Cool Hemp ice cream for a treat. It's dairy (and soy I believe)-free. The plain one's my favorite, but they also have chocolate and maple.

http://www.coolhemp.com/en_home.htm

 

[newcastlemama]

I used to use a lot of soy too (and my thyroid results will be in this week!) My son has a true allergy to cow's milk even if it is raw. Goat milk has worked very well for him...they have goat milk yogurt and butter too.

Jennifer

 

[JaneS]

The other main issue with soy is that since it contains phytic acid, any calcium it contains is not well absorbed, I think I read something like 10-15%?

That is dangerous for kids.

So with the calcium issue in mind, I would make sure he gets homemade bone broths everyday. Fortified calcium products: rice milk, orange juice, etc. are also not absorbed very well. Nature knew what she was doing putting fat soluble vits A&D into mammal milks: b/c its those vits that help your minerals be absorbed. Which is why skim milk causes rickets and whole milk cures it.

Soy will never stopped being produced and promoted as healthy b/c it is very cheap and a huge money maker for agri-business. One of the biggest researchers against soy is the Weston Price Foundation, as many people here know, and they are completely non-profit and run on a shoestring budget. They make no money off of dissing soy!

Mothering mag. article on soy recently:

Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food
http://www.mothering.com/articles/gr...soy_story.html