Dairy Free

When Pearl turned one year old, we did the standard practice of giving her whole milk (to supplement breast milk, not to replace it). For about a month, it seemed like everything was going well, but the more milk she drank, the more tantrums we seemed to have. We had days on end where it seemed like all she did was cry and whine and destroy things. Eventually we began to notice that she had developed two rashes on her body.

So we finally made the decision to eliminate dairy from my diet and from hers. The first week the rash went away, and by week 3 she was only having 2 or 3 mild tantrums a day instead of day-long tantrums. Then JunkMale, in a sleep-deprived-brain moment, forgot himself and gave Pearl some dairy. The rest of the day was a nightmare. Pearl was hyper, aggressive, whiny, and angry. And if that wasn't enough proof, the rashes came back the next day.

Eating dairy-free for the past month has been an interesting experience for our family. We have eaten a lot more Korean food, because the Korean diet is naturally dairy-free. JunkMale has noticed significantly improved digestive health - whether from eliminating dairy or eating kimchi every day, he is not sure - and Pearl has of course had an improved disposition and less itchy skin. But as for me, I notice no difference except that I long for my dairy.

We have learned that we love almond milk and I have learned some new yummy Korean recipes (spicy mixed noodles/비빔면, crab pancakes/해물전). Korean food is, of course, less expensive than American food, but dairy substitutes like margarine, soy and coconut yogurt, and "ice cream" are much more expensive. Sometimes we are able to stay under budget, but often we have to go over.

I have learned to make my own kimchi, and unlike during our Korean food month, I'm not finding myself craving American food. I am treating myself to expensive coconut ice cream and American junk food treats, so I don't really feel deprived like I did back then. And I also have two extra years' experience both in cooking and in learning to enjoy eating Korean foods.

In subsequent weeks I will be sharing some of the new recipes and also some strategies to eating dairy-free. If you have some strategies to share with me, please leave a comment, and also if you have questions about eating dairy-free let me know and I will try to find the answer.