Out, damned casein.
June 2, 2010 3:32 AM Subscribe
I've just been told I may have a casein intolerance, and I have to alter my diet to suit.
I can find lots of information on the web about lactose intolerance, but not casein. What I'm looking for is information about the intolerance - symptoms, how it operates in the body, damage, healing processes, diagnosis, etc. I am also looking for recipes, ingredient substitutes, and meal plans. To be honest, I'm at more than a bit of a loss, and any help would be greatly appreciated. Additionally, information on non-obvious things I should avoid would be great. I'm in Australia, and brand names/product lines that I can use would be most appreciated.
I can find lots of information on the web about lactose intolerance, but not casein. What I'm looking for is information about the intolerance - symptoms, how it operates in the body, damage, healing processes, diagnosis, etc. I am also looking for recipes, ingredient substitutes, and meal plans. To be honest, I'm at more than a bit of a loss, and any help would be greatly appreciated. Additionally, information on non-obvious things I should avoid would be great. I'm in Australia, and brand names/product lines that I can use would be most appreciated.
Best answer: I am also looking for recipes, ingredient substitutes, and meal plans.
If you haven't already, consider delving into East Asian cuisines like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. There is a wide range of delicious, dairy-free food out there, and a lot of it is easy to prepare if you have the time to cook in the first place. I don't have specific recipes to recommend, but you could try a site like Epicurious or your bookstore.
Non-obvious: Check the ingredients of gum before chewing. I have a friend with a terrible allergy to casein who had some gum and ended up with a very unpleasant rash in her mouth. Wikipedia lists alternate names casein might be called on ingredients lists: sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or milk protein.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:09 AM on June 2, 2010
If you haven't already, consider delving into East Asian cuisines like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. There is a wide range of delicious, dairy-free food out there, and a lot of it is easy to prepare if you have the time to cook in the first place. I don't have specific recipes to recommend, but you could try a site like Epicurious or your bookstore.
Non-obvious: Check the ingredients of gum before chewing. I have a friend with a terrible allergy to casein who had some gum and ended up with a very unpleasant rash in her mouth. Wikipedia lists alternate names casein might be called on ingredients lists: sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or milk protein.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:09 AM on June 2, 2010
I found the Food Reactions site to be very useful when I realised that I was lactose intolerant. The information is thorough and clearly written, and they go into your nutritional needs for a milk-free diet as well as just describing the allergy. They also sell various things - i'm not sure if any product would be appropriate for your allergy, but i've found the lactose tablets worked quite well for me - they mean that i can still eat dairy every now and then.
posted by ukdanae at 4:14 AM on June 2, 2010
posted by ukdanae at 4:14 AM on June 2, 2010
My brother grew up with what was, in retrospect, a severe casein allergy (at the time the doctor just said "allergic to milk") but he was fine with goat milk/cheese. Have you tried that?
It was a lot harder to substitute stuff for him then, compared to now where everyone is lactose intolerant or vegan and there are tons of substitutes like soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc. For my part, soy milk works for me in some baked recipes and over cereal, but not so much as a replacement for milk in soups or anything else where you legitimately need something creamy. If you are okay with goat milk, you can buy lots of products (including ice cream) made with it, or make your own as necessary.
posted by olinerd at 4:27 AM on June 2, 2010
It was a lot harder to substitute stuff for him then, compared to now where everyone is lactose intolerant or vegan and there are tons of substitutes like soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc. For my part, soy milk works for me in some baked recipes and over cereal, but not so much as a replacement for milk in soups or anything else where you legitimately need something creamy. If you are okay with goat milk, you can buy lots of products (including ice cream) made with it, or make your own as necessary.
posted by olinerd at 4:27 AM on June 2, 2010
Response by poster: @olinerd I've been told to avoid all animal milks, which is irritating. So I'm looking at all those other products at the moment, mostly being completely mystified (especially when it comes to baking).
posted by ysabet at 4:31 AM on June 2, 2010
posted by ysabet at 4:31 AM on June 2, 2010
The only advice I can offer is that "casein-free" is often paired with "gluten-free" as GFCF. There are sites out there with food lists and other advice. It would obviously be more limiting for you to also go gluten-free but you at least might be able to find lists of packaged foods that you can use.
FYI, a GFCF diet is a method of managing autism, so keep that in mind when randomly googling and reading websites.
posted by cabingirl at 5:05 AM on June 2, 2010
FYI, a GFCF diet is a method of managing autism, so keep that in mind when randomly googling and reading websites.
posted by cabingirl at 5:05 AM on June 2, 2010
Best answer: Just be aware that a lot of substitute "dairy-free" cheeses still contain casein. If you are interested in them, look for the ones that are vegan.
As for baking, there are a ton of milks that do not come from animals. My favorite is almond milk and my favorite brand is Pacific. That same brand also makes a hazelnut milk which is also really delicious. There are other brands of nut milks but they just seem to taste too watered down to me, but that's something you might like. You can pretty much substitute any kind of milk for cow milk in baking. Just be aware that some soy milks and nut milks also have a little sugar added but some do not.
One last thing, after you stop eating something for a while, you stop missing it. I used to love cheese and dairy products but I went vegan about two years ago. It was hard at first, but over time I pretty much just forgot about it. It might be worth checking out some vegan cookbooks for ideas on dairy free recipes and substitutions.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:39 AM on June 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
As for baking, there are a ton of milks that do not come from animals. My favorite is almond milk and my favorite brand is Pacific. That same brand also makes a hazelnut milk which is also really delicious. There are other brands of nut milks but they just seem to taste too watered down to me, but that's something you might like. You can pretty much substitute any kind of milk for cow milk in baking. Just be aware that some soy milks and nut milks also have a little sugar added but some do not.
One last thing, after you stop eating something for a while, you stop missing it. I used to love cheese and dairy products but I went vegan about two years ago. It was hard at first, but over time I pretty much just forgot about it. It might be worth checking out some vegan cookbooks for ideas on dairy free recipes and substitutions.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:39 AM on June 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Dairy-free cheese/milk substitutes won't taste right to you until you've gone for some time (years?) without eating the real thing. I'm having a lovely bagel with tofutti cream cheese on it right now; I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I still remembered clearly what real cream cheese tasted like.
However, baking isn't that much of a challenge. I recommend using soy milk instead of rice or almond milk for baking; it seems to work better for some reason. You can even buy packs of dehydrated soy milk powder and reconstitute it as needed -- if you're not drinking it (and I don't recommend it), powdered is fine.
Don't overlook vegan resources in your quest for casein-free food. Vegans have to do without egg, too, which is the real challenge, but you should find plenty of recipes that give you really wonderful casein-free experiences.
PS - you probably know this, but a lot of "veggie" cheese is made with casein. If you see one with "vegan" on the front, it probably won't list casein on the back.
posted by amtho at 5:46 AM on June 2, 2010
However, baking isn't that much of a challenge. I recommend using soy milk instead of rice or almond milk for baking; it seems to work better for some reason. You can even buy packs of dehydrated soy milk powder and reconstitute it as needed -- if you're not drinking it (and I don't recommend it), powdered is fine.
Don't overlook vegan resources in your quest for casein-free food. Vegans have to do without egg, too, which is the real challenge, but you should find plenty of recipes that give you really wonderful casein-free experiences.
PS - you probably know this, but a lot of "veggie" cheese is made with casein. If you see one with "vegan" on the front, it probably won't list casein on the back.
posted by amtho at 5:46 AM on June 2, 2010
If you need to substitute for butter, you want ghee (clarified butter). Which is awesome, because it comes in a jar and is shelf-stable.
A friend of mine has casein as one of her allergies (of like, I don't know anymore, 9 major ones? ouch) and she can tolerate goat cheese and sheep cheese in moderation. So you may not be totally out of it on the cheese front, if it means that much to you (and it would to me, so I sympathize).
Also, if you feel really lost, look for a nutritionist in your area. The above mentioned friend with 7 or 9 major food allergies (gluten, casein, soy, tomatoes (really). . buncha other stuff) was pretty overwhelmed at one point and definitely consulted with a nutritionist, and it was helpful.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:02 AM on June 2, 2010
A friend of mine has casein as one of her allergies (of like, I don't know anymore, 9 major ones? ouch) and she can tolerate goat cheese and sheep cheese in moderation. So you may not be totally out of it on the cheese front, if it means that much to you (and it would to me, so I sympathize).
Also, if you feel really lost, look for a nutritionist in your area. The above mentioned friend with 7 or 9 major food allergies (gluten, casein, soy, tomatoes (really). . buncha other stuff) was pretty overwhelmed at one point and definitely consulted with a nutritionist, and it was helpful.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:02 AM on June 2, 2010
A non-obvious thing probably related to what Kutsuwamushi mentions: My toothpaste (MI Paste Plus) has Recaldent, and also has a warning label. It says, "RECALDENT (tm) is derived from milk casein. Do not use on patients with a milk protein and/or hydroxybenzoates allergy."
The wikipedia article for Recaldent says, "Recaldent (CPP-ACP) can be delivered to the teeth by sugar-free gum (Trident XtraCare with Recaldent), professional tooth crème (GC's Tooth Mousse, MI Paste and MI Paste Plus) and dairy milk (Meiji Milk de Recaldent)."
posted by Houstonian at 6:09 AM on June 2, 2010
The wikipedia article for Recaldent says, "Recaldent (CPP-ACP) can be delivered to the teeth by sugar-free gum (Trident XtraCare with Recaldent), professional tooth crème (GC's Tooth Mousse, MI Paste and MI Paste Plus) and dairy milk (Meiji Milk de Recaldent)."
posted by Houstonian at 6:09 AM on June 2, 2010
I'm not on a casein-free diet, but I don't do well with soy due to hormonal issues and have found coconut milk to be a good substitute.
posted by misha at 8:00 AM on June 2, 2010
posted by misha at 8:00 AM on June 2, 2010
I'm vegan, and I don't particularly like the taste of soy milk. There are several types of milk besides soy and cow, including rice and almond. Almond is my fav. The almond milk made by 'Silk' is the creamiest and best-tasting, but it acts weird in coffee, and I use the other brand (the only other one, as far as I can tell, but I can't remember the name) for cooking. Soy milk does fine too, though. Rice milk is a little watery for my preferences. It's an equal conversion whichever you do use.
The easiest thing is just to always check the ingredients list. They slip milk protein into TONS of stuff, often for no real reason. (Me: "Soy cheese pizza? No dairy product at all? Aweso-- oh wait, milk protein." Why?!)
posted by lhall at 11:01 AM on June 2, 2010
The easiest thing is just to always check the ingredients list. They slip milk protein into TONS of stuff, often for no real reason. (Me: "Soy cheese pizza? No dairy product at all? Aweso-- oh wait, milk protein." Why?!)
posted by lhall at 11:01 AM on June 2, 2010
Best answer: It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you've just been diagnosed with a food allergy. You have to think of food in ways you never have before, and think in terms of your physical safety with regard to food. It can feel pretty threatening. It may help to know that casein is not one of the more difficult food allergies to deal with. It's relatively common, and therefore things containing it are usually clearly labeled. (Do get used to checking labels. It will become second-nature before you know it, and won't even feel like an inconvenience anymore, just something you quickly scan before eating.)
Try lots of different alternative milks; you'll find one you like, I promise. My favorites are Vanilla and Chocolate Soymilk, Vanilla Rice Milk (especially on cereal), and Chocolate Almond Milk. But there are Chocolate and Vanilla versions (and "plain", or "unflavored", but I don't recommend these flavors of ANY non-dairy milk, except maybe in smoothies) of Hemp, Rice, Soy, and Almond Milk. Oat milk is actually pretty good too. Experiment.
Also, I wanted to mention again what others have mentioned about most soy cheese containing casein. That's tricky for awhile, be sure to check all cheese. Follow Your Heart brand vegan cheese is the best, in my opinion, and is sold at most Whole Foods. Daiya brand vegan cheese is really good for pasta dishes and on pizza (make your own [check the crust for casein], or Z Pizza now offers a vegan pizza which features Daiya! If there's a chain near you, definitely try it out, it will make you not miss pizza as much.)
I hope this, and others' answers, have helped. Good luck!
posted by jitterbug perfume at 12:22 PM on June 2, 2010
Try lots of different alternative milks; you'll find one you like, I promise. My favorites are Vanilla and Chocolate Soymilk, Vanilla Rice Milk (especially on cereal), and Chocolate Almond Milk. But there are Chocolate and Vanilla versions (and "plain", or "unflavored", but I don't recommend these flavors of ANY non-dairy milk, except maybe in smoothies) of Hemp, Rice, Soy, and Almond Milk. Oat milk is actually pretty good too. Experiment.
Also, I wanted to mention again what others have mentioned about most soy cheese containing casein. That's tricky for awhile, be sure to check all cheese. Follow Your Heart brand vegan cheese is the best, in my opinion, and is sold at most Whole Foods. Daiya brand vegan cheese is really good for pasta dishes and on pizza (make your own [check the crust for casein], or Z Pizza now offers a vegan pizza which features Daiya! If there's a chain near you, definitely try it out, it will make you not miss pizza as much.)
I hope this, and others' answers, have helped. Good luck!
posted by jitterbug perfume at 12:22 PM on June 2, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the advice, people. I'm feeling a bit more positive about the whole deal, if still somewhat in mourning for being able to do simple things like go to a resturant and eat whatever I like.
posted by ysabet at 3:38 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by ysabet at 3:38 PM on June 6, 2010
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This book and blog seems to be one that people get on with to get into the idea, although he does dabble with yoghurt which you just want to avoid.
posted by Not Supplied at 3:42 AM on June 2, 2010