by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Nov 19, 2021 | Food Allergies and Special Diets
I have been meaning to write a post discussing the connection between autism and casein. Today I'm going to discuss casein-free diet dairy alternatives.
If you are interested in learning about gluten-free alternatives, click here.
Back to the casein-free alternatives…
First of all, I have been pleasantly surprised to find out that ricotta cheese, one of the main ingredients in lasagna, is nearly 100% whey protein. This means that ricotta cheese is nearly 100% casein-free. So, if you are casein intolerant but can eat small amounts of casein without problems, you may be able to tolerate ricotta cheese. To learn the difference between an intolerance and an allergy, click here.
(Stay tuned because we have just finished creating and taste-testing a gluten-free, casein-free lasagna recipe)!
We recently stumbled upon vegan mozzarella cheese that is quite tasty. New Seasons market donates to our church on a regular basis. One of the foods my husband brought home last month was a product called, “Follow Your Heart” Casein-Free Diet Dairy Alternative. It is a mozzarella-type cheese. I have eaten it numerous times in sandwiches, and I really like it! Note that it is not low in fat or saturated fat because it is made with coconut oil.
Casein-Free But Not Low Fat
If you are looking for a lower fat version of cheese, this isn't it. However, if you are looking for casein-free dairy alternatives that taste like cheese, then this might be the product you want. (Not an affiliate). We have a Safeway less than two miles from our house that has 17 assorted products from “Follow Your Heart.” So, I'm confident that this product is readily available in other stores as well. They do carry some of the products at Amazon. However, I'm not sure Amazon has the best price.
“Follow Your Heart” Casein-Free Diet Dairy Alternatives Products include:
- Mozzarella slices and shreds
- Cheddar slices and shreds
- Jack
- Smoked Gouda
- Parmesan
Just a quick side note.
I like to use Amazon as a place to learn more about products, even if I don't plan to purchase. Sometimes Amazon has the best prices, sometimes not. But at the very least, I can quickly and easily learn about specific products this way. In fact, I just went to Amazon, and I noticed there is a vegan egg replacement. We are going to have to try some of that egg replacement product!
This is another item on my list of things to do: make egg-free products for people who are allergic to eggs.
A1 Versus A2 Milk
I was watching TV a few months ago when a commercial came on advertising this new product called A2 Milk.
I had never heard of A2 milk. So, of course I looked it up. It turns out that mutations in cows have caused certain types of milk intolerances in persons sensitive to A1 type milk. The protein that is supposed to be better tolerated is “A2.” Most cow's milk available in stores today contains a combination of A1 and A2 proteins.
“A2 cows are the older breeds of cows (e.g., Jerseys, Asian and African cows). Some five thousand years ago, a mutation occurred in this proline amino acid, converting it to histidine. Cows that have this mutated beta casein are called A1 cows and include breeds like Holstein.”***
I don't know how they could know what happened “5000 years ago” since they weren't there to observe it. And science is supposed to be based on observation. But that's another subject for another day.
At any rate, I find it interesting that the older breeds of cows are the safe cows, since based on a biblical view of science, we should expect to find more mutations in species of cows as time passes, NOT LESS.
The good news is that A2 brand milk is available in some grocery stores in the US and other countries. If you are interested in trying it, check with your local stores. If they don't carry it, you can ask them to, and they just might.
I see this product in a lot of recipes these days. It's a deactivated form of yeast, and it is used because it has a cheesy, nutty flavor. Often recipes for casein-free dairy alternatives are cashew-based and have nutritional yeast as part of the recipe.
Oh, and Nutritional Yeast is Extremely Nutritional!
Unfortunately, our son has a slight reaction to cashews. The reaction is very subtle and results in tingling in the back of his throat. To be honest, I thought it was in his head when he first mentioned it to me. But I finally looked it up and discovered that the “tingling in back of the throat” is a real phenomenon and is a sign of a slight allergy to certain foods. Thus, no cashew-based cheese sauce for us.
However, if you are interested in trying cashew-based casein-free diet dairy alternatives,” Bob's Red Mill sells nutritional yeast online. The product has the “cheese” sauce recipe on the back. Plus, you can see the recipe without buying the yeast.
There is a good chance you can find Bob's Red Mill in your local grocery store, because they are well known. We are blessed to have the Mill only about 20 miles away. In fact, we recently went to his 90th birthday party celebration!
I highly recommend Bob's Red Mill products (Not an affiliate). They have a separate dedicated gluten-free facility to avoid cross contamination. And this is just one reason I love them!
Bob's products are also available through Amazon here.
If you are considering a gluten-free, casein-free elimination trial, and you aren't already a subscriber. Click here to access the subscriber only freebies page.
This page, which is accessible only to subscribers, is filled with goodies, including:
- A Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet dairy alternatives, created by the American of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- A Checklist of Gluten-Free Foods
- A 3-day Food Record that can be printed and duplicated to be used for multiple days.
- A Checklist of Foods High in Iron
- Many other goodies, including free cards and bookmarks
- More are being added weekly (and even more often than that)!
Click here for the subscriber only page. As soon as you register and confirm, you will receive a code that you can use to access the freebies page.
Until next time. Stay tuned for that gluten free, casein free lasagna recipe I mentioned. Debbie 🙂
Learn more about celiac disease here.
What-cheese-has-no-casein-or-lactose/
https://www.paleohacks.com
*** The-devil-in-the-milk-dr-thomas-cowan-on-how-a2-milk-is-the-answer-to-the-mystery-of-why-even-raw-milk-sometimes-does-not-seem-to-be-enough-of-an-improvement-over-store-bought/
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Oct 11, 2021 | Homeschooling, Nutrition and Health
Leadership Resources Help Parents Raise Confident Children
As a parent, you want your children to be successful, and success often begins with positive and powerful leadership skills. So how can you encourage these skills in your children? Well, reading these essential resources from Homeschooling Dietitian Mom can be a good place to start!
A Love of Literacy Can Lead to Great Things
Reading can open so many doors for children, and literacy is essential for future leaders.
Leading By Example is Essential for Parents
Parents can promote reading and other leadership skills by practicing them on a daily basis.
- Shaping a child’s character centers on setting positive examples for them in everyday life, and children pay the most attention to the behaviors of their parents.
- Being a self-esteem role model is also crucial for helping children develop confidence.
- Goal setting is an effective way for parents to boost their own self-esteem.
- One example of a positive goal to model for kids is returning to school to achieve your master’s or doctoral degree. You can advance your career and be an inspiration for your children.
Providing Opportunities for Mistakes is Also Vital
It’s natural for parents to shield their kids from harm but learning from mistakes is so important.
- Helping children learn from mistakes, rather than preventing them altogether, is crucial for helping them grow into confident and effective leaders.
- Making mistakes will help children accept responsibility and avoid feelings of anxiety.
- So, it’s also essential for parents to help children own and admit to their mistakes.
- Finally, fostering an understanding of remorse can foster positive leadership skills.
Encouraging literacy, self-confidence and personal responsibility can help your children grow into successful and thriving leaders. More importantly, instilling these principles in your children will help them grow into healthy, happy and thriving adults.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Article written by Lacie Martin
“Lacie Martin created Raise Them Well to help inspire parents to raise
their children well by prioritizing love over everything else. She firmly
believes that all moms and dads raising kids who know they are loved and
cared for are successful parents.”
Products by Homeschooling Dietitian Mom
See everything in store here.
Product Reviews
Etsy Master Class for Teens
Traditional Cooking School
No Nonsense Algebra
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Oct 11, 2021 | Education Materials
I recently released my UPDATED “Meal Planning for Kids” curriculum, which teaches kids Healthy eating on a Budget. In this curriculum, children Pre-K through 12th grade learn foundational nutrition science while having fun.
I chose to create “Meal Planning for Kids” for many reasons. First, consider these statistics:
My “Meal Planning for Kids” was designed to indirectly address the above issue and more.
As I am sure you already realize, knowing how to eat healthy and stay on a budget can be a challenging skill to learn. But it is SO important! By instructing your children through this curriculum,
You will be educating your children on creating a real-life budget based on real prices at a real 
grocery store.
It doesn't get any more practical than that!
Your children aren't going to simply create a budget, however. They are going to create a budget that is nutritionally adequate, calorie-appropriate, and delicious for the entire family.
One of the assignments for the curriculum is to create a 2-day menu or meal plan for a family of four. However, it can be adjusted, depending on your family's size. This is just ONE of the many assignments you will be able to schedule for your kids to do.
I am master's degree-level Registered Dietitian and I studied Public Health for my master's degree. Thus, I think it's important to focus on prevention. For example, teaching kids behaviors and choices that will lead to a healthy weight and a healthy body. When a person grows up with a healthy weight and body, they are less likely to develop diseases such as Diabetes and Hypertension.
Note, however, that this curriculum is not weight-focused. This is simply one example of how it can be applied.
My overriding goal is to teach kids important health science and nutrition principles that meet scholastic requirements and build life-long skills. And “Meal Planning for Kids” will help them to achieve health and well-being as adults.
Kids also develop research and writing skills, critical thinking, and budgeting while completing this curriculum.
LOTS of hands-on, practical activities are included in this 147-page curriculum package.
Activities include real-life skills. For example, how to pick the best, most nutritious foods, at the best price, while at the real supermarket. Kids will also learn what goes on behind the scenes at the grocery store, what influences prices, and more.
Once kids complete this course, they will be proficient at planning a menu for an entire family.
Plus, this curriculum assists kids in gaining valuable experience working as a team.
“Meal Planning for Kids” is appropriate for preschoolers, elementary, middle, and high schoolers.
So, if you have multiples, “Meal Planning for Kids” is an economical way to meet health science requirements for all the kids in your family, pre-K through 12th grade.
High school kids (9th-12th grade) who spend at least 150 hours completing this course (which is absolutely possible considering the amount of work included), will earn 1 full unit of high school credit.
The time to take advantage of this package which will teach your kids “Healthy Eating on a Budget” is NOW.
Included with this thorough course is a Bonus Activity Book which enhances the health science activities in the main course, allowing for further collaboration and time spent on subject. A $5.00 value.
*I have included in the BONUS section, the Entire set of FDA-created materials (complete with tables and a glossary) that will allow for your children to complete the questions I have included related to vitamins, minerals, label reading, the several types of carbohydrates (sugars, sugar alcohols, fiber), fats (saturated, unsaturated, trans-fat), proteins, sodium, cholesterol, and more. This will make it easier for your students to answer the lengthy and involved questions I have created to go with the FDA-created materials. (These questions could satisfy college requirements as well).
Meal Planning for Kids is a digital download/printable type course. 147 pages
Click here to purchase.
Or better yet, click here to grab the bundle and get an even better deal!
Other things on my site you might be interested in:
Nutrition and Food Science Mega Pack
What Attracts Kids to Fast Food?
Entrepreneurship and our Children
Etsy Masterclass for Teens
Seven Surprising Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
High school kids (9th-12th grade) who spend at least 150 hours completing this course (which is absolutely possible considering the amount of work included), will earn 1 full unit of high school credit.
