Foods and Ingredients to Avoid with a Dairy Allergy
If you, your child or another loved one has a dairy allergy, there are common dairy foods to avoid, ingredients to look for and a few tricky places dairy likes to lurk. Here’s a list of common foods and ingredients to look for and bypass. On the bright side, I’ve also included a list of surprisingly dairy-free treats you CAN enjoy!
Common Dairy Foods
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Cheese
- Condensed milk & evaporated milk
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Cream
- Curds
- Custard
- Ghee
- Half and half
- Ice cream & sherbert
- Malted milk
- Milk (including lactose-free milk)
- Milkshakes
- Milk solids
- Nougat
- Paneer
- Pudding
- Sour cream
- Whey protein
- Whipped cream
- Yogurt
Dairy Ingredients to Look for on Food Labels
- Artificial butter flavor (it can have hidden dairy)
- Casein
- Caseinates
- Hydrolyzed caseinate
- Kefir
- Lactalbumin & Lactoglobulin
- Lactose & Lactulose
- Nonfat dry milk
- Milk protein solids
- Whey
- Whey protein
Common Foods Where Dairy Lurks
- Baby formula
- Bakery goods and baking mixes
- Bread
- Breading (on chicken and meats)
- Breakfast, granola and nutrition bars
- Buns
- Caramel
- Chicken broth (some brands)
- Chocolate and candy
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Deli & processed meats (many contain dairy)
- Flavored potato chips
- Gravy
- Instant potatoes
- Margarine
- Meatballs
- Protein drinks
- Ranch dressing (and many other dressings)
- Sherbert
- Some natural and artificial flavorings
- Soy “meat” and “cheese” products (some)
- Whipped toppings (even when they say nondairy, it may have casein)
* Note: This list does not include every possible dairy allergen; please check with your healthcare provider for a complete list
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Surprisingly Dairy-Free Foods You CAN Enjoy
(always read labels)
- Junior Mints
- Oreos
- Mayonnaise (most)
- Pillsbury crescent rolls
- Pepperidge Farms puff pastry
- Marshmallows
- Sorbet (most)
- Creamed corn
- Angel food cake
- Eggs (a common misconception is that eggs are “dairy” – they come from chickens, so unless you are also allergic to eggs or vegan, enjoy!)
