When to Try a Dairy-Free Diet

If your little one’s healthcare provider recommends trying a dairy-free diet, it can feel overwhelming, especially if dairy is a big part of their usual routine. 

Dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt are important sources of nutrients like calcium and protein for kids. Cutting out such a major food group can feel intimidating because of these nutrition concerns, but also because it makes everyday meal planning a bit trickier. That’s why it’s important to be sure a dairy-free diet is truly necessary.

But if your child is dealing with symptoms like constipation, eczema, or frequent tummy aches, it may be worth exploring whether dairy is contributing. In this guide, we’ll walk through when a dairy-free diet might be helpful, how to do it correctly, and how to make sure your kiddo still gets all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

When It Might Be Time to Try a Dairy-Free Diet

Trying a dairy-free diet can be a helpful tool to figure out if milk or milk products are triggering certain symptoms. But because elimination diets can be restrictive, it's important to have a legitimate need.

Here are some medically supported situations where a dairy-free diet is worth considering:

1. Cow's Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) 

CMPA is an allergy where your child’s immune system reacts to the proteins in cow’s milk. Symptoms can include (1):

• Vomiting

• Hives or skin rashes

• Swelling around the eyes or lips

• Trouble breathing

• Fatigue or low energy

If your doctor suspects CMPA, a strict dairy-free diet is typically used both for diagnosis and treatment, often followed by a supervised reintroduction of dairy.

2. Lactose Intolerance

Unlike an allergy, lactose intolerance is a digestive issue where the body doesn’t make enough lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose (the natural sugar in milk). 

Symptoms usually include (4):

• Gas and bloating

• Stomach cramps

• Diarrhea

• Nausea after eating dairy

Kids with lactose intolerance may not need to avoid all dairy. Many can still tolerate small amounts or use lactose-free milk products and hard cheeses, which are naturally low in lactose.

3. Gastrointestinal Conditions 

Some kids with chronic digestive conditions like enterocolitis, enteropathy, or other types of gut inflammation may benefit from a dairy-free diet. In these cases, dairy can irritate the gut lining with inflammation, especially if an undiagnosed allergy is present.

If your little one is showing ongoing symptoms like chronic diarrhea, poor weight gain, or blood in the poop, their healthcare team might recommend a temporary or long-term dairy-free diet to reduce the inflammation.

4. Atopic dermatitis or Eczema 

Because of the connection between gut health and skin health, eczema may flare up more often after eating dairy (3). If you notice this pattern, trying a dairy-free diet for a short period might help improve your kiddo's skin. 

5. Chronic Constipation 

If your little one has ongoing constipation that hasn’t improved with baseline strategies (like increasing fiber, fluids, and physical activity), a dairy-free trial may be worth trying. Some research shows that a dairy-free diet can improve constipation in up to 78% of children, especially if there's an underlying allergy to milk proteins (4).

The Basics of a Dairy-Free Diet

Dairy-Free vs Lactose-Free

Not all dairy-related issues require the same kind of diet. To make sure your kiddo's diet is as least restrictive as possible, it’s important to figure out whether they need to avoid all dairy or just lactose.

A dairy-free diet is used for kids with cow’s milk protein allergy or other immune-related reactions to milk. It means avoiding all sources of dairy, including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, and any foods that contain milk ingredients (like whey, casein, or milk solids).

A lactose-free diet involves avoiding foods that contain lactose, like regular milk and soft cheeses. But it’s usually okay to include lactose-free dairy products or naturally low-lactose foods like aged cheeses (cheddar or parmesan).

It can be tricky to figure out which type of dairy-free diet your kid might need, since many digestive symptoms look the same. 

One key difference is that true dairy allergies often cause issues beyond the gut like rashes, breathing problems, blood in the stool, or poor growth. Lactose intolerance usually causes only digestive symptoms and can be confirmed with a test called a hydrogen breath test. 

If you’re unsure which diet is right for your little one, talk with your pediatrician to help guide the next steps.

How to Do a Dairy-Free Diet

If your pediatrician recommends trying a dairy-free diet to see if symptoms improve, here’s how to do it safely and effectively:

1. Stick with it for 2-4 weeks

This allows time to see if symptoms improve (4). Track symptoms like:

• Poop frequency and consistency

• Tummy aches or bloating

• Skin changes (like rashes or eczema)

• Mood and energy levels

• Growth patterns

2. Reintroduce slowly

After the trial period, your healthcare provider may recommend reintroducing dairy to see if symptoms return. If they do, continue avoiding dairy for 6-12 months before trying again (4).

3. Watch Out for Nutrient Gaps

Dairy is a major source of calcium, vitamin D, protein, and B vitamins (5). If your kiddo is avoiding dairy long term, make sure they’re getting these nutrients elsewhere.

Alternative sources include:

• Calcium: fortified plant milks, tofu, leafy greens, chia seeds
  
  

• Vitamin D: fortified plant milk, fatty fish, eggs, fortified cereal
  
  

• Protein: meat, beans, lentils, eggs, soy products
  
  

• B vitamins: whole grains, meats, fortified cereals

As always, talk to your pediatrician or a pediatric dietitian about supplements if you're worried about any deficiencies.

Summary

If your little one is struggling with constipation, eczema, tummy aches, or allergic reactions, a dairy-free diet may be worth exploring with guidance from your pediatrician. With the right planning, they can thrive without dairy and still get all the nutrients they need through a varied diet.