Going dairy-free is not easy. When you are breastfeeding and trying to eliminate dairy from your diet, it can feel like nearly everything you normally eat suddenly becomes off-limits.
To make things a little easier, I created a list of dairy-free snacks, sweets, cereals, baking mixes, and pantry staples that helped me survive my dairy-free months.
Why I Went Dairy-Free While Breastfeeding
When my daughter was still a newborn, she began developing red eczema patches, mostly on her face and chest. After talking with her pediatrician and doing quite a bit of research, I learned that some babies develop a Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA).
In some cases, the dairy protein that a mother consumes can pass through breast milk and trigger symptoms in sensitive babies.
My daughter’s pediatrician explained that many babies outgrow CMPA within the first year. In the meantime, I decided to eliminate dairy from my diet so I could continue breastfeeding.
Those ten months were not easy.
I quickly discovered that dairy appears in far more foods than you might expect. Many recipes I cooked at home included dairy, and restaurant food and fast food often contained hidden dairy ingredients as well.
Over time, I began keeping a list of snacks and foods that were reliably dairy-free.
Eventually, after my daughter turned one, she was able to eat dairy without any issues. Today she has no problems with dairy at all. But during those ten months, this list became incredibly helpful.
Many of these snacks are still favorites in our house today.
If you notice that ingredients have changed for any of the products listed below, please always double-check labels and consult updated ingredient lists.
And if you suspect your baby may have CMPA or another food sensitivity, always talk to your pediatrician first.
The Dairy-Free Snack List
Breads and Bagels
- Aunt Millie’s breads (items marked Kosher Pareve are dairy-free)
- Brownberry Dutch Country Whole Wheat
- H-E-B Rosemary Sourdough Golden Grain Bread
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Bread
- Thomas Plain Bagels
Cake, Brownie, and Cupcake Mixes
- Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
- Miss Jones Baking Co. Cake and Cupcake Mix
- Miss Jones Baking Co. Organic Cookie Mix
- Miss Jones Organic Buttercream Frosting
Cereals
- Alphabits
- Cheerios (Original)
- Kix
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- Rice Chex
Chips and Crackers
- FitJoy Grain-Free Pretzel Twists
- Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips
- Keebler Club Crackers
- Keebler Grahams
- Keebler Toasteds (except Buttercrisp)
- Keebler Town House Crackers (except Flipsides and Flatbread Crisps)
- Keebler Zesta Saltine Crackers
- Nabisco Barnum’s Animal Crackers
- Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers
- Nabisco Original Triscuits
- Nabisco Wheat Thins Original
Cookies
- Biscoff Cookies
- Enjoy Life Crunchy Mini Cookies
- Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies (all flavors)
- Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies
- Oreo Cookies (Original, Double Stuf, and Golden)
- Tutti Gourmet Gluten-Free Biscotti
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
- Nada Moo Lotta Mint Chip
Nuts, Granola, and Fruit Mixes
- Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola
- Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Mix (Beach Bash and Mountain Mambo)
Oatmeal
- Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats
Protein Bars and Snack Bars
- Enjoy Life Baked Chewy Bars
- Enjoy Life Protein Bites
- Kashi Soft Baked Breakfast Bars (Ripe Strawberry)
- KIND Healthy Grains Granola Bars
- Larabar Gluten-Free Bars
- Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Bars
- OWYN Plant-Based Bars
- WHOA DOUGH Plant-Based Protein Bars
Popcorn and Pretzels
- Orville Redenbacher’s Naturals Simply Salted Popcorn
- Rold Gold Pretzels
- SkinnyPop Original Popcorn
Miscellaneous Snacks and Ingredients
- Better Bites Birthday Do Bites
- Better Bites Chocolate Chip Do Bites
- Better Bites Lil’ Mo Mini-Cupcakes
- Craisins dried cranberries
- Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
- SunButter Sunflower Butter
- Wowbutter
Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternatives
- Daiya Black Cherry Greek Yogurt Alternative
- Forager Organic Cashewmilk Yogurt
Important Disclaimer
This list was created based on my own research and experience while following a dairy-free diet during breastfeeding. My research primarily involved reading labels, comparing ingredients, and reviewing information available online.
This list does not account for every possible manufacturing process. Some foods may be produced in facilities that also process dairy products, and ingredients can change over time.
Always read current labels carefully before consuming any product to ensure it remains dairy-free.
Hidden Dairy Ingredient Cheat Sheet
One of the hardest parts of going dairy-free is recognizing hidden dairy ingredients in packaged foods.
Some product listings may claim to be dairy-free, but the ingredient list may still contain dairy derivatives.
Here are some common ingredients to watch for.
Ingredients That Contain Dairy
Acidophilus Milk
Ammonium Caseinate
Butter
Butter Fat
Butter Oil
Butter Solids
Buttermilk
Buttermilk Powder
Calcium Caseinate
Casein
Caseinate
Cheese
Condensed Milk
Cottage Cheese
Cream
Curds
Custard
Dry Milk Powder
Evaporated Milk
Ghee
Goat Milk or Goat Cheese
Half & Half
Hydrolyzed Casein
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Lactalbumin
Lactoglobulin
Lactose
Low-Fat Milk
Milk
Milk Fat
Milk Powder
Milk Protein
Milk Solids
Natural Butter Flavor
Nonfat Milk
Paneer
Pudding
Rennet Casein
Sour Cream
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Whey
Whey Powder
Whey Protein Concentrate
Whipped Cream
Whole Milk
Yogurt
Ingredients That Might Contain Dairy
Some ingredients are ambiguous and may be derived from dairy in certain circumstances.
Examples include:
- Artificial or Natural Flavors
- Cultured Dextrose
- Fat Replacers
- Galactose
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
- Lactic Acid Starter Culture
- Lactobacillus
- Margarine (varies by brand)
- Nisin Preparation
- Certain Prebiotics
When in doubt, it’s best to contact the manufacturer or avoid the product.
Ingredients That Are Usually Dairy-Free
These ingredients may sound like dairy but generally are not derived from milk.
- Calcium or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
- Calcium, Sodium, or Potassium Lactate
- Caramel Color
- Lactic Acid
- Cocoa Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Coconut Cream
- Cream of Tartar
- Fruit Butters
- Nut Butters
Final Thoughts
Going dairy-free while breastfeeding can feel overwhelming at first. But once you learn where dairy hides and discover some reliable snack options, the process becomes much easier.
If you have a favorite dairy-free snack that helped you during your breastfeeding journey, feel free to share it. Moms helping moms is often the best resource of all.