Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy- Our Journey up the milk ladder – Stage 5

Inside: Our experience with the first stage of the milk ladder.

My youngest daughter was born with a milk allergy. Not that we knew it at the time – I just assumed all was well and began life with a newborn as any mum would.

For the first 2 weeks of her life all was well besides a complete inability to latch on, which we would later discover was down to tongue-tie.

If you are not sure whether you are dealing with a milk allergy then please head over to my Cows Milk Allergy Guide, where you can find more information to help you as you get to grips with everything. 

Did you miss part 2? Do you want to see the whole series? 

If you have been following the series, you will know that we started my daughter on the milk ladder and she successfully completed steps 1 to 4. We went from zero dairy in her diet to her being able to tolerate pan-fried milk in the form of pancakes.

Here is a reminder of the the milk ladder:

Stage 5 of the milk ladder

We are now at stage 5 which is Shepherd’s Pie. An odd step in my mind but one that is deemed necessary by those who compiled the stages of the ladder.

Ingredients for Shepherds Pie

Makes 8 child sized portions

• 650g of mince
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 900g potatoes
• 55g butter
• 100mls milk
• 40g grated cheese

– Now what makes this different to a normal shepherds pie is the specific amounts of dairy, those noted in bold. The method is the same as a standard recipe, browning the mince, frying the onion and adding in the tomato puree, stock and herbs.

– Boil the potatoes until they are ready to mash and this is when you add the butter and the milk. Mash them together to make a creamy mash.

– Transfer the mince mixture into an oven dish and then spread the mash on the top. Then finally sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and grill until the mash is golden.

If you are anxious about the amount of dairy then give your child a half portion of mash in the beginning and build it up. I also skipped the cheese on the first go as I was so nervous. Do what is best for you and build up as necessary.

How did she get on?

When I gave her a small portion for the first time I was so terrified that it would make her ill but she was fine- such a relief I can tell you!

We went super slow, leaving the cheese out at first so as to adjust to the milk and butter. Once she showed no ill effects I repeated the recipe but added in the cheese. Of course, it is melted so it changes the composition of the proteins a little.

The recipe makes 8 child-sized portions and we worked our way through those until we knew for sure she was ready for the next stage.

Head over to part 4 >>>