MSPI. Hello old friend. Wait. Not friend. Not friend at all, in fact. I mean, you should be a friend by now, we’ve spent enough time together. But I don’t really like you. So hello, old jerkface. There. That seems more appropriate.
Milk Soy Protein Intolerance or MSPI is kinda like that kid on the playground that no one wants to play with; a big bully who’s not going away. And so you just have to learn to live with it. Until it grows up a little and changes its behavior.
Milk Soy Protein Intolerance. I’ve talked about it many many times before. We’ve had three boys diagnosed with MSPI. I am not a doctor, a lactation consultant, a nurse, or anything of the like. I am just a mom. One who is willing to be a complete nutbag in order to prevent my kids from screaming, scrunching, spitting, and such. From my knowledge, MSPI is an inability of a babe’s belly to properly digest and break down cow’s milk and soy products. It is not an allergy. It is an intolerance. It irritates the intestinal lining and causes side effects including but not limited to: bloody and/or mucousy stools, weight loss, vomiting and reflux, extreme fussiness and crying spells, rash, and congestion and more. The easiest way to tell if your bambino or bambina has an aversion to something in mama’s diet is to eliminate the offending ingredients, food or food and see if the babe gets better. And especially in Harrison’s case, we saw improvements in his disposition and weight gain once the diet was in full swing. As I’ve mentioned before, when your babe has an intolerance, you have the option of trying very effective hypoallergenic formulas or to continue breastfeeding. I’ve chosen to stick with breastfeeding and do the diet, rather than switch formula to avoid the outlandish pricetag of the hypoallergenic stuff. And it should be noted that some medical professionals and lactation consultants don’t see any correlation between mom’s diet and babe’s behavior.
That brings us to current day, wherein, I am over 7 months in on my third time around the MSPI barn. By the time this adventure is complete, I will have amassed almost two years of my life wherein I’ve annoyed waiters and waitresses all about town with inquiries as to what is in the food they are serving. When I first ventured into MSPILand with B, I had no idea what to buy, how to shop, how to cook, and what to look for in food. Now, I feel like I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on the deets, and thus, have been able to share with my many mama friends working thru this milky madness. I always go with the fresh is best mentality… so a lot of chicken breasts, steak, veggies, and fruits. But then there’s all the other stuff… so how do you figure out what’s “safe”? So, without further ado {as I’ve been promising this blog post to friends for months}, here is my go-to milk/soy-free shopping list. And if you’re not on the MSPI diet but know someone who is, these are great ingredients to stockpile in your pantry or fridge.
1. Avocado // I eat these every. single. day. You need good fat when you’re nursing and avocados are mild in flavor so there is no issue with spice. I eat them on breakfast sandwiches. In salads. With chips as guacamole. Nom nom nom.
2. Coconut Aminos // I don’t even really get what this is. But I have to say that it is a really legitimate substitute for soy sauce. This makes for awesome stir fry, or fried rice. Find it in the health food section of your local grocer. I shop at HyVee. Because HyVee freakin’ rocks.
3. Liz Lovely Cookies // I might sell my left ovary for the Snicker Dudes. They are the closest thing to real, delicious cookies that I can find and I heart them. Find them in your health food section of your local grocer.
4. Pepitas // I buy these in the bulk section at my local grocer. They are pumpkin seeds but not in the way that you think of the big white ones. I get the salted ones and throw them in salads or just eat them in handfuls as a snack. Yum in my tum.
5. Johnsonville Smoked Brats // There is some dispute about natural flavorings or smoke flavor in the MSPI diet however I’ve never had an issue with these and my boys’ bellies. These are easy and delicious.
6. Azteca Soft Shells // One would think that soft shell tacos would all be safe… they’re flour for goodness sakes! But not all shells are created equal and these are my go-to. And we eat Tacos once a week. Usually on Tuesdays. Because you eat those tacos ’cause it’s Tuesday.
7. Dorothy Lynch // A regional original, Dorothy Lynch salad dressing is one of the easiest MSPI “givens” in the dressing department.
8. Taco Bell Taco Seasoning // You’re best off making a container of your own taco seasonings and the like but when you’re on momma time and in a pinch, this brand is a “safe” one. Especially good for eating those tacos on Tuesdays.
9. JIF Natural Peanut Butter // Nuts and peanuts are a must. Good fat and protein make for good milk. So put some PB in your cart. I have always been a JIF gal but my very, very fave would be the kind you can grind directly in the store. Nectar of the Gods, people.
10. Oreos // Okay. This is just baffling but it’s true. Oreos are dairy and soy free. Odd, I know. But a lifesaver when you have a hankering for something sweet. I prefer the mint ones or the yellow cookied birthday cake variety. Dip ’em in some almond milk for a sweet treat.
11. Stacy’s Pita Chips // MSPI or not, these are delish. I like the cinnamon sugar kind the best.
12. Keebler Club Minis // I eat these plain, dip them in peanut butter or slather them with hummus. They are processed as all get-out, obvi, but I always have them on hand. Easy peasy.
13. Lender’s Bagels // Bread can be tough on the MSPI diet but we always have this brand on hand for breakfast sandwiches, which we eat EVERY morning. They can be found in the refrigerated section at HyVee.
14. Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine Sticks // I am not really a margarine fan but this is sort of a necessary evil if making baked goods or otherwise. You can also sub coconut oil for butter or shortening.
15. Applegate Chicken and Maple Sausages // I loooooove these sausages. They are kind of sweet and savory and go great on an egg sandwich, in a breakfast taco, or in a scramble. They are on the spendy side but are organic, and tasty. Well worth the coin, IMO. OH and bonus… they’re microwaveable which is great when you have one hand holding a babe.
16. Earth Balance Original Spread // A great spreadable butter substitute. We ALWAYS have this on-hand and take it everywhere. It’s a must-have in our house.
17. Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken Broth // You wouldn’t believe that there would be soy in vegetable broth but a lot of brands have soy protein included. Chicken broth is a great sub in mashed potatoes, pastas, and soups, in lieu of butter.
18. Rotella’s Bread // ROTELLA’S!!! I love you. I do. I could not make it through this modified diet without this brand of breads. There is even a whole wheat option now… woo hoo!
19. Sabra Hummus // You can look at several brands, most will work… but hummus is like guacamole… I always have some around. Snacks are important and hummus can be put with the Clubs, Wheat Thins {also safe}, baby carrots, celery, or in place of mayo on a sandwich. It should rather be called Hum-Yes.
20. Califa Farms Caffe Latte with Almond Milk // I don’t do regular coffee because of the acidity and trying to find a Starbucks or Scooter’s that has almond or rice milk is darn near impossible. This is a nice treat every now and then and the beans are apparently roasted differently to lower the acidity and cause less heartburn. The pricetag feels high until you realize you’d pay the same for one drink at your fave coffee joint. This can be found in the health market refrigerator at your local grocer.
++ please note, this MSPI mama list includes items that have soybean oil and soy lecithin as those are the fats and the “diet” traditionally suggests eliminating any soy protein products. Always, always, always double-check product labels.
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So that’s my basic listy list of what I’ve got in my cart these days. If you’ve done the MSPI diet, what are/were your go-to foods? What did you miss most? And did you find the modifications to be effective?
Check out my MSPI Mama board on Pinterest for additional recipes and modifications… then start the countdown with me… less than 5 months to go and then I get to say {and eat} cheese, once again!
Other posts on MSPI:
MSPI All Up In My Eye
Forty-Seven. Ninety-Nine.
Menu For A Milk-Free Mama
Tough to Stomach
