Dairy-Free breastfeeding: Where to EAT in Boston

When my daughter was 8 weeks old, a friend of mine announced she was going dairy free after her baby was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy. I remember thinking, “HOLY SH*T I LOVE CHEESE, I DON’T KNOW IF I COULD EVER DO THAT!” Well, exactly 2 weeks later my little one was also diagnosed with a milk protein allergy, and I was faced with a tough decision: do I switch her to a hypoallergenic formula, or do I eat dairy free and continue breastfeeding? Breastfeeding was going well for us, and I had the resources available to eat dairy-free, so I decided to give it a go and see how it went. Here we are, 5 months later, still dairy free. And when I say dairy free, I mean anything with whey or casein, those pesky little milk proteins. Being dairy free does not mean avoiding just milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt…did you know even most wines have casein?! This was going to be a long ride…
 
Now, my husband and I LOVE food. We LOVE eating out. And I didn’t want to sacrifice that part of our life. I remember spending hours researching allergy-friendly restaurants, perusing Yelp, Google, websites like “godairyfree.org”, and Facebook groups like “dairy-free breastfeeding” for recommended safe menu items and restaurants. I thought I’d come on here to share what I’ve learned about eating out while dairy-free in the Boston area, and perhaps help another local mama who is also navigating this challenging dietary restriction. I’ve met a lot of you, and I know you’re out there!
 
COFFEE SHOPS:
Almond milk ain’t bad, guys. But once I tried the amazing goodness that is OATLY OAT MILK….. OMGGGGGGG. It’s so good, and I’m never going back. Check out the map on their website to find one close to you: https://oatfinder.oatly.com/
 
My personal favorite places that sell latte’s made with Oat milk are:

1. BLOC CAFÉ: blocsomerville.com
2. OAT SHOP: oatshopboston.com
3. FORGE COFFEE ROASTERS: forgecoffee.com

 
CHAIN RESTAURANTS: (because we all have those days)

1. Panera Bread: Their chicken salad sandwich, turkey avocado BLT, chips, apple, and most breads are dairy free! 
2. Chik-Fil-A: Grilled chicken nuggets, Chik-Fil-A sauce, and THEIR FRIES!! These are the only drive through French fries I’ve found that aren’t milk washed (it’s a thing that is so sad and unnecessary haha).
3. Five Guys: Burger, without cheese, “all the way” without a bun (yea, buns often have milk in them, and five guys is no exception)… but you can have their fries as well!
4. Chipotle and Qdoba both have good dairy-free options. Check out their allergen menus on their websites!

 
LOCAL RESTAURANTS:
I have spent more time eating on the Cambridge/Somerville/Medford side of "the river," so my recommendations are pretty heavy in that area. However, I will continue to add and edit other options as I try them out!

1. Earls Kitchen + Bar (Assembly Row, Prudential Center): they have VEGAN BUNS! So you can get a burger on a vegan bun here. They also have a great vegan menu, which is automatically dairy free. I find ordering off of vegan menus to be super convenient.
2. Night Shift @ Lovejoy Wharf (Boston): IF YOU NEED A SOFT PRETZEL GO HERE. It’s hard to find something like this that is not made with butter… this one is AMAZING, dairy-free, and has tasty honey mustard dipping sauce. Their goddess bowl can also be made dairy-free, and is delicious. I often get this with chicken.
3. The Smoke Shop BBQ (Locations in Assembly Row, Seaport, and Kendall Square): they have an ENTIRE allergen menu with great dairy-free options. They also list soy and gluten on their menu as well! MMMM MEAT.
4. Dosa-N-Curry (Union Square): Amazing Indian food, great non-dairy/vegan options!
5. Blue Fuji (Medford): A good dairy-free Chinese food delivery option for the Somerville/Medford area.
6. Pizza: I still haven’t found a vegan/dairy-free cheese substitute I can stomach. Sorry. This is by far what I miss the most. Many people like All Star Pizza Bar in Somerville though! 
7. Mystic Station (Malden Center): Their fish tacos and sweet potato fries are some of the best I’ve had.
8. Taco Party (Davis): Great vegan Mexican food (that delivers!). My favorite menu item is the Torta w/fried tofu, chips & guac.
9.  Olde Magouns Saloon (Somerville): They are great (and family friendly). Awesome beer options, and their fajitas are great even without cheese and sour cream.  The chef also made me my very own BLT sandwich with a great aioli once that was dairy free and not on the menu…. Great service!
10. NU Kitchen (Union): Great lunch/sandwich shop with a lot of dairy free and vegan options.
11. Boston Public Market (Haymarket): We love the public market. Great kid/baby area. Public bathroom. Amazing food and drinks. Fun shops to explore. I personally go here for the Falafel at Ina’s Kitchen
12. Both Veggie Galaxy (Central Square) and Friendly Toast (Kendall, Back Bay) have great dairy-free options, but these are my go-to dairy-free breakfast places!

 
DESSERT:

1. WHOLE FOODS IS QUEEN OF DAIRY-FREE DESSERTS. They have awesome vegan desserts that taste like magic. They are packaged in the refrigerated section of the bakery. I love the cakes there. Look for desserts there made by “By The Way Bakery,” those are my favorite.
2. Union Square Donuts: All of their vegan donuts are amazing. My favorite is the cinnamon sugar donut. Enough said.
3. Taza Chocolate (Somerville, also sold retail throughout Boston): All of their chocolate is dairy free and awesome. Its sold a lot of places in the area. Also go to their chocolate factory tour in Somerville! It’s awesome!
4. Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge): They have a completely vegan dessert menu/bakery. Mmm. Try their passion fruit cake.
5. FoMu (Allston, Boston, JP): Dairy-free, vegan ice cream. I’ve driven distances for this stuff. I’ve also found it in a few retail stores!

 
There ya go! I could type so much more, but this is a good starting point. Let me know in the comments below if you have stumbled across a great dairy-free restaurant in the Boston area!
 
And, as always, double and triple check with the servers and restaurants directly that the menu options I have listed are indeed dairy-free. Things always change and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
 
Until next time,
<3 Kathryn of MVB