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View Full Version : Help! Elimination diet and need dinner ideas



writermama
08-29-2006, 08:18 AM
It looks like my EBF 1 month old has silent reflux so, as of today, I'm on an elimination diet. I'd rather not cook 1 meal for me and another for DH and DD, so I'm looking for some family friendly ideas that don't have: dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, beef, fish, or shellfish.

mskitty
08-30-2006, 07:27 PM
I'm a pro at this. I'm not supposed to eat dairy, eggs and beef among other things.

Baked Chicken with roasted vegtables and potatoes
White Chicken Chili
5 Bean Chili
Pork Roast
Chicken Tacos (cook chicken in crockpot with salsa or seasoning)
Shredded BBQ pork served with baked beans (no bun required)
Chicken Fajitas
Lamb Stew with pearl onions, baby carrots and green beans
German Dinner (pork sauage, apples, potatoes, sauerkraut)
Stirfry vegtables and dark chicken meat with 5 spice for flavor
Sweet n Sour Chicken, Pineapple and Peapods
Baked Turkey breast, Sweet potatoes and cranberry
Spaghetti with italian pork sausage
Tortellini with mushrooms or spinach as filling
Stuffed Green Peppers with ground pork
Red beans and Rice (I usually add some venison sausage)
Chicken broth soups (wild rice, noodle, etc)
Grilled Lamb loin chops
Corn chowder (skip adding the dairy and serve thick)

Other hints:

Check out your local health food store. They are about the only place to find bread without dairy or eggs. Bread is the hardest thing to replace when eliminating dairy and eggs.

You can pretty much make anything you normally would.. just substitute a different meat. It was an adjustment for my husband to give up ground beef but he adapted quickly.

Its best to stick to basic foods when eliminating. Just a simple meat, vegtable and starch is the best. Sometimes the allergy can be to a food additive such as MSG or food coloring.

When my allergies really flare up, I go back to my elimination diet. Plain food doesn't have to be boring. My dinner tonight: a stirfy mix of ground lamb, red onion, rosemary and sliced kale served over a mixed rice blend.

Good luck!

MsKitty

writermama
08-31-2006, 08:40 PM
Thanks so much! Getting started, the hardest thing for me was finding ideas for what to make. This list has given me lots of them. Do you have a recipe for the white chicken chili?

FiveLittleDucks
09-02-2006, 12:22 PM
Awww, man, I can relate. When you have to eliminate so much, it seems easier to ask, "What CAN I eat?" not what can't you have. Here are some things that I have been eating since DS was diagnosed.

Mexican food(excluding the cheese) such as tacos, burritos, tostadas, even enchiladas if you like them w/out cheese. Mexican is especially good if you get to the point where you have to also eliminate wheat, as corn tortillas can be used.
My mainstay meal: cooked pasta tossed with diced ham/chicken, peas, and a drizzle of olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper
Ham/turkey sandwiches (w/no mayo)
Oatmeal in the packets that are already flavored, so I didn't miss the milk too much, just add a touch more water than called for. Oh, also, the generic brands from Fry's (Ralph's/Kroger), Target, and I think WalMart are all dairy free. The Quaker brands usually aren't, except the Cinnamon Roll flavor (yum).
Roasted Chicken
Raw veggies with hummus
Lay's plain potato chips
Fruit salad
Spaghetti is also good as you can substitue rice noodles if wheat isn't okay
OREOS!! No dairy in these, just watch for chocolate tummy upset in your little babe. The vanilla OREOS are also good if you like vanilla.
Walmart brand Fig Newtons are also dairy free, but the name brand isn't.

The hardest thing for me to eliminate was soy. While I didn't eat tofu or anything, soy is in EVERYTHING!! You'll have to read labels very carefully. I'm sorry if I've just butted my way in and gave you way more info than you were wanting, I just feel so bad for women who have to go through this and feel like they're going to starve. That's how I felt, and I determined to not go hungry with this last baby, as I did with my others.

If you have any questions, or need any more suggestions, please feel free to PM me. I'm more than happy to help.

brittone2
09-04-2006, 08:40 PM
I had to eliminate dairy with DS. I could do soy though, although I'm not a fan of soy in general and do try to avoid it.

I remember getting some recipes off of www.vegweb.com which is all vegan, so no beef, no fish, no dairy or eggs, although there will be a lot of soy that you'll have to watch out for.

When I was feeling really sad and deprived, I liked eating dairy-free sorbet as a treat. I also sometimes did rice milk and dairy free cocoa powder (there are some out there).

Just sending you lots of support as you go through this. It is challenging, but what a great mama you are to do this to try to help your little one!!!

marie
09-06-2006, 07:30 PM
I feel your pain! I was Dairy, Soy, Egg, and Beef-free for a year. (DD did outgrow all of them - yeah!) I cried the first time I went to a grocery store and realized I couldn't eat most foods in it.

Breakfast
I ate oatmeal for breakfast almost everyday - plain ol' rolled oats heated up in the microwave usually topped with various fruits & sugars. On special occaisions, we made these pancakes:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups rice milk (or water)
optional - dash of cinnamon and/or vanilla extract

Lightly mix all ingredients in a large bowl; let stand 5-10 minutes. Gently fold down; leave again for another 5-10 minutes (if you have the time). Cook over medium to medium-high on an oiled skillet till golden. Serve immediately.

Are they the best pancakes ever? no. But are they NOT oatmeal? yes.

Lunch
I found some breads at Whole Foods that I could eat and dipped it in olive oil. Some luncheon meats are okay - Wellshire Farms has a handy label showing what is Soy-free, Dairy-free, etc. They make different flavor hams and bacon. Fresh veggies & hummus (some are made with soy oil, though). A sweet potato in the micro (with brown sugar & maple syrup added). Pasta aglio olio (garlic & olive oil).

Dinners
Olive and Canola oils became my best friends. I found recipes where the only dairy was butter and substituted oil for it. It usually worked.

Snacks/Treats
Chocolate sorbet. There is a snack cake recipe in Betty Crocker (of all places!) that doesn't use eggs or dairy. It mixes up in the pan that you bake it in - realllly simple. I would eat most of a cake in one day. It is almost impossible to find chocolate without soy lecithin in it BUT Whole Foods did used to carry one. Though it was "manufactured in a plant blah blah blah." You have to determine how strict you want/need to be about those warnings.

I have a lot more. I could fax or e-mail recipes if you like. and as others have said - you will lose weight. I lost 15 pounds - all re-gained since ice cream became one of my food groups again.

oh - and i saw your bitching post - I would not dream of cooking a separate meal for guests. they want to visit and stay with you, they can eat what you're eating. although, i imagine it would be a lot harder with older DC having to go on "the diet" too.

ETA: Cherrybrook Kitchen products came out right after I was done with "the diet". They make cake, cookie, and pancake mixes.
https://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/index.html

good luck. it is so hard but you are giving your child a wonderful gift.