Out of ideas - what do you feed your dairy/egg allergic kids?

[Babymakes3]

I am stuck trying to figure out new things for ds to eat, he is 14 months and has a dairy/egg/peanut allergy. Here are some of the things he eats...

*Chicken in all forms including nuggets
*turkey - ground, sausage, ham
*fruits - grapes mainly. he will do blueberries, apples, pear, pineapple, melons when he feels like it
*Potatoes - hash browns, french fries, tater tots, sweet, etc.
*waffles that are allergen free

Pasta is hit or miss and rice was a no go. Veggies he could care less about although he was eating peas, zucchini and cucumber...nothing now.


I am out of ideas for different things to feed him. He's got to get bored with those few things. It's not exactly the healthiest of menus either.

I have sunbutter - is that okay to give him or is considered a nut?

I thought about letting him dip things but he throws every dang thing on the floor and it would just be a huge mess. He has no interest in utensils so far, well he does but not in using them to eat with.

Any ideas are highly appreciated!

[Pepper]

My DS doesn't have food allergies (for which i am always greateful) but here are some ideas for you. I was into polenta big time. You can add greated/pureed veggie to it if you like. Serve it as a spoon food the day you make it, then chill the leftovers in a greased or oiled pan and put it in the fridge, covered. The chilled polenta can be sliced into cubes for finger food.

If you're OK with liverwurst, it makes a good finger food because you can form it into little shapes. DS saw me giving it to the dog (we hide her pills in it) and wanted to try some, he still eats it to this day LOL.

Pureed or whole black beans, cannellini beans, chick peas, etc. Or hummous. Black beans and sweet potato is a great combination, pureed or in small bite-sized pieces.

Another thing that sounds a little weird but worked for me is frozen brussel sprouts. You don't have to cook them, just thaw a few at a time (they are loose in the bag) and slice them into little wedges for finger foods. They are surprisingly sweet (and again, DS will still eat them).

My DS went through a no-veggie phase, from around 15 months until almost 2-1/2. Now he is back onto eating his veggies. So just keep trying with them :)

[DrSally]

My DS had the exact same allergies at that age (now it's just peanuts). He ate what you have listed plus:

Tofu (cut up and sauteed)
soybutter (sunbutter is ok too, it's a seed, not a nut)
oatmeal
bagels with cream cheese (mini wheat bages are nice)
carrots cut into slivers (or you can buy shredded carrots)
english muffins with cream cheese and raisins
ground up black beans used as a dip
avocadoes cut up or as a dip
cooked sweet potato cut up
tortillas
edamame
meatballs (no egg)

ETA: Also, lots of soymilk and soy yogurt (whole soy and co. was the best). Also, pirate's fruity/veggie booty, fig newton mini's (only mini's) for snacks.

[happymom]

Could you try quinoa? I started a thread about that recently.
What about more fish options- will he eat tuna fish (my 11 mo old DD loves it!) or salmon?
Can you try making eggless hamburgers/meatloaf/meatballs?
Beans and chickpeas are great too.

[Tondi G]

have you tried tofu? My guys loved it when they were little and still eat it now at age 4 and 8. They love it in Miso soup. I have also just put some soy sauce over it and they will eat it.

avocado or guacamole

soy cheese mac n cheese? Check out Amy's http://www.amys.com/products/index.php

quesadilla with soy cheese

hummus (pita) can also dip cucumber or carrots into it

bagel with sunbutter or margarine

beans (black, edamame, kidney, garbanzo, pinto)

sweet potato fries

Have you tried sticky rice with soy sauce?

My boys are big on soup... it was one way to get lots of vegis into them without them turning their nose up. At that age they would eat it without much broth and just picked up the vegis/noodles/meat. Sure it was messy but at least they ate!

chicken noodle with carrots and celery (could also try chicken rice soup)

beef stew/soup with potato, carrots, onion, zucchini, corn, peas, green beans

lentil soup

[Babymakes3]

Thanks everybody for the ideas!

I had to research which types of butters and cream cheese I can buy that he could eat.

I'm going to try the shredded carrots and some of the beans as well as brussel sprouts!
What is polenta? What is the difference of regular rice and sticky rice? I have tried brown, yellow and white rice and he won't eat any of it so far.

I am one of those people that if I don't eat it I have no idea how to cook it so I stay away from it! I know I need to quit that!

[DrSally]

Polenta is italian grits. You can get it in a tube at TJ's. I like to slice it and fry it or bake it until it's a little crispy on the outside. Are you using Earth balance or smartbutter? DS also likes sardines or salmon (no skin or bones) out of a can. I wish my kids would eat soup.

[Clarity]

We have egg/dairy/nut allergies with our 14month old too. She eats a variety of things, but I do worry that my dd doesn't get enough protein.
She eats lots of fresh fruits and frozen/cooked veggies.
Black beans, red beans and rice.
quinoa and quinoa pasta, she eats a 1/2 piece of whole wheat bread daily.
Noodles of any kind are popular here, she had butternut squash ravioli yesterday and seemed to enjoy them.
She eats soy yogurt, coconut yogurt, tofu.
ground beef, chicken, soups- split pea soup, chicken noodle soup, chili, vegetable soup, etc.
Ritz crackers are a favorite, Nabisco graham crackers don't have dairy.
Curried rice.
We made her "safe" pizza the other day with toast, pizza sauce and soy cheese.
Whole foods are not fancy, but are usually safe. Stick with them and keep trying a variety of foods and that's really all you can do for your little guy.

We did give dd lentils, garbanzo beans, lima beans but I don't anymore because I think she's had mild reactions to them. They belong to the same legume family as peanuts so watch carefully if you give them to your son.

ETA: I second and third avacados and oatmeal. DD loves them both - oatmeal with sliced bananas and coconut milk is really pretty good.

[Pepper]

What is the difference of regular rice and sticky rice? I have tried brown, yellow and white rice and he won't eat any of it so far.

Sticky rice is short-grain rice that's high in starch (thus the stickiness after it's cooked). You can find it in white and brown varieties, sometimes it's labeled as sweet rice. The white version is used for some Thai dishes, and I buy the brown to eat with Korean food. If you find a bag that is labeled "glutinous rice," you should soak it in a bowl of water for a few hours before you cook it.

I didn't know they had polenta at Trader Joe's, though I've seen it at the regular grocery store. I grew up eating it - although we called it mush, not nearly as appealing as polenta ;) We always had the leftovers fried for breakfast the next day, with a little maple syrup and butter, yum...

Anyway, if you want to try making polenta on your own, here's an easy recipe from the Fannie Farmer cookbook. It says to use coarsely ground cornmeal but I always just use the same stuff that I use to make cornbread (maybe that's what makes this mush to me - with coarse-ground cormeal, you get polenta!).

4 cups water or broth
1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

2. Stir the cormeal and 1 cup water together in a small bowl, then pour the mixture into the boiling water, stirring constantly as you add it. Add the salt and continue to stir slowly until the polenta comes to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the butter or oil until well blended.

Serve immediately for dinner, topped with cooked/sauteed veggies, mushrooms, or meat sauce (like spaghetti sauce).
Pour the leftovers into an oiled pan, cover with waxed paper and chill overnight. Cut into cubes or slices to serve as finger foods (or fry the slices before serving).

If you want, you can add finely chopped/shredded veggies to the polenta while it cooks in step 3. Or stir in some pureed pumpkin or butternut squash.

[bubbaray]

You need this book: http://www.dairyfreeeggfreekidpleasingcookbook.com/

It saved my sanity when DD#2 was unable to eat eggs (she is now OK with hidden egg).

HTH

[Babymakes3]

You need this book: http://www.dairyfreeeggfreekidpleasingcookbook.com/

It saved my sanity when DD#2 was unable to eat eggs (she is now OK with hidden egg).

HTH

Awesome! I am gonna order it now! I have been looking for something like this!