Help! DS3 (16 months) has been advised to go dairy-free. What can I feed him?

[StuntNun]

DS3 was diagnosed as egg-intolerant at six months so I am well used to reading labels and being vigilant with what he eats. However dairy-free is a new one for me so I would really appreciate any tips on suitable dairy-free foods for a 16-month-old. I've noticed the dairy-free range in supermarkets quite often contain egg products.

[ilovepowerhoop]

have you not seen a dietician?

[StuntNun]

He has been referred to a paediatrician but the GP said it would be a month before he gets an appointment.

[DearTeddyRobinson]

Normal stuff but no cheese! Do you make his food? He can have stews, stir fry, couscous, soy yoghurts, coconut milk, ratatouille etc. DS has been dairy free since 5 months old and it's not been a hassle really. You can get dairy free spread (vitalite, Pure) and give him beans on toast, veggies, hummus, yoghurts for his lunch etc

[StuntNun]

I cook most meals from scratch but DS3 would routinely get Wotsits, choc chip cookies, yoghurts, pizza and fish fingers which I'm sure are all no-go now. At least I already have the label-checking mindset.

I would really appreciate any 'hacks' such as which biscuits and breads are egg-free or any food places to definitely avoid. I already know KFC have egg in just about everything so we don't go there buy it would be useful to know, e.g. can he have a plain burger and fried in McDonalds.

[StuntNun]

Soy yoghurts - brilliant hopes he isn't soy intolerant too.

[ilovepowerhoop]

should still be able to have fish fingers - birds eye breadcrumb ones dont have dairy or egg.

he could have fish fingers and fries at Mcdonalds. The plain burger comes up with a 'maybe' for milk so not guaranteed milk free. All the info on allergens is on their website.

[ilovepowerhoop]

he could have ready salted pombears instead of wotsits

[addictedtosugar]

I have no ideas about egg free, sorry, so some of these won't work, but may be worth investigating.

Have you a prescribed dairy free milk? (ie formula?) If not, you need a milk substitute. Personally, I'd avoid soya initially - you've already mentioned you hope soya isn't an issue, but unfortunately soya and dairy often (not not always) go hand in hand. We were also advised against soya for under a certain age - you may need to read up on that. We ended up on oatly (calcium enriched) milk. They also do a cream, iirc. Look with the UHT milks.

You also need a dairy free spread - pure or vitalite.

Do you make the cookies? my dark choc chips are only "may contain milk", so if you have an egg free recipie, you can substitute milk choc for dark, oatly for milk, pure for butter, and your there.

Rich tea biscuits and borbons are also worth a packet read - some brands are dairy free. No ideas on egg free.

meat, veg, potatoes
pasta and mince or tomato sauce

these look egg and dairy free fish fingers

You can buy free from cheese, so could make pizza. We never tried it.

Fish - tinned tuna for sarnies.
sardines or beans on toast
peanut butter (and other nut butters)

We got through quite a few avacadoes - good fats

Jelly for pudding

Will keep thinking - we did quite a few agg meals, but I'm sure there were lots that were either egg free, or easy to substitute.

Would skips or the dreaded MN pombears be an alternative to the watsits?

We were in a different place - dairy free from 2nds week of weaning, so just didn't introduce free from alternatives, except for oatly and pure. I didn't venture into the free from isle.

Good Luck.

[ilovepowerhoop]

skips have a 'may contain' for milk and egg although they are not in the actual ingredients

[YellowWellies]

Crumpets, tinned sweet corn, some brands of cracker (including cream crackers bizarrely!), organix tomato, sweetcorn and carrot crisps, raisins, coldwater prawns, tinned salmon, slices of sausage, fruit pots rather than yogurts, humus, fruit, bagels (New York bakery), cherry tomatoes, Asda dairy free white choc buttons, nakd fruit bars, Besant and Drury or Booja booja ice cream, mini pork pies (Tesco often are safe). In terms of safe bread it varies geographically Tesco value wholemeal is dairy and soy free in Scotland but is not on the isle of Man. Only one size tub of vitealite is safe - can't remember if it's the big or small one but one contains trace dairy - hence we just use pure sunflower. For treats lots of supermarket value brand bourbons and gingernut biscuits are dairy free. I've also got him a moo dairy free Easter egg! Plamil is a good source of dairy free chocolate for cooking. Bizarrely Mr Kipling apple and blackcurrant tarts are dairy free but the apple ones aren't! Some brands of jam tart are also safe. For eating out stick to big chains with allergy menus and a fear of being sued. Small artsy places tend to be shit at teaching their waiting staff what is safe so we've had to avoid. Even loads of stock cubes contain dairy (plain old oxo cubes and Colman stock tubes are safe most knorr stock isn't)

[YellowWellies]

Tesco own brand cheap skips copies are dairy free.

[StuntNun]

Lots of good tips here - thanks! He has been prescribed a dairy-free formula whether he'll drink it is another matter but I'm going to have to stop breastfeeding him pretty quickly as it would be extremely difficult for me to go dairy-free as well as egg-free since I'm already on a restricted diet myself due to insulin resistance.

So far I have bought Koko milk, Pure spread, Rich Tea and Bourbon biscuits, Cheerios, dairy-free white chocolate buttons, Pom bears, popcorn and jelly. The bread we normally buy is dairy-free but contains soya so I'll have to find an alternative. I think my initial panic has subsided a bit as I've been looking at things in the cupboard and he can still some of them, e.g. spaghetti hoops. Dinners won't be a problem as they're almost always cooked from scratch but breakfasts and lunches will be trickier.

[flouncymcflouncerson]

Hiya. I popped over to help but yw has pretty much beaten me to it! As you know J is egg, dairy and nut free. I have no problem shopping as have been label checking for months. You'll be the same so essentially it'll be easy!

We don't tend to eat much convenience food but snacks and stuff consist of all the organix crisps yw mentioned. Flavoured mini rice cakes, organix gingerbread men, oaty bats from the baby aisle too, rusks are may contain but we've always been fine and Js allergy is pretty severe.

We buy a couple of tins a week for emergency dinners or lunch if I'm not around (or Ill) and have found hint spaghetti Bolognaise tinned is OK as is Asda chicken meatballs with sweet and sour spaghetti. Sounds rank but J likes it. Most hotdogs have been OK too.

Bisto gravy (beef) is OK and oxo cubes for stock. We buy tiger tiger mayo which is egg and dairy free and not bad tasting. He loves jacket potatoes with tuna!

[flouncymcflouncerson]

-heinz.... Not hint!

[StuntNun]

Flouncy DS3 is nut-free and shellfish-free as well due to DH's allergies.

I'm going to have to take food to playgroup aren't I?

[YellowWellies]

Stunt yep we have too and be eagle eyed to avoid him robbing food off other kids / the floor.

[MrsSpencerReid]

Try ringing the dietician, Maine was able to post info sheets etc before the appt came through, good luck

[StuntNun]

Green & Blacks 85% chocolate is dairy free, I wonder if DS3 will eat it?

We're supposed to go to Burger King tomorrow. I'll have to find their nutrition info. Worst case scenario he can just have some chips to keep him going.

The Pepti formula is a bit of a pain. I have to know 40 minutes in advance that he's going to want some milk!

[ilovepowerhoop]

burger nutritional info is online. it says the kids hamburger is milk/egg free. I wouldnt exclude soya unless you have been told to.

A friend of ds is dairy/egg/nut free but can have soya. you can get dairy free chocolate buttons/bars in the free from aisle as I have bought them for party bags for ds's friend in the past

[StuntNun]

Ooh great Power it looks like he could have chicken nuggets as well.

[ilovepowerhoop]

BK nuggets say they have milk in them (due to the batter probably). Hamburger and kids veggie bean burger are the options at BK.

[YellowWellies]

Stunt Burger King is one of the very best franchises for dairy free folk. Whoppers and fries are dairy free. I think the hash browns might be too? Check!

[ilovepowerhoop]

whoppers are dairy free but not egg free so wouldnt suit.
hash browns are egg free but not milk free

burgerking.co.uk/uploads/bk_nutritional_2014_1.pdf

you could go for breakfast and have a sausage or bacon butty!

[MrsSpencerReid]

Re the formula, with my ds I made the bottles up on advance as per instructions and flash cooled them then kept in fridge, I know it's not the best way but maybe worth considering if the 40min issue is a problem

[StuntNun]

Tesco 'free from' white chocolate buttons went down a treat! He's also taken to Koko milk and Pepti like a pro.