Dairy-free weaning help

[MWH]

7mth DD has milk issues, so weaning without it, but need ideas for quick & easy protein meals. Many recipes in baby books are either too time-consuming, or have milk. Friends give their babies yogurt, cheese, etc.

Some books recommend 'savoury spreads', but don't say what they are. Can they have humous? Do you have to make it yourself b/c of salt content? Annabel Karmel recommends marmite, but from what age is it OK?

[yellowvan]

DS also dairy free but as hes 5 I'm struggling to remember what I did!Can she have soya? You can get soya "cream Cheese" inholland and barrett,and soys yogurt (alpro, I'm a big user of alpro products!) you could blend up some tofu and soya milk with a liile marmite for a spread,um, red lentils,ds def had hummous, (home made, easyon the garlic) oh and substitute chick peas for eg butter beans or kidney beans for a bit of variety. This might be all a bit old for her tho, at 7mths isn't that still the pureed carrot stage?

[gigwig]

Quick and easy protein meals -

I used to puree/mince lamb at your DD's age and mix it in with potato/rice.

I did risotto type mixes - rice, veg and some meat that could be easily heated up in a microwave if we were out.

Also did veg and meat sauces that could be heated up.

Froze meals so that it oculd be easily heated up. And tended to give him meals based on rice/potato , veg and meat.

Rice takes 15-20 mins to cook, plus steam some veg and bake some meat in the oven - takes 30 mins all together say, then mince it up.

I have never tried hummous with our DS cos of the sesame seeds (we have to keep off nuts/seeds till age of 7). I think the tasts may be too sosphiticated for babies?

I have tried a lot of recipes from Annabel Karmel books - just omitted the eggs and milk and cheese. Generally works out fine.

[CantSleepWithSanta]

Can you not just give her whatever you're having? That's what I do with 10 month old milk intolerant DD. She could have egg - DD likes them boiled or as omelettes. Or anything beany or lentilly. Or fish, or meat.

In fact I don't really think of dairy as being a protein product, so not sure why protein meals are your problem?

Yes they can have hummous - it's not too strong at all for most babies - far better than bland mush!

Marmite would depend how much other salt she was having in a day - it is very salty, and you need to give a max of 1g of salt per day.

[mrssnoah]

I have a dairyfree dd2.

What issues exactly?
Can she have goats milk?
Or sheep products (different protein in their milk usually more managable)can use Manchego for cheese.

Wysoy formula is good to use in cooking and to drink, although boys cant have it.

I use Rice dream in all cooking and drinking although 7 months is a wee bit small yet.

[mrssnoah]

1. Chicken broth: chicken breasts in a pan, chopped up carrot, parsnip, whatever root veg in fridge.
   Cook on hob about 1 hr or in oven as a casserole. Blend and freeze as ice cubes. Full of protein.
   
   
2. Veg soup: root veg and lentils cook on hob 20-30 mins. Freeze again.
   
   I make different consistencies some are like soup, others a bit lumpy. Really basic but handy to have in reserve

[MWH]

Thanks for the tips. Getting home late and finding something quick & easy to feed her is my problem. Breadsticks only keep her quet for so long when she is hungry.
Even cooking red lentils takes 20-30 min. I have things in the freezer, but only 2-3 dishes, so if she had one for lunch, one for tea, I was looking for a bit of variety for the next day.

Milk allergy test was negative, but goat formula & cow milk in foods or if I had them, the BF gives her bad diarrhea for days. Haven't tried cheese.
Gave her baked beans yesterday, and felt like a bad mum!

[mrssnoah]

Mwh, ignore the tests often are inconclusive. Go with your insticts.
As she is still very little, why not on your next day off do a big cook off and boil parsnips, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potato etc, separately and then you can freeze them as ice cubes and store individually in the freezer. Pop them out an label them into freezer bags.

Each day you could mix and match them according to what you feel like.
For other meats:you could cook some stewing steak/lamb in a little weak stock for ages in the oven, bung in a few carrots/pearl barley and serve with mash potato too. Eat it for tea yourself and then with rest puree it up and freeze again.

Same with Sunday roasts (in fact this is easiest one of all, just make extra of everything and whizz it up. Doesnt have to have meat in it.)

I do give mine mushed up baked beans (lo fat/lo sugar variety) and strips of buttered wholemeal toast without crusts to eat once a week. Dairy free butter is sainsbury's Olive spread (check label one is one isnt) or PURE. We all use it now.

Full of bright ideas me! (had to learn to cook and FAST when dd2 was allergic to it all!)