Snack ideas for restricted diet please

[mamasunshine]

Hi, so I'm about to start a restricted diet and I won't be able to have ANY:

sesame
wheat
dairy (cow/goat/sheep)
soya
tomato
nuts
lamb
lentils

OMG I'm starving already

So what can I snack on etc? Lover of humous/cottage cheese/yogurts!

[mamasunshine]

Oh and egg white and gluten (gliadin)...until we can start re-introducing in the next few weeks (hopefully)!

[shelscrape]

embrace the humble potato! I had to eat gluten free for about 3 years and lived on jacket potatoes, cold potato wedges became a favourite snack. i ate endless apples, bananas and oranges too. Try gluten free pasta too, holland and barratt have agreat range of snacks for a gluten free diet, try tesco and sainsbury too. they all do gluten and dairy free stuff now.

[bagelmonkey]

Ham, cooked chicken, carrot sticks with home-made hummus (chickpeas, garlic, bit of oil +/- eg roasted peppers, whizzed up)

Raisins, dried apricots, jelly, sorbet

[pointydog]

Crikey, that's really restricted.

Surely the person who put you on this restricted diet gave you a detailed list of all the foods you could eat? If not, I'd question it.

[mamasunshine]

Thanks, I do have lots I know I can eat such as the veggies/fruit/oatcakes/ricecakes...

...was hoping for some inspiration to get some interesting spreads or anything else that's a bit tasty. Will definitely make my own version of humus without the tahini! I could add chilli/peppers etc too

We already use the wheat free pastas etc, have been making a gluten free bolognaise sauce. But nearly ALL of the wheat/dairy free prducts have egg in

At the moment we seem to be living on the same meals each week. Really hoping it's not going to be for long. I'm thinking a very stong multi vit and min etc as bf too.

The diet is actually for my 2yo ds is has severe eczema and lots of allergies but have combated all that we can environmentally so getting more focused on the diet. I've just had to make the decision to change my diet (hence the thread) so I can express breastmilk for him to have as I'm getting very worried now he has to come off soya too.

I could do with finding some good vegan products, but no doubt a lot of that would include sesame and nuts

[mamasunshine]

www.piginthekitchen.co.uk/

I have just looked at this brilliant site! Loads of great recipes that look yummy.

[pointydog]

Who is advising this diet for your 2 yr old, eczema boy?

[mamasunshine]

We've had allergy testing through the hospital, for the main culprits (top 6), then intolerance test through York for lentils and lamb. seeing paediatrician again next week, and nutritionist. Then a herbalist the week after. Dermatologist not until Early October. Desperate so we're trying everything (within reason). Very worried (obviously) about his lack off 'varied' diet. Hopefully most will be tolerated to some degree, but having to take it out for 8 weeks, then re-introduce slowly.

Although I do give him a varied diet (without the above)...and he is a fab eater, will eat anything I put infront of him!

[bagelmonkey]

You could make spreads with mashed up beans - cooked kidney, pinto or butter beans and add herbs/ spices

[cammog]

I know how you feel - my son suffers from eczema and was diagnosed with allergies to dairy, egg, nuts, seeds, wheat and tropical fruit when he was 15 months old. It's very hard! We weren't given any advice at all about diet; the hospital gave us the results and then sent us away.

Anyway, I love the book 'How to Cook For Food Allergies' by Linda Bryce-Gardyne, which has lots of recipes which can be adapted for various allergies and explains how ingredients can be substituted in cookery. There's also a good baking book called 'Allergy-Free Desserts' by Elizabeth Gordon (it's American though and uses cup measurements). I've made quite a few tasty and successful cakes & cookies from there.

There's a vegan website called Parsley Soup which has lots of good recipes, some involve soya but can be adapted, and I've made some of the cakes by substituting wheat-free flour.

Beware the 'free from' section of the supermarket! There's nothing much there that doesn't contain egg. We recently started getting some food on prescription; the best make is Glutafin as the range of wheat-free is bigger. Gluten free doesn't equal wheat free! We get biscuits, pasta, crispbread, and sometimes rolls but they aren't too nice :(

Btw, some dairy-allergic people also react to beef and the by-products like gelatin. Worth watching out for.
For quick snacks, my son loves Doves Farm apple flapjacks (Sainsburys/Waitrose), Orgran Outback Animals biscuits and the Organix Goodies oaty bars/carrot stick crisps from the baby aisle.

Check out the Goodness Direct website for one-stop allergy shopping - great range of flours, bread mixes etc for whatever combination of allergies.

Hope that helps!

[mamasunshine]

Many thanks for all ofthat info cammog He does have the animal biscuits and organix goodie bars from time to time. Will check out those books/websites etc. Is your ds stil allergic to that list, or has he outgrown any yet? We're currently starting to re-introduce some foods slowly, coconut was 1st and no reactions noticed so far so we'll be trying gluten next week...he had a very obvious reaction to wheat but the gluten I'm dubious about

[alison222]

toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds?
Bake with gluten free flower and a dairy free margerine
fruit.

[pointydog]

I'd go back to the dermatologist at the hospital - isn't that why you had the tests in the first place? On the advice of a dermatologist? The dermatologist can then get you an appointment with a dietician if you decide you want to alter diet.

[BikeRunSki]

This is a very stupid Q sorry, but is popcorn wheat? I assume it is maize? Could he have that? My nearly 3 year old DS loves plain, home made popcorn.

[bagelmonkey]

Yes, popcorn is maize. Not wheat, bit check packaging if not home-popped.

[cammog]

Mamasunshine, when we first saw the consultant, I was told that my son would outgrow his allergies by the age of 2, then it was three...and so on. He is nearly six now, and still allergic to the same stuff :(
We first saw a dietician about a year ago (!), and although she was really lovely and tried to be helpful, it was all a bit late by then as I'd done all the research myself. She did help us get the Glutafin on prescription though, which was good.
I second the vote for popcorn, it's fab - although my son can only tolerate a handful before he gets stomach ache, so he's probably slightly intolerant to it. Ho hum.