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.

Hi there

As you know, my J has CMPA and soya intolerance. I am now trying to cut out traces, so am here for inspiration.

He has had egg once, but that was before we knew about his other issues so could not determine a reaction. I need to be brave and give him some.

vq just a thought but if you haven't been cutting out egg already then he's likely had quite a lot through them being contained in products he's eaten? Maybe he's like the other Js and egg is an allergy too?

Mc D' s fish finger happy meal is ok, but not nuggets.

Tesco's everyday value dark choc is d/f and only 30-odd p for a 100G bar - much cheaper than Green and Blacks!

Soreen Banana loaf goes down well with my two.

Sacla's chargrilled aubergine pesto is a staple in my house.

Lindt's dark choc version of their gold bunnies is fine for an Easter egg.

I give my d/f, e/f s/f n/f 2 yo twins Vitabiotics Osteocare liquid calcium supplement, as recommended by our dietitian.

Tesco free from coconut smoothie pouches are calcium enriched and yummy too.

Pizza Express are great for d/f - they even do raspberry sorbet for pudding.

Pastry is generally ok, which surprised me, as are the hot cross buns I bought the other day. Wraps, pittas, crumpets are good alternatives if you can't find soya free bread.

Soya free bread tends to be bizaarely the really cheap or really expensive ranges. Most Waitrose own brand bread is soya free.

Yes McD's nuggets have egg in for flavouring. Everyone else's chicken nuggets seem to be fine.

Ikea have a detailed folder of nutritional info so you can usually find something 'safe' in there.

But burger king nuggets have milk in them so he couldnt have them if he is dairy free

He had the burger last night but wasn't that keen. He did polish off all the chips though!

my 2 never eat the beef burgers either and they are age 7 and 10 - they prefer nuggets/chicken burgers (they dont have allergy issues)

That is a thought Flouncy. What things contain egg though? He never has cake, but I guess it is in a lot of things that you wouldn't think. I will start label checking. Usually his food if meat, veg and fruit, with d/f and s/f crackers, digestives and imitation hula hoops and skips, which will now be omitted as they 'may contain'.

I have checked everything, and he is only on foods with 'may contain' so I will cut them out too and see if it makes a scrap of difference.

Pinterest has a lot of recipes that are appropriate for different intolerances, including multiple intolerances. Always worth double checking though, as the search filter throws up some interesting pins that are clearly not appropriate.

Dammit chips with milk in. Why?

They put milk in bloody everything!!! Grr!!!

Milk powder is used in a lot of things. Gives a good crunch I think!

If you cook from scratch them I don't see the problem- no need to give a 16 month old baby biscuits, chicken nuggets or cake.

It's the hidden dairy that's the problem. I would never have thought to check stock cubes for example. When DS3 went egg-free we kept finding out what contained egg the hard way which was why I wanted to get tips from the experiences dairy-free-ers right from the start.

VQ do you think J might benefit from an exclusion diet? My BIL is on one at the moment because the GP thinks his psoriasis might be triggered by a food. But people can be allergic to things you might not immediately think of such as potatoes.

What do you mean by an exclusion diet? We have excluded dairy soya and egg. In fact he hasn't eaten fuck all for a week. I guess that is an exclusion diet. Sorry I am snippy, I am just so fucked off with him being ill all the time.

My advice with dairy free is to check every label. Even something that last week was ok might change. I found this with bread. I have been known to check washing up liquid and other non food labels as it becomes second nature.

Have a look here VQ, an elimination diet cuts out a lot more such as gluten, citrus and nightshades then reintroduces them gradually. It's a pita at first but it can be the only way to discover reactions to some foods as blood tests and skin tests can be negative even to foods that cause a problem.

when DS was CMPA we found that a number of foods that were chicken flavoured eg gravy granules, roast chicken crisps had dairy in them

But you wouldn't want to give a 16 month old baby roast chicken crisps or gravy granules.
Cooking from scratch eliminates a lot of the problems.

I cook from scratch for my diary, egg and nut free 18 month old. I use gravy granules often for things like steak pie, mince and potatoes a D a roast chicken dinner. I've never mastered gravy from scratch unless anyone has amazing new tips?!

*dairy

I would He is the youngest of three.

I will check that out later Stunt, thank you x