Weaning DS on an allergy diet - just need a bit of help with ideas really.

[SweetTalkinWoman]

DS has a dairy allergy and is on Neocate formula which is dealing with the symptoms brilliantly. We are seeing a dietitian and have been advised to wean on a allergy diet basis so no dairy until at least 1 year, no wheat until 10 months and no egg until 1 year.

He is 6 1/2 months old and eating purees with lumps very well, and likes feeding himself finger foods. I'm already finding that many ready made baby foods have some sort of milk or wheat additive so am trying to make most of my own food etc.

I'm looking for ideas of ready made finger foods and snacks - so far it's just rice cakes and "Free From" bread, but what else is out there? The bread I have tried is awful, altough at least DS doesn't know any different!

Does anyone have any general tips or advice from experience! Many thanks!

Some (but not all) the organix snacks are allergy friendly - corn puffs flavoured with carrot, sweetcorn, tomato etc. There are also fruit and cereal bars that are OK for allergic children, also from organix.

The other obvious snack to try is fruit. Mine love softish fruit like plum, peach, blueberries, pear as well as the classic banana.

For finger food generally my DD was keen on various kinds of meat/chicken balls - can be done without egg or wheat. We sucessfully make a kind of chicken croquette with cooked rice and chicken that held together OK, wasn't too chewy and DD liked.

The best of the allergy cook books for us was this one. Not specifically for children but lots of good ideas especially so you understand how to adapt recipes. We don't have wheat allergy (thankfully) but I gather the bread recipe in the book is pretty good.

hope this helps. Good luck.

I also did a lot of dried fruit, and steamed some carrot sticks and green beans (if yours will eat veg). Just noticed that Plum have brought out some biscuits made of spelt - maybe good in a month or two for your little one, they are in Tescos and Waitrose.
Free from bread is not brilliant from supermarkets but I've had spelt and rye from a bread stall at the market and that was really nice.

my LO loves Corn on the Cob and it keeps him occupied for ages!

Have a look in your library for recipe books. DS is on a dairy-free diet and I got a couple of books out to cook for him. Dairy isn't so hard to do without but wheat must be tricky. As you say, the bread isn't great but maybe you could make your own? Best of luck with it all.