dairy and nut free

[yawningmonster]

My boy is going to creche two days a week and will be there over lunch. They cook the meals but I will have to provide his because of his diet. I want to do similar dishes to what they provide so he feels like he is having the same food (you never know he may even actually eat something!) Some of the dishes are dairy classics and I need help with alternatives esp with
Pizza

Pasta Bake (Cheese Sauce)

Potato Bake

I know I can use soymilk but what do I use instead of cheese to make it tasty and protein packed? Recipes welcome...thanks

can you make a white sauce with soy milk and a dairy free spread like stork

dunno if you 'can'... worth a try!

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sorry, didnt read your post properly.... how to get protein in etc...

well if its pasta bake could you add some bacon ham to the white sauce.

and have cheeseless piza with lots of ham etc

You can buy dairy-free cheese substitutes in health food shops like Holland and Barrett, I can't say whether they're any good or not because I don't use them, but they might be worth a try.

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Yawningmonster, are they not obliged to cater for his dietary requirements? It should be part of the inclusion policy! My DS is dairy intolerent and his old nursery where they cooked on site went to great lengths to cater for him.. one cook even used to bake him little individual cakes! (And this was a social services day nursery for families with 'difficulties'; we got the placement due to DS's special needs and fact that DH is disabled). He is now in a maimstream school where the school meals service caters for his needs - and those of others in school - one of them has ceoliac disease.

It's worth asking about this.. I think it's unfair that you have to take his with you.. a dairy allergy is not that uncommon!

SJ x

thanks for all those responses, I will look around for the soy cheeses that melt and adding meat is a great idea. The creche isnt willing to change their entire diet for him unfortunately and we dont really mind providing the food, he actually will most likely not eat it anyway so would be a shame to ask them to make dramatic changes for a lad who wouldnt eat what they made.

Ok YM no probs if you are happy.. but it doesn't really involve a huge effort for them... just a little portion of 'dairy free' whatever kept separate. I took a box of egg substitute in for DS's nursery for use 'in' things. They ought to be prepared to do it really if not for your DS, then for others in future..

Good luck anyway. I would freak in your postion.. I am such a crap cook!

I disagree it would be a huge change for them, they would have to change the brand of bread, margarine, crackers etc, they would have to make their own fish fingers, hash browns etc (as often crumble topping has dairy products in), they would have to convert to soy for drinking and cooking and for yoghurt and cheese, they would have to check and possibly change any readymix sauces they used etc, etc, I think it is too much to expect them to do and I dont feel entirely safe that they would know all the forms of dairy in ingredient lists etc.

I think it's actually dangerous to make his food look too much like what everyone else is having - depending on his age of course.

Pasta bake and potato bake are both fine with just a white sauce. After all he won't know what everyone else's tastes like, just what it looks like.

Pizza is fine with slices of tofu, or just no cheese at all.

I personally would go down the special lunch box with a sandwich in it route, and have a proper meat and two veg type tea which doesn't need dairy at all.

At this rate, I may have to add gluten free to the list as well so I dont think his food is going to look very much like what the others have (Sausage Casserole, Toasted Sandwiches) Man oh man is this daunting!!

May I suggest the little bit of everything box. Ds has a couple of dates, chunks of Tofu, permitted biscuits, rice crackers, raisins, marshmallow, bits of chicken etc. I just open up some airtight containers and throw a bit of everything at a lunch box.

less hassle - ds can eat what he wants, in the order he wants it and preparation time is nil.

thanks, will give that a go definately.

Now I know who you are and where you live, you do realise that they should cook your ds a meal he can eat. No it's too tricky, we'd have to replace everything in our cupboard about it. However you probably would feel about a million times safer providing something, but ask for a discount for saving them the cost and the hassle.

Great news that he can have soy now.

If he doesn't eat much I wouldn't slave away, put in stuff you know he will eat and give him energy to enjoy creche.

he is only 1 at the moment and would like to wait until he can talk and start to recognise what he can and cant have b4 I am willing to trust other ppl with him, when he is a bit older I will hopefully feel a bit more comfortable about other ppl being vigilent. Good idea to give them the list from the dietitian though we have just given a hand written list at the moment so I think it would have more "weight" coming from a professional.