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Original poster

Please help - need dairy free party food for kids advice

27 replies

TEEstheCEEsontobejolly · 15/12/2006 21:57

It's really quite hard.

So I had planned sandwiches with ham or with jam.

    • can you buy some sort of speard that's dairy free?
    • can you buy dairy frees cream cheese?

I was going to make chicken nuggets but realised I can't dip them in egg first. What can I use to make breadcrumbs stick instead, or what can I make instead of chicken nuggets?

Realised that the decorate yr own gingerbread mena nd ind homemade mini cip cakes aren't dairy free so bought some dairy free chocolate eggs but what else can I give him (other than the grapes & strawberries) for a sweet treat?

Dairy free tips massively appreciated.

TIA - TeeCee x

OP posts:
hana · 15/12/2006 22:00

is there such a thing as dairy free icecream or yogurt or mousse?
what about jelly with fruit made up the night before?

sunchowder · 15/12/2006 22:01

Here in the states you can get Tofu Cream Cheese and the kids won't mind, we also can get Rice Milk cheese in slices just like American type cheese. You can just soak the chicken nuggets and dredge in whole wheat flour and/or bread crumbs and you should be fine with those. I hope you have a good time! I make lots of cakes using rice milk too...

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 22:07

Right.....is it dairy free because of child being vegan or allergy to lactose? Because if it's lactose, egg is fine. Have you thought of tuna for Sarnies, or cucumber (decadent!) you can buy dairy free anything, usually from the health food shops, can be pricey though, you can buy dairy free cream cheese, even flavoured with garlic and herbs, soya yogurts, dairy (and cholesterol) free icecream called Swedish Glace (in a black hexagonal tub) it's really nice and Tesco sells it. If you want biscuits, party rings are OK, as are cheap bourbons, yes the CHOCOLATE CREAMS (makes you wonder doesn't it) most cheap brand stuff is dairy free (costs too much for butter and milk!) If it's allergy you need to avoid, milk, butter, cream, cheese, yogurt, milk proteins, whey powder, lacose I think that's about it....

A lot of organic food is dairy free too, a really, really nice cake is carrot and orange organic one in a box for £1.99 from Tesco (though strangely can only find it in their smaller stores) sorry can't remember the brand, it's not Tesco, it's a white box, the topping is creamy but it's dairy free..... odd! Give me a shout if you can think of anything specific you want to substitute.. I've been avoiding dairy big time for the last three years and I'm getting pretty good at it now!!! Also, check EVERYTHING, it's sneaky!

drummumadrumming · 15/12/2006 22:11

where do you shop?

Tesco's have some lovely mini sausages that are dairy free....

plain potato head crisps..

bread sticks

PURE do a good dairy free spread which you can melt and use instead of egg to make your bread crumbs stick to your chicken...

check the ham in dairy free... your be suprised how much of it isn't..

you may need to buy your dairy free cheese at a health food shop...

kinnerton do some lovely chocolate (I get this from sainsburys but look at their website for stockists) you can make some chocolate crispies with cornflakes.. or flapjacks using PURE instead of butter and grating the Kinnerton chocolate over the top while its still warm so it melts... MMmmmm

kinnerton also do some xmas chocolate lollies as well...

have the kids got allergies? I would keep all the wrappers so you can show the parents

When is this for? HTH anything else you need just shout...
Good luck

7swansaswimmingup · 15/12/2006 22:11

i have the same problem, ds is intolerant to milk and egg in foods so rules out loads and loads of stuff.

he ate some southern fried chicken at toddlers party on tuesday and hes been ill since

when i go to my sisters boxing day im taking a plate of food for him which will be cucumber sticks, cooked chicken pieces with nothing else on, ready salted crisps and biscuits that i found in tesco that hes ok on

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 22:12

Ok, just noticed you're planning on ham, so not a vegan then?!!! btw, check the ham is OK, a lot of them sneak in lactose.

drummumadrumming · 15/12/2006 22:14

ohh yeah... forgot to mention the Ice Cream.. that lovely...

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 22:16

If the person you're trying to cater for is a guest, check with the parents as they'll be glad that you're so considerate of their needs and will be able to tell you what they will eat and where to get it from and save you from costly mistakes and leftovers that you won't eat!!!!

drummumadrumming · 15/12/2006 22:18

my son has been dairy/egg/and nut free for 8 years.. its much easier now they list the ingredients.
Once you get into the swing of things it OK.. but you have to keep checking the labels.

Original poster
TEEstheCEEsontobejolly · 15/12/2006 22:28

He has a bad dairy allergy. Do plan on trying to get hold of the mum tomorrow but this is just incase.

Thanks for these ideas.

OP posts:
drummumadrumming · 15/12/2006 22:32

Is the Mum planning to stay at the party.. if not don't forget his piriton.. and a lesson on how to use his epi-pen

SnowMuchToBits · 15/12/2006 22:40

You can get Pure dairy-free spread to use instead of butter/marge in sandwiches. Marmite, jam, tuna, hummus are all good sandwich fillers. Things like crisps, tomatoes, cucumber, grapes are good.

For sweet things, at ds's party, where one of the guests was a vegan, I made jam tarts and biscuits using Pure spread.

You can also buy soya yoghurt (Alpro)

Hope this is some help

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 22:52

Bless you for being so bothered!!! I've been to many a party where people know that I can't tolerate dairy and there's literally nothing I can eat, I don't expect it and fill up before hand, but when someone's gone to the effort, it's really touching!!!!

CantSleepWithSanta · 15/12/2006 22:55

3Donut - are you talking about the 'Respect' carrot cake from Tesco? I don't think it has orange in it, but it is in a bright orange box. I get it in larger stores. Actually you say yours is in a white box, so I guess it must be a different one. The Respect one is gorgeous! Also second the Swedish Glace recommendation - very yummy.

You may be able to get (or make) sausage rolls that are dairy free - the ready to roll puff pastry (saxby's I think) is dairy free.

On the 'Pure' thing - they make 3, so go for the one in the orange pot, with sunflower.

Egg is a separate allergy to milk protein, so if it's just a dairy allergy then you don't need to avoid eggs at all. Do check the bread that you're making the breadcrumbs from though (and the bread for the sandwiches for that matter), as many do contain milk.

Casein is the other milk product that 3Donuts doesn't mention.

Tesco also do some nice dairy free chocolate muffins, or dairy (and gluten) free bakewell tarts, or apple pies - you'll need a good sized store for a good free from section though.

TooTickyDoves · 15/12/2006 22:58

All the products on this site are dairy-free. You can get a lot in Holland and Barrett.
Alpro do good milks/yogurts/soya desserts.
Ice cream from Tofutti, Swedish Glace or Mother Hemp.
Tofutti also do a cream cheese, as do Swedish Soft.
Even squirty cream from Soyatoo!
Try health food shops.

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 23:09

can't sleepwithoutsanta, I think I am talking about that one, and apparantly wrong on more than one account hehehe!!!!!! it's been a while since budget allowed for such luxuries!!! usually, it's just for Birthdays!!!! I didn't actually know about casein, it's not an ingredient that I check for, but of course makes perfect sense, it's a by-product of cheese isn't it? Maybe that's why I sometimes feel 'dodgy' even when something is deemed to be OK? Saw something in Tesco's free from range today called 'safe to eat' I nearly cried - they understand.....wail......

3Ddonut · 15/12/2006 23:14

Are you going to do the whole party dairy free so that you can tell him that he can have anything he wants?!!!! My God he'd feel like the guest of honour!!!!! and the other kids won't notice!!!!! Or you could say you can everything but...... I've been to a few wedding receptions (including my own) where at the buffet I am presented with a HUGE plate of dairy free goodies, it's often to much amusement of the other guests, I got a great big silver platter once! It's really nice that people take it seriously as it's so faddy at the mo, but I'm very sensitive to it. I never expect it, and like little fuss really but I'm always very grateful when people have gone out of their way to help me out! btw, quick hijack, anyone know of any good dairy free hard cheese? I've looked and looked and not found anything.....

Original poster
TEEstheCEEsontobejolly · 16/12/2006 09:56

Left a message for mum today and hope she rings before I need to go out.

Didn't realise that bread was an issue as well, blimey! However just checked and no milk in the bread here so that's good.

Will get a dairy free spread and make sandwiches with:

ham and cucumber
dairy free cream cheese and marmite
jam

Nothing I can do about the mini cupcakes and gingerbread men now but will buy him his own dairy free cake.

Have dairy free chocolate eggs

cherry toms
cucumber
carrot batons
strips of pepper
humous dip

grapes
strawberries
bananas
satsumas

those teddy pom pom crisps of whatever they are called

home ade chicken nuggets

QUESTION - If he is allergic to egg as well what shall I just roll the chicken (that I would have mushed into a mince in blender) and then roll straight into breadcrumbs. Might also dip some into crushed cornfalkes as alternative. Will the missing egg be a problem? I don't think so but anyone know for sure????????????

OP posts:
drummumadrumming · 16/12/2006 17:30

PURE do a good dairy free spread which you can melt and use instead of egg to make your bread crumbs stick to your chicken...

Not sure the Pom bears are dairy free... I'm sure some one will come along and say though!

3Ddonut... I brought a dairy free hard cheese from a health food shop recently.. I think it was called 'cheezys'... they do one for melting like for pizzas and one hard cheese...

good luck

3Ddonut · 16/12/2006 21:11

Thanks for that drumming... why not play super-safe with the crips and get salt and shake without the salt? (not that it's dairy but salt is v. bad for us!) I think some varieties of pom bears are OK, but can't think I've ever had them.

3Ddonut · 16/12/2006 21:12

Also, some coleslaws and potato salads are OK, just avoid 'luxury' ones.

3Ddonut · 16/12/2006 21:13

Sorry, another afterthought, did you say he's allergic to eggs, if so, scrap that last one!!!

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 16/12/2006 21:54

Dairy free is a piece of cake (compared to gluten free whch was a nightmare and nut allergy which made me horribly nervous!), I've done it on many occasions. Dairy free chocolate cake - just use a Pure spread instead of butter and cocoa and hey presto (but check any bought icing as this can contain milk). Although egg allergy will rule this out (but eggs aren't dairy...)

Anyway, check for things other than "milk" on the label - casein and lactose etc. They sneak those in when you're not looking.

foxinsocks · 16/12/2006 21:56

you can use a bit of olive oil to coat the chicken (or melted pure as someone else said)

Original poster
TEEstheCEEsontobejolly · 16/12/2006 22:02

Thanks everyone. Spoke to his Dad and apparently it's not sucha bad allergy cos it's ok when It's cooked dairy stuff. So the nuggets are ok. I'd made a massive batch in the week but had added grated cheese to them so had to make a new batch tonight but no worries really. And have dairy free spread and he can eat the fairy cakes and the gingerbread men so we're sorted.

Now just feeling those - first ever throw your own party nerves now but am really looking forward to it as well.

Can't believe my babies are 5 and 1!

OP posts: