Is toast every day that bad???...and if it is, HELP ME !

[GalaxyGirl24]

Okay, so not every day but maybe 4/5 times a week for lunch time alongside something like a veg mash, hummous, cream cheese etc...

Can you think of a reason why toast every day would be bad for a child (8m DD)? The only reasons I can think of are due to salt and sugar and I've remedied this I believe, as I make my own wholemeal bread without any salt and less sugar than normal bread.

If you can think of reasons why it is bad/not healthful then please do tell me and if you have food alternatives for lunch time specifically for an 8 month old who cannot eat banana/egg/spinach due to allergic reactions then PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME. As I am fresh out of inspiration for lunch time.

You want to be introductory your baby to a wide range of tastes and textures, toast is fine, but incredibly limited.
Lunch can be anything, it doesn't have to fit a 'traditional ' idea of lunch being a bread based meal. You could do leftovers from last night's meal if not too salty/spicy. Pasta. Rice. Lentils. Jacket potato. Chicken strips. Fish cake. Crackers. Mild curry. Baked beans. Any food you can think of, eaten in the middle of the day, can be lunch.

Introducing obv...

Are breakfast and dinner varied? Only asking because I know lots who give the same breakfast every day.

I don't think it is particularly bad to be honest. In terms of thinking of alternatives for you I'm coming up with things like crackers, breadsticks, pitta, wraps which are largely the same thing. What are you giving the other 2/3 days you aren't giving toast?

My DS has allergies too (dairy, egg, fish etc) so I understand how it adds a whole new layer of stress and difficulty to meal prep.
We have toast a few mornings and also vegan crumpets and home made vegan pancakes.
Other hits are soup with crackers, rice cakes with nut butter or smashed avocado, pasta with tomato sauce and roasted sweet potato sticks.

Hi all, thank you for your replies. I probably should've clarified what she eats for the rest of the day, sorry! 🤦🏾‍♀️

B: Porridge or Weetabix mashed with whole milk

D: Toast fingers unsalted butter (homemade wholemeal bread) with hummous/cream cheese/veg mash - all homemade bar the cream cheese

Snack: Yoghurt sweetened with either purée prune or peach

T: Salmon Broccoli and Sweet potato, Cod Pea and Mash, Lasagne homemade , Veg stew, Homemade beans and mash, sometimes a pasta and sauce, orzo and broccoli with cheese etc.

I'm fine for tea and breakfast but for some reason lunch is a struggle! Especially as she can't have egg or banana 😭

@MissingTheMoonlight It's hard work isn't it! Also, you don't by any chance have that vegan pancake recipe to pass on? The only ones I know have banana as substitute for eggs

We use a regular recipe and use flax seed eggs instead of egg or banana (1 tbsp flax seed with 3 tbsps water, set in fridge for 5 mins) and we use oat milk instead of regular milk. I eat most of them as they're yum!

I did lots of batch cooked breaded sticks eg tuna croquettes / hm nuggets / ham & cheese croquettes / lamb kebab ish / scotch egg (minus the egg!) at that age. Great to use up old homemade bread too!!

Mushed up meat / tuna with diced veg / herbs into sausage shapes. Would need to research how to breadcrumb without eggs but I'm sure there's a way - light coating of soured cream / creme fraiche maybe??

Make vast quantities and freeze. Pull a couple out of freezer in the morning and oven / grill if I could be arsed then serve with whatever leftover veg from last nights dinner usually.

Great for minced anything really and easy for them to eat.

@MissingTheMoonlight thank you! Never heard of flax eggs but I'll deffo look into those!

@FusionChefGeoff That sounds amazing, thank you for the food inspiration

Toast is completely fine for them at that age, it was a staple for us. If you want to try different textures then try pittas, wraps etc

I used to make little mini pizzas with some sort of bread base, passata, cheese and then any toppings - that works really well. Also the Joe Wicks recipe for broccoli and cauliflower tots is excellent. Any kind of little baked cake works well - fish cakes, veggie patties etc. You could leave out the egg and just bake them, I think that would be fine.

Otherwise strips of absolutely anything. Sandwich chicken / ham / roast beef, cheese, rice cakes with cheese spread, strips of cucumber, cherry tomatoes in 1/4, leftover pasta in tomatoey sauce all worked well

Then any soft fruits, sticks of pineapple, mixed berries of any kind went down well. Also tinned fruit was good cos it is softer for that age

For lunch how about doing a hot meal? Pasta with sauce, pancakes (can make egg free), lentil/sweetcorn fritters, risotto, left over dinner.

Otherwise go for a picky meal - cold meat, cheese, veg, fruit, crackers, breadsticks, cheerios etc. Also, you could offer pita bread as something different too.

Thanks all! I think I'm going to try soups and croquettes as a PP mentioned! She hates finger foods currently but I do try them for at least 2 meals a day.

I always give my 8mo leftovers from the previous night's dinner for lunch - much easier than prepping three separate meals a day! Breakfast is a rotation between toast, porridge and bircher muesli.

Bircher muesli, fantastic idea!!!

Also, yes, I may start using last nights tea for lunch instead of storing as prep!