recipes for toddlers

[dtlyme]

Hello all - hope you don't mind an American joining in. I can't find a site like this based in the states! I would love any ideas for baby/toddler food that is dairy free.

I have 13 month old boy/girl twins - Archer & Phoebe. Archer has a dairy allergy, Phoebe does not. However - I am not super mom and am keeping them both on the same diet. It seems that all the baby/toddler recipes I can find have milk and cheese in them. ARGH! And I think my two are very tired of sweet potatoes.

Any recommendations would be very very appreciated!

-Dana

[Pam]

Hi Dana, welcome to the site.

You can use any recipe but just substitute dairy free alternatives eg use soya, oat, rice etc. milk instead of cows milk and use a dairy free spread instead of butter. Most recipes work fine this way. Cheese is a little difficult as the dairy free options are not that great, particularly here in the UK, I don't know what you have on offer.

Baby food manufacturers in the UK label everything well so you should be able to buy pre-prepared foods ok and to make your own just give them what you would have but cut down on any salts and spices. Meat will be a little hard for them to manage but chicken or fish in small bits should be manageable and they can have any fruit or vegetables. If you get creative with sauce and gravy you should be able to come up lots of suitable things.

Keep calling back and let us know how dairy free life in the USA differs to the UK.

[dtlyme]

Thank you Pam. We do not have very many cheese options here at all. Even the Soy cheeses have milk in them, which drives me nuts.

I just discovered the Toffuti imitation cream cheese spread. I thought it was pretty good!

In the long run I know my two will be better off as i really can't use any of the processed foods - they all have dairy it seems. I just have to get a good collection of recipes and get used to thinking of alternatives.

Many thanks-
Dana

[Kate and Rocco]

Try 'Dairy free, Egg free, Kid pleaseing recipies and tips' WWW.dairyfreeeggfreekidpleasingcookbook.com (http://www.dairyfreeeggfreekidpleasingcookbook.com), I have used it so much it has been fantastic.

Good luck

Kate

[dtlyme]

Thanks very much Kate. That looks like a fantastic site. I feel like I have been feeding my 2 the same things over and over again!

-Dana

[Jules]

Can I share my Tuna and Tomato Pasta bake? I made this for my daughter when we found out she was dairy intolerent - she loves it!!!!

Substitute Pasta for Gluten free pasta if you little one has a Gluten intolerance.

You need:
1 tin of Tuna (preferably in oil rather than brine)
1 tin peeled plum Tomatoes
1 small onion
1/2 pint of vegetable stock (Home made if poss, however Kallo/Just Boullion Stock cubes are Gluten and Lactose free.)
A little oil.
50g of small pasta shapes (Small enough to be bite size for a little one)
3 drops of lea and perrins wocster sauce
Squirt of Tomato Puree

Finely chop the onion and fry off in the oil until soft and golden. Add the Tuna and the Tomatoes and the stock and bring to the boil. When boiling add the pasta and leave to boil for 10 minutes or so.

The Pasta will absorb the watery sauce, and the sauce will appear to reduce and thicken. When it has acheived the consitancy of gravy, add a squirt of tomato puree and the Wocster sauce, which will darken the colour and thicken the sauce further.

Put in the Oven for 20 minutes ar Gas Mark 6 to 'bake'

For very small ones, the above will need to be 'whizzed up' in a blender.

Makes about 10 portions, so plenty for Mum and Dad to pick at and freeze for later!!!!

Enjoy

Jules

[dtlyme]

Jules - that sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing. I will give it a whirl!

-Dana

[Lan]

Hi Jules,

Thanks for that. I absolutely adore pasta dishes and will definitely be trying that one.

Thanks again.

Lan

[matt]

ok i resisted for a while.....

what's the best receipe for roast toddler or are they better grilled?:lol2:

[cnc]

I think stir fried personally :) Can get rid of all the fatty bits that way :D:D

[matt]

yeah but stir frying involves so much prep work....

raost is just chuck into the oven.:lol2:

[cnc]

But they might not fit in the oven whole. Stir fry and least they'll fit in a pan or two!!
Stir-fry is faster than roasting, and prep work could be fun.... (sorry it's far too early, for me to be taking life seriously)

[matt]

i try my best to not take life serious no matter the time of day.:lol2: