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OT: Feeding toddler with milk allergy
I just wanted to maybe, hopefully, get some ideas on what I can feed my 14 month old, who has a cow milk allergy (yet he does just fine with goat milk). Right now, he's only accepting of eating fruits, stewed vegetables, a select few cereals and crackers (ingredients free of milk products), pasta, and the jars of stage 3 Gerber baby food with meats. He does not seem to like the texture of bread at all, so whenever I try to make him a sandwich, he puts a bite in his mouth, spits it out, and tosses it to the floor. He even did this with his birthday cake, lol.
So I'm slightly inconvenienced with what I'm able to pack in his lunches to daycare, as a sandwich is the quickest and easiest thing to make, but he won't eat them no matter what type of sandwich it is because he doesn't like the texture of bread. I'm a full time working mom and when I get home, I make dinner (usually something I can't feed my son because it has dairy products), make my son a separate dinner, do homework with my 6½ year old son, bathe one or both of the kids, do the bedtime routines with them...and by the time they're down, I either pack their lunches for the next day or just crash out myself. So basically what I'm saying is that I DO NOT have time to COOK another meal to pack for my son's lunch the next day--I rely on quick and easy or pre-packaged foods. But nearly every type of pre-packaged baby food for toddlers has milk in it.
Last week, I boiled some pasta and packed him pasta through the entire week. He loved it, but good grief, I don't want to feed him pasta every single day!
I'm trying sandwiches once again this week, but so far the last two days, his caretakers have reported to me that he has hardly eaten his lunches--and I know this is because once he is presented with a sandwich and gets a taste of it, it literally seems to ruin his appetite for the rest of the meal.
He happily eats these things regularly, sometimes three times a day: bananas, strawberries, grapes, stewed butternut squash, avocados, Cheerios and Kix, veggie straws (a sort of potato chip type of product), jars of Gerber baby food (stage 3), stewed spinach and basically any other stewed veggie, baked salmon (when I get around to making it), and I swear if he could live soley off pasta and tomato sauce with garlic, mushrooms, and ground turkey, he'd be the world's happiest baby and probably think I was the world's greatest mom.
So my question is...is his diet balanced enough with everything else to include pasta almost daily? Or is that much pasta not good for him that often?
I try to use whole wheat pasta as often as I can; he is not overweight (22 lbs) and he's very active and healthy. I'd love to broaden his diet beyond his love of pasta a bit, but I need more ideas of *quick and easy fixes* that do not include dairy ingredients, unless it is goat milk. Another consideration to keep in mind is that he only has two teeth right now, so chewing is still somewhat of an issue.
And no, he is not lactose intolerant--this is in fact an allergy and not an intolerance to cow milk. Wherever a cow milk product touches his skin, he breaks out in a rash and hives. So the solution is not as simple as switching to the Lactaid brand or giving him a Lactaid chewable tablet, and Pediasure is out of the question because it's milk-based.
Thank you for any ideas!
So I'm slightly inconvenienced with what I'm able to pack in his lunches to daycare, as a sandwich is the quickest and easiest thing to make, but he won't eat them no matter what type of sandwich it is because he doesn't like the texture of bread. I'm a full time working mom and when I get home, I make dinner (usually something I can't feed my son because it has dairy products), make my son a separate dinner, do homework with my 6½ year old son, bathe one or both of the kids, do the bedtime routines with them...and by the time they're down, I either pack their lunches for the next day or just crash out myself. So basically what I'm saying is that I DO NOT have time to COOK another meal to pack for my son's lunch the next day--I rely on quick and easy or pre-packaged foods. But nearly every type of pre-packaged baby food for toddlers has milk in it.
Last week, I boiled some pasta and packed him pasta through the entire week. He loved it, but good grief, I don't want to feed him pasta every single day!
I'm trying sandwiches once again this week, but so far the last two days, his caretakers have reported to me that he has hardly eaten his lunches--and I know this is because once he is presented with a sandwich and gets a taste of it, it literally seems to ruin his appetite for the rest of the meal.
He happily eats these things regularly, sometimes three times a day: bananas, strawberries, grapes, stewed butternut squash, avocados, Cheerios and Kix, veggie straws (a sort of potato chip type of product), jars of Gerber baby food (stage 3), stewed spinach and basically any other stewed veggie, baked salmon (when I get around to making it), and I swear if he could live soley off pasta and tomato sauce with garlic, mushrooms, and ground turkey, he'd be the world's happiest baby and probably think I was the world's greatest mom.
So my question is...is his diet balanced enough with everything else to include pasta almost daily? Or is that much pasta not good for him that often?
I try to use whole wheat pasta as often as I can; he is not overweight (22 lbs) and he's very active and healthy. I'd love to broaden his diet beyond his love of pasta a bit, but I need more ideas of *quick and easy fixes* that do not include dairy ingredients, unless it is goat milk. Another consideration to keep in mind is that he only has two teeth right now, so chewing is still somewhat of an issue.
And no, he is not lactose intolerant--this is in fact an allergy and not an intolerance to cow milk. Wherever a cow milk product touches his skin, he breaks out in a rash and hives. So the solution is not as simple as switching to the Lactaid brand or giving him a Lactaid chewable tablet, and Pediasure is out of the question because it's milk-based.
Thank you for any ideas!
Lol, yeah you learn all kinds of things about what's in food...usually the hard way...when you have to deal with a nasty allergy. I'm thankful his allergy isn't so bad that he gets anaphalaxis, but the rash and hives are unnerving and seem painful, so avoiding cow milk is the only option, even though it's (thankfully) not life threatening.
I never knew how much milk is used in nearly every food item you buy from a store. It's been a real eye opener, and really frustrating too. I can't imagine what it's like for people who have multiple food allergies, or life threatening ones. I'd go insane having to keep up with it all!
And yes, both my sons would gladly eat ketchup on just about everything. My oldest was actually dipping Skittles in ketchup one time. I thought I'd barf. :-P
I never knew how much milk is used in nearly every food item you buy from a store. It's been a real eye opener, and really frustrating too. I can't imagine what it's like for people who have multiple food allergies, or life threatening ones. I'd go insane having to keep up with it all!
And yes, both my sons would gladly eat ketchup on just about everything. My oldest was actually dipping Skittles in ketchup one time. I thought I'd barf. :-P
I hear ya on the ketchup dipping...I don't know how kids can make a meal out of ketchup!
And I had no idea that lunchmeat contained a milk product! I don't have (or know anyone that has) milk issues....you learn something new everyday! It does seem to be a challenge though. I do wish you luck in finding an EASY solution so that you are not making 100 different meals for your family each week (which I can only imagine is exhausting).
And I had no idea that lunchmeat contained a milk product! I don't have (or know anyone that has) milk issues....you learn something new everyday! It does seem to be a challenge though. I do wish you luck in finding an EASY solution so that you are not making 100 different meals for your family each week (which I can only imagine is exhausting).
I'm so sorry for your frustration. But, I must say, the thought of a ketchup sandwich did make me laugh! :-) My son loves ketchup too, and tends to eat more of that than the food he's supposedly dipping in it, so I can relate there, for sure! Hmm..you could fashion up some homemade ketchup w/protein powder in it and slap that on a sandwich! Ok, totally stretching it now, I guess.
But seriously, I often just melt a piece of American cheese on top of some cooked noodles for a quick meal for my son. It's got some protein in it, and I add a fruit or veggie on the side. I think you're on the right track just making different sauces to go on the pasta, though, for now. He'll want bread one day, I'm sure. :-)
But seriously, I often just melt a piece of American cheese on top of some cooked noodles for a quick meal for my son. It's got some protein in it, and I add a fruit or veggie on the side. I think you're on the right track just making different sauces to go on the pasta, though, for now. He'll want bread one day, I'm sure. :-)
I've also tried squishing the bread for him; he still doesn't like it. I haven't thought of trying tortillas yet...I'm going to see what happens with that! I'm really limited with crackers, though, as most have a milk product in them. I'll keep an eye out though--maybe he'll eat saltines with peanut butter, and that way he can get another source of protien besides meat...I'll try that too.
I have been able to use the appearance of food and preparation help with my older son, but Greydon only just turned 14 months, so right now he's not too interested in appearances or preparation, it's all about taste.
I've tried giving him ketchup to dip things in, but the little stinker just eats the ketchup and leaves everything else, lol! And the Lunchables do contain milk products in I think just about every item--I don't know about the crakers, but pre-packaged deli meat has a milk product called lactase or something, which gives it that gelatinous texture. If he has deli meat, it has to be freshly cut or soy-based and not the cold cuts.
I'm going to try a few things this weekend and over the next week at dinnertime and see what I can get him to eat, and what options I can come up with to prepare for him. Most of the time when I prepare pasta for him, it does contain ground turkey. I'm going to try tuna in the pasta next and see how he likes it. I know he really likes salmon; I try to make that every so often for him too.
Thank you for your comment!
I have been able to use the appearance of food and preparation help with my older son, but Greydon only just turned 14 months, so right now he's not too interested in appearances or preparation, it's all about taste.
I've tried giving him ketchup to dip things in, but the little stinker just eats the ketchup and leaves everything else, lol! And the Lunchables do contain milk products in I think just about every item--I don't know about the crakers, but pre-packaged deli meat has a milk product called lactase or something, which gives it that gelatinous texture. If he has deli meat, it has to be freshly cut or soy-based and not the cold cuts.
I'm going to try a few things this weekend and over the next week at dinnertime and see what I can get him to eat, and what options I can come up with to prepare for him. Most of the time when I prepare pasta for him, it does contain ground turkey. I'm going to try tuna in the pasta next and see how he likes it. I know he really likes salmon; I try to make that every so often for him too.
Thank you for your comment!
Maybe try squishing the bread, that way it isn't so cakey. I hated un-squiched bread as a kid. Also, maybe try other "sandwich" wrappers like crackers, lettuce, biscuts, tortilla, or english muffin.
Another idea is to make his sandwiches with the stuff he really loves - like a pb and banana sandwich. Or cut the sandwich out to have a fun shape, like a star. Sometimes involving kids in making their own food can trick them into eating foods they "don't like."
You could also try the toasted bread again, and give him ketchup to dip his sandwich in. Kids love to dip and ketchup seems to be his thing! LOL!
Of course, I would try this tactics at home first as it seems that daycare is getting fustrated with his unwillingness to eat (and then probably getting cranky later). Having older kids lead by example first (and make a big deal of it) might help too.
Also, I'm not sure if it is made with cow's milk, but the cracker lunchables might be a good pre-packaged option.
If you do have to stick with doing pasta every day, maybe try throwing some protien in there like ham and cheese, small bits of hot dog, tuna, or left over spaghetti meat.
Another idea is to make his sandwiches with the stuff he really loves - like a pb and banana sandwich. Or cut the sandwich out to have a fun shape, like a star. Sometimes involving kids in making their own food can trick them into eating foods they "don't like."
You could also try the toasted bread again, and give him ketchup to dip his sandwich in. Kids love to dip and ketchup seems to be his thing! LOL!
Of course, I would try this tactics at home first as it seems that daycare is getting fustrated with his unwillingness to eat (and then probably getting cranky later). Having older kids lead by example first (and make a big deal of it) might help too.
Also, I'm not sure if it is made with cow's milk, but the cracker lunchables might be a good pre-packaged option.
If you do have to stick with doing pasta every day, maybe try throwing some protien in there like ham and cheese, small bits of hot dog, tuna, or left over spaghetti meat.
I have tried toasting bread for him--he still hates it. The two times I have seen him willingly eat bread has been when a small slice of French bread was dipped in pasta sauce as a sample from Sam's Club, and when I gave him a bite of a hot dog bun that had some ketchup on it (he *loves* ketchup). But I just can't bring myself to make him a ketchup sandwich, lol...and soaked bread in pasta sauce is basically the same thing as noodles, which I think go better being soaked in pasta sauce for an extended period of time, so...
I have also tried different flavors of bread. I've had no luck so far. Like I mentioned in my initial post, he didn't even like his chocolate birthday cake, which I made a lot of effort to find a cake mix and frosting with no milk products, only to have him spit out the cake in disgust, lol. He did like the chocolate frosting though. It's just the texture of bread...he wants nothing to do with it unless it's got some sort of tomato product soaking it, I guess, lol.
He was sent home from daycare yesterday with a note asking me to please not pack him sandwiches again, because he refuses to eat them, no matter how I prepare them (I've tried every way I can think of, short of a ketchup sandwich), and it ruins his appetite for the rest of the day. Then he's fussy and hungry.
So last night, I boiled some whole wheat rotini and sent him to daycare with it sauced up in tomato and basil sauce with olive oil, an avocado, sliced bananas and strawberries, veggie staws, Cheerios, Stouffer's animal crackers, and his goat/rice milk mix (goat milk is too expensive to give by itself, so I "extend" it with Rice Dream). That should keep him happy today. ☺
If anyone has any ideas of other nutritious sauces and/or toppings for the noodles, I'd greatly appreciate it! I'm thinking I'll look up an alfredo sauce recipe and make it with goat milk to get things started--then he'll have something different next week.
I have also tried different flavors of bread. I've had no luck so far. Like I mentioned in my initial post, he didn't even like his chocolate birthday cake, which I made a lot of effort to find a cake mix and frosting with no milk products, only to have him spit out the cake in disgust, lol. He did like the chocolate frosting though. It's just the texture of bread...he wants nothing to do with it unless it's got some sort of tomato product soaking it, I guess, lol.
He was sent home from daycare yesterday with a note asking me to please not pack him sandwiches again, because he refuses to eat them, no matter how I prepare them (I've tried every way I can think of, short of a ketchup sandwich), and it ruins his appetite for the rest of the day. Then he's fussy and hungry.
So last night, I boiled some whole wheat rotini and sent him to daycare with it sauced up in tomato and basil sauce with olive oil, an avocado, sliced bananas and strawberries, veggie staws, Cheerios, Stouffer's animal crackers, and his goat/rice milk mix (goat milk is too expensive to give by itself, so I "extend" it with Rice Dream). That should keep him happy today. ☺
If anyone has any ideas of other nutritious sauces and/or toppings for the noodles, I'd greatly appreciate it! I'm thinking I'll look up an alfredo sauce recipe and make it with goat milk to get things started--then he'll have something different next week.
You're welcome..glad to be of some help!
I actually started using the multi-vitamin because my mother-in-law bought it for me to give my son...LOL She went to his 12 month check up w/ me, and asked the doctor about it and he recommended the drops we use. They were the same type of drops she used on her kids, my husband included. Once he has more teeth, I can get the flintstones chewables, probably when he's 2 years old - I think that's the age they start at.
I was thinking..maybe if you toast the bread, he'd prefer the texture? That was how we first gave my son bread since it crumbled easier once it was toasted so it was easier for him to mush up in his mouth without teeth. Or maybe try different flavors of bread? I know you are limited on choices, though.
Well, anyways, I am glad your son will eat pasta w/ a variety of toppings - that's not too hard to make, at least. :-)
I actually started using the multi-vitamin because my mother-in-law bought it for me to give my son...LOL She went to his 12 month check up w/ me, and asked the doctor about it and he recommended the drops we use. They were the same type of drops she used on her kids, my husband included. Once he has more teeth, I can get the flintstones chewables, probably when he's 2 years old - I think that's the age they start at.
I was thinking..maybe if you toast the bread, he'd prefer the texture? That was how we first gave my son bread since it crumbled easier once it was toasted so it was easier for him to mush up in his mouth without teeth. Or maybe try different flavors of bread? I know you are limited on choices, though.
Well, anyways, I am glad your son will eat pasta w/ a variety of toppings - that's not too hard to make, at least. :-)
Yes. He has a reaction even from the most minimal ingredients. I have to check all ingredient labels on store-bought items because even small amounts cause a reaction with him.
My daughter has a milk allergy as do I. However we can each cheese and yogurt and stuff if in small quantities. Have you ever tried to give milk based products?
Thank you for your comment!
I don't give him a multivitamin but I'm considering it now. His pediatrician asked me if I gave him a multivitamin and when I told him I wasn't, he asked about his diet. He said as long as I regularly give him things like salmon, avocado, fresh fruits and veggies, and goat milk, that a multivitamin isn't necessary if I don't want it for my son. Well, it's not that I don't want it for him...I just keep forgetting to pick some up when I go to the gorcery store, lol. I think it would be something that would benefit him.
I probably will stick with pasta for his lunches at daycare for now. It's easy to make a batch about twice a week and dish it out and top it with sauce, and I know he'll eat it and have a filling meal. The age range of his class won't allow me to pack him Gerber baby food anymore, so I'll probably stick with that at home a few nights a week.
I'm not really calling him picky, because he does eat practically everything I put in front of him. He just doesn't like bread. Unfortunately, bread makes a good portion of some meals, such as sandwiches, which are easy fixes.
And the dairy allergy puts a lot of limits on what I can feed him that is store-bought. Almost all toddler pre-packaged meals and snacks are off his menu because they contain milk ingedients. I have to check the ingedients labels on everything I buy. :-P
I don't give him a multivitamin but I'm considering it now. His pediatrician asked me if I gave him a multivitamin and when I told him I wasn't, he asked about his diet. He said as long as I regularly give him things like salmon, avocado, fresh fruits and veggies, and goat milk, that a multivitamin isn't necessary if I don't want it for my son. Well, it's not that I don't want it for him...I just keep forgetting to pick some up when I go to the gorcery store, lol. I think it would be something that would benefit him.
I probably will stick with pasta for his lunches at daycare for now. It's easy to make a batch about twice a week and dish it out and top it with sauce, and I know he'll eat it and have a filling meal. The age range of his class won't allow me to pack him Gerber baby food anymore, so I'll probably stick with that at home a few nights a week.
I'm not really calling him picky, because he does eat practically everything I put in front of him. He just doesn't like bread. Unfortunately, bread makes a good portion of some meals, such as sandwiches, which are easy fixes.
And the dairy allergy puts a lot of limits on what I can feed him that is store-bought. Almost all toddler pre-packaged meals and snacks are off his menu because they contain milk ingedients. I have to check the ingedients labels on everything I buy. :-P
I would personally just give him pasta for now. You could put different things with it, maybe different stewed veggies on top or something. Or maybe some non-dairy cheese melted on it?
My son doesn't have any allergies, but he does go through phases for a few days at a time where all he wants to eat is bananas, cheerios or pb&j sandwich. He usually eats what we eat, but some days he's hard to please. It's certainly not as difficult to find him SOMETHING to eat, since he can eat anything, but I do feel your frustration.
For now, just give him what he is willing to eat, so you know he's getting some nutrition - that's my opinion. Also, do you give him a multivitamin? I give my son an Enfamil PolyViSol drop every day. Here's a website about it: (http://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/enf10/content.do?dm=enf&id=/Consumer_Home3/Infants/EnfamilPolyViSol2&iwpst=B2C&ls=0&csred=1&r=3478957569) That'll help fill in missing nutrition, too. :-)
Good luck to you! Once he gets more teeth and can chew, you'll have more options, too. My son is almost 16 months with 7 teeth, still not a lot, but at least he can crunch things now.
My son doesn't have any allergies, but he does go through phases for a few days at a time where all he wants to eat is bananas, cheerios or pb&j sandwich. He usually eats what we eat, but some days he's hard to please. It's certainly not as difficult to find him SOMETHING to eat, since he can eat anything, but I do feel your frustration.
For now, just give him what he is willing to eat, so you know he's getting some nutrition - that's my opinion. Also, do you give him a multivitamin? I give my son an Enfamil PolyViSol drop every day. Here's a website about it: (http://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/enf10/content.do?dm=enf&id=/Consumer_Home3/Infants/EnfamilPolyViSol2&iwpst=B2C&ls=0&csred=1&r=3478957569) That'll help fill in missing nutrition, too. :-)
Good luck to you! Once he gets more teeth and can chew, you'll have more options, too. My son is almost 16 months with 7 teeth, still not a lot, but at least he can crunch things now.
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