My 18-month-old daughter is getting better and better at trying new foods, but because her diet is so limited, I worry about her getting enough variety each day. She is allergic to dairy, soy, sesame, peanuts and tree nuts (other than coconut).
I’ve tried looking up toddler meal plans online, but at least 60% of the meals include something she’s allergic to.
So, I decided to do some research and make my own “meal plan” for the week.
Now, keep in mind that I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. These are simply meal plans that I created for my daughter. She’s currently breastfeeding twice a day (which is a huge improvement from 10 times a day just a few months ago! You can read all about that crazy time in this blog post), and eats small meals/snacks approximately 6 times a day.
As far as variety:
- She currently eats the same foods every day before naptime and before bedtime. They’re part of her routine at this point.
- Some weeks she’ll eat the same thing every single day at lunch too, and then suddenly decide she never wants to see that food again. One day she ate olives all day long. That’s all she wanted. I think she ate 32 olives by the end of the day. It’s all normal for a toddler, or so I hear.
Nutrition:
- My biggest concern is her getting enough protein, fat and calcium, since she can’t eat dairy.
- I’ve found that black olives, avocado, Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread and olive oil are great ways to add healthy fats.
- Sunflower butter, meats and beans are our go-to’s for protein.
- The cereal we use before nap time is fortified with iron, and her doctor also recommended she eat a good amount of red meat for the iron. I also try to pair eggs with a Vitamin C fruit to help her absorb iron from her eggs.
- Her oat milk has some calcium, as do chia seeds (in the overnight quinoa recipe), broccoli, beans and spinach.
- The amount of food she eats depends on the day. Sometimes she seems really hungry and then only eats a few bites before signing “all done,” and other times she eats so much that I have to make seconds for her! Again, I hear it’s all normal for toddlers.
- Always double-check the packaging: It almost goes without saying, but always make sure the food items you buy are allergy-safe. Even meats. We’ve learned the hard way that you never know!
I hope these meal plans can help you too!
Day One:
Breastfeeding @ 6:00am
Breakfast (8am): Homemade oatmeal (simply boil rolled oats in water) + mix in one spoonful of sunflower butter (our PB alternative), a dash of maple syrup and oat milk to taste + blueberries on the side (either fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries that you microwave until soft)
Lunch (10:30am): One egg + a piece of whole grain, allergy-friendly toast with Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread + a grated carrot + a clementine
Pre-Nap Snack (12:00pm): Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Cereal (mixed with warm water) + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Post-Nap Snack (3:30pm): Black olives cut in half + soft cauliflower (I use frozen cauliflower that I microwave) + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Dinner (5:30pm): Our homemade taco salad (see the recipe at this link) with a side of steamed broccoli (mixed with salt and olive oil). Save some leftover rice, beans, zucchini and broccoli for tomorrow.
Breastfeeding @ 6:00pm
Pre-Bed “Dessert” (7:00pm): Diced peaches (from a fruit cup; choose one packed in water instead of corn syrup) mixed into So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
Day Two:
Breastfeeding @ 6:00am
Breakfast (8am): Buckwheat waffle (I make these ahead of time and freeze them – I use this recipe, but I substitute buckwheat flour, which is extra yummy if its freshly ground, instead of regular flour; rice milk or oat milk instead of regular milk; and olive oil for the vegetable oil) + sunflower butter and honey + sliced strawberries
Lunch (10:30am): Leftover refried beans (or pureed black beans with cumin, salt and garlic powder) + rice + sautéed zucchini cut into pieces. These are all leftovers from last night, to save time.
Pre-Nap Snack (12:00pm): Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Cereal + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Post-Nap Snack (3:30pm): Leftover steamed broccoli + Whole Grain Cheerios + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Dinner (5:30pm): Hamburgers (either with or without buns) + roasted sweet potatoes (3-4 peeled and chopped sweet potatoes and 1 chopped onion mixed in olive oil and salt, roasted at 400F until soft, then broiled a few minutes until slightly crispy) + roasted asparagus. Save some leftover burgers and sweet potatoes for tomorrow.
Breastfeeding @ 6:00pm
Pre-Bed “Dessert” (7:00pm): Diced peaches mixed into So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
Day Three:
Breastfeeding @ 6:00am
Breakfast (8am): Banana Oat Pancakes (see the simple recipe here) + Earth Balance Buttery Spread + blueberries
Lunch (10:30am): Leftover hamburger + sweet potatoes + canned green beans
Pre-Nap Snack (12:00pm): Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Cereal + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Post-Nap Snack (3:30pm): Toddler puree pouch of your choice + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Dinner (5:30pm): Brown rice pasta + homemade meat sauce (ground beef, onion, canned tomato puree, oregano, basil, salt and a dash of cinnamon) + spaghetti squash (topped with a dash of olive oil and sea salt) + steamed broccoli. Save some leftover pasta for tomorrow.
Breastfeeding @ 6:00pm
Pre-Bed “Dessert” (7:00pm): Diced peaches mixed into So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt.
Preparation: Quickly mix up the Overnight Blueberry Quinoa Bowl for tomorrow’s breakfast. I’d use a can of full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. Yum!!
Day Four:
Breastfeeding @ 6:00am
Breakfast (8am): The Overnight Blueberry Quinoa Bowl you prepared last night.
Lunch (10:30am): Leftover pasta (I microwave it in a cup of water, or reboil it briefly to make the brown rice pasta tender when reheated) + broccoli + sautéed spinach (just cook until wilted) + fish sticks
Pre-Nap Snack (12:00pm): Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Cereal + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Post-Nap Snack (3:30pm): Applesauce + crackers (see my list of allergy-safe crackers here) + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Dinner (5:30pm): Sweet potato chicken curry soup (see recipe here). Save some leftovers for tomorrow. You can even freeze leftovers for future use too!
Breastfeeding @ 6:00pm
Pre-Bed “Dessert” (7:00pm): Diced peaches mixed into So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
Day Five:
Breastfeeding @ 6:00am
Breakfast (8am): Homemade French toast (whole grain bread dipped in egg, oat milk and vanilla) + Earth Balance Buttery Spread + sliced strawberries
Lunch (10:30am): Leftover sweet potato chicken curry soup from last night
Pre-Nap Snack (12:00pm): Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Cereal + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Post-Nap Snack (3:30pm): Avocado toast + a sippy cup full of warm plain oat milk mixed with a dash of pure maple syrup
Dinner (5:30pm): Salmon + brown rice pasta + steamed broccoli + roasted Brussel sprouts (or another favorite vegetable)
Breastfeeding @ 6:00pm
Pre-Bed “Dessert” (7:00pm): Diced peaches mixed into So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
Now I want to hear from you!
What are your favorite allergy-friendly kids meals? I can’t wait to try them!
XOXO,
That Allergy Mama
That Allergy Mama 
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