WOW. It has been A WHILE since I posted anything on here — and so much has changed! I’ll share our biggest news in my next post, but for now… I want to give you an updated meal plan!
As you may remember, my daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies before she was even a year old.
We discovered (the hard way) that she was allergic to:
- Sesame
- Dairy
- Soy
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
The next few months were absolutely TERRIFYING. I dreaded meal time, because I never knew what to feed my daughter (dairy and soy are in EVERYTHING!!), and I worried she might not be getting all the nutrients she needed.
Well now my daughter is TWO and totally thriving!! 🙌
(And I’m finally thriving too, instead of just scared to death all day every day. 🤣)
She’s also finally weaned — woohoo!!! (I know many moms miss nursing, which I totally understand, but after nursing a 1-year-old child 12 times a day because they’re hungry and afraid to eat after having an anaphylactic reaction? … phew! … yeah, I wasn’t sad to see the nursing go. 😂)
She’s healthy, spunky, and for some reason she loves her veggies. (Which I guess is every mother’s dream? 🤷♀️) We’re finally in a good eating routine (although of course I still have moments of panic in front of the fridge, especially when I realize we’re out of my go-to staples like Ian’s Fish Sticks). But for the most part, the Mealtime Anxiety has lessened considerably.
So, if you’re also an allergy parent experiencing Mealtime Anxiety (or just need some new meal ideas 🙋♀️), I’m hoping this blog can help!
Here is our current meal schedule for my allergy baby (who is now officially an allergy toddler):
7:30: Morning Snack
Whenever my daughter wakes up, she has a little snack (usually Cheerios or a piece of fruit) and some water.
8:30: Breakfast
We usually have homemade gluten-free waffles for breakfast, topped with Sunbutter and pure maple syrup!
I make a big batch of these waffles on weekends and then keep them in the fridge and/or freezer all week (or longer!). Here’s the recipe I use — I just substitute coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, gluten-free flour instead of regular flour, and oat milk instead of regular milk. We usually leave out the sugar, and can’t tell the difference! They’re easy to make — plus my daughter loves to help.
10:00: Morning Snack (Optional)
Some days, my daughter gets hungry again mid-morning and requests a snack. Usually that’s some sort of fresh or frozen fruit, or sometimes corn chips.
12:00: Lunch
We have a few go-to’s that are quick and easy for lunch time. Usually I ask my daughter which one(s) she prefers. I try to balance out a vegetable with a protein and a carb, but some days she only wants broccoli and other days she only wants fish sticks. I try to just let her eat what she feels her body needs. Here are a bunch of lunch items I might mix together on any given day:
- Leftovers from last night’s dinner
- Ian’s Fish Sticks
- Brown rice pasta
- Steamed broccoli topped with olive oil and salt
- Strawberries
- Grapefruit or oranges
- Banana
- French toast (with allergy-friendly bread and oat milk)
- Open-face sandwich (with allergy-friendly bread, sunbutter and jelly)
- Black olives
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Sautéed zucchini
- Frozen (but microwaved) cauliflower topped with olive oil and salt
- Hot dogs
- Scrambled (or over-hard) eggs
- Toast (with allergy-friendly bread and Earth Balance Dairy Free Soy Free Buttery Spread)
3:30: Post-Nap Snack
She LOVES having her daily treat of an Outshine Fruit Bar — basically an allergy-safe popsicle — while we watch some Blippi together! Sometimes she’ll also have some sliced radishes, an apple or Saltine crackers as an extra snack before dinner.
5:30: Dinner
I have a bunch of allergy-friendly dinner ideas on this blog, and I hope to post more soon!
7:00: Pre-Bed Snack
Usually this is just dry Cheerios, but some nights she really wants more fish sticks too!
It might seem like my daughter is constantly eating (and it feels that way sometimes too).
But really, she’s getting just the right amount of food for her little body. The doctor said she’s only in the 35th percentile for weight, and is healthy and growing well. So it’s definitely not a matter of overeating.
I think there are a few reasons she’s often hungry:
- She doesn’t eat a lot at any one meal. She’s a very intuitive eater, as all children naturally are, and I try to let her set the eating pace.
- She isn’t able to eat a lot of your typically filling foods, because of her allergies. Because she eats so much fruit and veggies, she needs to eat more frequently.
- She isn’t filling up on junk food because, again, allergies.
- And of course, she’s a toddler! And toddlers need their snacks. 🙂
Well, my daughter just woke up from her nap, so I’ll write more later. As always, I hope this post can take some of the anxiety out of meal times for my fellow allergy parents!
You can do this!
XOXO,
That Allergy Mama
PS – As always, please share YOUR favorite allergy-friendly meal ideas in the comments!
That Allergy Mama 