Toddler times- collection of food and menu ideas

These menus DO have dairy:
From http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/infants_toddlers/wh_samplemenu1year.php
Sample menu:
Breakfast: 1 - 2 tbsp blackberry applesauce; 1/4 cup Cheerios or toasted O's cereal; 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Snack: 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese; 4 wheat crackers (no trans fats); 1/2 cup whole milk or breast milk
Lunch: 1 ounce roasted chicken minced; 1 tbsp of brown rice and 1-2 tbsp of black beans with minced tomatoes and 1/2 tsp olive oil; 1 to 2 tbsp cooked yellow peppers; 1/2 cup whole milk or breast milk; 1/2 banana
Snack: 1/2 slice whole wheat toast with 1 tsp of non-hydrogenated margarine; 4 ounces of frozen mango chunks defrosted; 1/2 cup whole Keifer milk
Dinner: 1 Tbsp serving of olives; rinse well & chop; 1 1/2 ounce chicken thigh minced; 1 to 2 tbsp mashed sweet potato mixed with 1 tbsp of sour cream or whole milk yogurt or mashed avocado; 1 to 2 tbsp of chopped green beans; 1/2 cup whole milk or breast milk

From http://simplekids.net/feeding-toddler-lunch-and-dinner/
Quesadillas – These are a fixture in our home for lunches and dinners. The girls love basic cheese quesadillas, but you can certainly power them up with proteins like chicken and beans. I often shred carrots on top of the cheese before I cook them to get some veggies in each bite. Did you know you can make sweet potato and black bean quesadillas? Yum! Quesadillas can be cut into thin slivers for younger toddlers. I have even diced them into bite-sized pieces to serve those who are lacking teeth.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – This is another favorite lunch option for us. Grilled cheese offers another chance to get some veggies in – try adding diced tomatoes on the inside or stacking a few sliced tomatoes on top and securing with a toothpick (obviously not intended for younger toddlers).

Peanut Noodles – Each of my peanut-butter-loving children love these noodles! They are fun and messy and you can add as many different vegetables as you have on hand. When I make these for dinner, I make a double batch so that we’ll have some for lunch the next day. They are very tasty served cold!

Pasta – The combination possibilities for pasta meals are vast! Whole wheat pasta spirals can be tossed with butter and diced zucchini. Throw some beans or sauteed tofu into a bowl of ravioli . Mix peas into your mac ‘n cheese. Variations on the pasta theme rarely disappoint.

Pitas and Tortillas – Sometimes a simple departure from the traditional is enough to entice a hesitant eater. Pita bread and tortillas can be used for roll-ups or pocket-type sandwiches filled with proteins and veggies. (Once again, just slice down to a manageable size for younger toddlers.)

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/index.htm

11 months 1 week and all is good

Olivia is doing great. Weight is climbing the growth charts and lab tests indicate no signs of anemia. She will be 1 soon so I plan to trial cows milk protein as most infants with non-IgE cows milk allergy out grow their allergy by age 1-3.
I discovered a new resource for food allergies, please see attached link.

6.5 Months Old - New Foods New Problems

So Olivia had not had a bloody diaper in since August of 2010. Now at 6 months old with the addition of table foods she had a + bloody diaper this AM.
The last foods we introduced were pear and apple.
In all she has had Rice cereal, pureed yams, pureed butternut squash, pureed green beans and pureed pear. We had just introduced apple and I was able to start adding dairy and soy back into my diet but..... we will have to see.

I have added a few more articles to the resource section so check that out too.

And the Verdict: Cows Milk Protein Allergy

I have added back essentially all foods I typically eat except soy and dairy. It is looking like Olivia has cows milk protein allergy. My biggest question is why it took 5 weeks of avoiding dairy (then soy) to see a result. I would encourage each mom to consider this and discuss their options with the Pediatrician. If the infant is growing well and proves to not be anemic (can have a blood test to know this) then completing a trial elimination for a few additional weeks may result in resolution.

A resource I added titled "Diagnosis and management of cows milk protein allergy in children" (http://adc.bmj.com/content/92/10/902.full.pdf) suggests avoidance of cows milk protein for up to 4 weeks if the infant has allergic colitis (in other words - blood in stool). The article also suggested other foods to avoid if having severe reactions without resolution.

Still A+ Okay.

It has been a few weeks and still no blood in Olivia's stools. Yeah! Slowly I have been adding foods back into my diet. I have still not eaten any dairy or soy. I have ventured into dining out but ask a million questions before I proceed with eating.
This link contains general information pertaining to questions to ask when dining out: http://foodallergies.about.com/od/livingwithfoodallergies/tp/restaurant.htm

Olivia continues to grow and is following her weight, height and head circumference growth chart nicely - a good sign all is going well.

Week 4: Getting by with a little help

I have not commented yet on the power of support that other mothers can provide when you are struggling to determine if breast feeding can continue while your infant's food allergy continues.
The support of many moms is what assisted in getting through 5 weeks of bloody diapers to now 2.5 weeks of no bloody stools.
Thank you Moms!
I encourage everyone to talk about what is going on with your little ones to other moms because their support and wisdom made the difference in my successful continuation of breastfeeding.



This week - I have added an article on food allergy and use of probiotics in the resource section: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9042042

It took 4 days after the cease of bloody stools and addition of probiotics for the mucus in her stools to cease. She is tolerating the primadophilus reuteri by Nature's Way quite well despite the statement on the bottle: "May contain trace soy and m

Week 3-4: The challenge

It has been about 2 weeks since Olivia has had a bloody stool. Yeah! So this week starts the challenge.
When completing an elimination diet it is recommended that you challenge the food for 3 days before moving on to the next food. If symptoms arise you must cease intake of the food and wait for symptoms to clear.
I decided to start with eggs because I really miss eating breakfast out with friends. I can always order fresh fruit and poached egg (poached to avoid the potential butter used in a pan) but just fruit and tea is currently unacceptable.
Which foods you start with really differs with each practitioner. I like to start with foods you suspect are not a problem to allow easy addition of foods every 3 days.

The challenge plan:
Aug 22nd: Egg
Aug 25th: Tomato
Aug 28th: Almonds
then black beans, peaches, citrus, corn, peanuts, shellfish, quinoa every 3 days.

I will likely (unless recommended otherwise by her doctor/s) not reintroduce to my diet soy and dairy until she is at least 6 months old as this is very likely the source of her allergy.
I am also not challenging gluten foods due to my own intolerance....I have not eaten gluten in over 5 years.