Egg allergy? What does your child eat?

Kayla - posted on 07/11/2010

try giving him what mommy eats, my son didnt have a good appetite until i started giving him the same foods my husband and i ate at every meal... we started his 2 weeks ago and now he eats all of his meals and has asked for more... make sure that you eat a balanced diet so that hell do the same! i think my son (22months) was bored with his foods... ie chicken nuggets, fries, hotdogs.... now that he sits with mommy and daddy eatting the same foods he sees on our plates i have him eatting steak and asparagus! he looooves rices and has even tried peas again!

Meryl - posted on 07/09/2010

First I'd talk to your doctor about your childs weight/nutritional needs. If your doctor doesn't think they're at risk, don't worry. Ask about iron supplements if your child doesn't like meat (like my daughter).

I've never heard of a toddler deliberately starving themselves to death. Most children will, if only offered certain things, eat those things eventually. Food is the first battleground where children will fight for control and you need to maintain that you're the one in charge. Give them healthy choices and if they don't eat them, so be it...don't give in and offer junk just because you're worried they're not eating.

In terms of ways to sneak in food...have you tried smoothies? Get yourself a good blender and or juicer and make the fruits AND veggies into drinks. My little girl loves them! You can add tofu in moderation to these as well, just make sure it's organic so you don't run afoul of the possible hormone problems inorganic tofu is purported to cause (http://www.janethull.com/newsletter/0605...).

The bottom line is that this is most likely a phase. If you give in and provide junk food just to get your child to eat, they will grow up expecting junk food. If you continue to offer your child a healthy diet, that is what they will become accustomed to.

Jennifer - posted on 07/09/2010

My daughter is 21 months too, and she has basically the same menu. She's also allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant. It's hard to find things that are good for her that she'll eat. She also says no to new things, but I just keep trying and about the 4th time, she'll eat it. Good luck.

Victoria - posted on 07/09/2010

Hi, I have been dealing with feeding issues since my son was 6 months old. I have spent the past almost year trying to get to the bottom of his eating issues. He gets feeding therapy but we just had an endoscopy and it came back that he has esophagitis which is a swelling/irritation of the esophagus and related to allergies. Esophagitis makes it very difficult to swallow and sometimes digest. We are starting on meds (last resort) and going to see an allergist. Hopefully with this info there's light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck!

Laura - posted on 07/09/2010

My son is also allergic to eggs and peanuts. After much searching, I found a cookbook called The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal and now my whole family eats the same meal - love all the recipes I tried. There is an egg replacer "ener-g" that we use to subsititute and we also eat sun butter - sunflower seed butter which he loves. Please let me know if you would like more information - my son is almost 5 now and we have been through that early stage of not knowing what to feed him - hope this helps!

Kell - posted on 07/09/2010

I have to admit that, although Xan's not eating much at the moment, when he does, he'll eat pretty much anything. He even likes spinach and broccoli if they're in with mashed postatoes - LOL! I cook pretty much everything from scratch too, so he rarely gets things like chicken nuggets unless I've made them myself (in which case they're baked rather than fried). I highly recommend making your own if that's the only way your LO will eat chicken - they taste SO much better and are healthier too, as they're actual chunks of chicken, rather than reconstituted cr@p.

Haruko - posted on 07/09/2010

Luckily my child eats mostly anything but he certainly has become harder with the famous words "No".
My son is also allergic to eggs/nuts. I give him tofu, beans (kidney beans, garbanzo beans -- try the baked beans, that's always a hit), soybeans, etc.
For chicken, I'd recommend rather than fried chicken or chicken nuggets, at trader joe's they have already cooked chicken breasts - or you can make them at home yourself (just cook chicken breasts in chicken broth for flavor).
For veggies, I cook most of my veggies in chicken broth for flavor and he'll eat them. Sweet potatoes steamed is also a big hit. Or you can always cut them up like fries and bake them for a healthier option.

Good luck!

Kell - posted on 07/08/2010

Xan's going througha snacky phase at the moment too (also 21 months - perhaps it's just that age?). He'll happily eat crackers, dried fruit and toast, would love to eat biscuits and crisps all the time (he only gets those occasionally though) and only picks at things like sandwiches (although he'll happily eat the filling out of them - LOL!), and when it gets to be dinner time, it's hit and miss as to whether he'll eat much of anything (unless it's beans - he loves those!).

Karen - posted on 07/08/2010

try making fish with cheese on it. Or pasta with a home made cheese sauce and you can put some meat in it. is he allergic to all nuts? You can make him almond butter and jam. Thats what i di for my son is has so many food allergies. Good luck and keep on trying.

LaDonna - posted on 07/08/2010

My daughter is also 21 months old and has egg, dairy, nut, potato (!) and soy allergies. Fortunately she hasn't been tremendously picky about what I give to her. I'm forever struggling trying to give her variation (as I've been told that I should only be giving her wheat, rice and pork once every 3-4 days). Have you ever seen/used nutritional yeast? I was looking for sauce recipes that might seem cheesy and read about it on a vegan web site. I've used it now and I think it might be possible to disguise it by sprinkling a bit in toast with jam or in yogurt. It's very good for you--if I remember 2 T contain 26% of the daily recommendation of protein for an adult. Maybe a possibility? Good luck!

Sonia - posted on 07/07/2010

what about tofu?? thats a great source of protein! My daughter is picky too but no so much anymore cauz i give her, her meal if she doesnt eat it she doesnt get anything until snack time. i tell ya it didnt last long she started eating what i put in front of her!

Chanda - posted on 07/07/2010

My son is 23 months and doesn't seem to want to eat any meat at all. He loves fried rice so I will chop up chicken pretty small and mix it with the rice and he eats it that way. I also will add baked fish to rice. He also likes spaggeti so I make a hamburger meat sauce and he at least gets some meats in that way. I think its all about mixing it with something else.

Lindsay - posted on 07/07/2010

My daughter was also an amazing eater and now she is VERY picky! I have found if you can find the fruit or veggie in freeze dried form she will eat it. So go to Trader Joes and Whole Foods and get her freeze dried peas, mango, bananas and strawberries. It's like she thinks there crackers! None of those foods she will eat in fresh form - well, she used too! She will eat pasta so I get the Barilla Plus which is loaded with protein. She loves yogurt so she gets the Stoneyfield drinkables and Yo Kids/Baby yogurt. I don't give her food with high fructose corn syrup so no nutri grain bars but she does eat the whole foods and trader joe's versions of them made with sugar instead of the corn syrup. Due to my peanut allergy she can't have peanut butter yet.

Ali - posted on 07/07/2010

My son loves chilli with rice. Have you tried that. I have not tried it with baked beans myself but friends have and say it makes a great alternative to tomatoes. Worth a try! My son was a bit funny so started have a tiny bit myself of what I was giving him in his bowl and because I was eating it he did. Also I would give him a spoon to hold and then feed him with another. Good luck!

Brooke - posted on 07/07/2010

My son is 22 months old and has milk, egg, AND nut allergies among other food allergies. I have the same issues with him. I am not a fish eater so I never tried him on fish until recently.. Now fish is his #1 source of protein. He will eat grilled white fish, fish sticks, tuna.. Try it if you haven't already! Every little one is different. As long as yours is still at a healthy growth rate, he should be fine. I let my little one snack quite a bit as well but 2 hours before dinner I stop all the snacking so he will be more willing (and hungry) to try his dinner. Also, when I feed him things like chicken nuggets and fries, I try feeding him only the chicken first.. then he gets fries after he has eaten some of the chicken. Sometimes if you take away the options they are more willing to try the one option they have at the time. Hope this helps!

Jodi - posted on 07/07/2010

The hardest thing as intelligent, sensitive mums is knowing WHAT you want to feed your children to give them the best diet and nutrients, but not being able to for reasons of your child's individual funny little ways/preferences/allergies etc. It's very frustrating.
My advice would also include dipping (strawberries/apples dipped in yoghurt or other fruit puree) and pasta (wrapped in almost any type of sauce). I can (almost) rely on just about anything mixed in pasta or a noodle. He loves the texture and especially sucking up spaghetti. (Sorry if neither of those work for you).
My 21 m/o goes through his stages. One month, he'll eat 2 portions of everything, then for 1 month he'll eat what seems like nothing! But as long as he continues to run, play, learn, be responsive and loving I cross my fingers that when he's able to communicate better we can negotiate some more consistent eating patterns.
Keep up the good work Mums, as long as you keep trying different things and try to hold on to your patience (as hard as that can be!) it sounds like you're all very attentive and doing a great job.

April - posted on 07/06/2010

Mine is also very picky with food and is allergic to beef (even from food extracts) and nuts. He refuses all bread & cakes and I am also at a loss on what to feed him especially for breakfasts. The only breakfast he would eat a little of are eggs, yoghurt & fish balls. Even then,he tire of a food quickly and I have to crack my head for an altenative!

Let's hope this is just a phase. His Pediatrician advice me to give him more of whatever he wants to eat, continue his milk feeds & give him multivitamin as a supplement.

Suzanne - posted on 07/06/2010

I feel your pain. My son is the exact same at 21 months. He won't let me feed him anything and has a very limited diet. But he can have nuts thankfully so he lives on bread w/peanut butter, cheese or cream cheese. I feel terrible. But I just keep offering things and once in a while he suprises me and eat it. he actually like spicy meats like salami or pesto ham, maybe try some luncheon meats like that.

Erika - posted on 07/06/2010

I'm heading to the grocery store in a bit - going to try hummus (if it doesn't have fava beans in it, I'm not sure, Cole also has G6PD deficiency and can't have fava beans!). Also going to try some black beans. I like to saute onion and garlic and red pepper and cook the beans in that and serve them as a side to a meal so I'll try them on him. Just going to keep trying. I remember reading something that said you have to offer a kid something 15 to 20 times before he'll try it. So I just need to keep trying!

Joanne - posted on 07/06/2010

Yes Dyl will eat yogurt and he likes cheese and milk...I just don't feel like those are sufficient sources of protien. I have tried (just for the sake of him trying it) telling him it is something he likes..but he always looks at me with that "do ya think I am stupid mom?" look..I tried chick peas the other day..wouldn't touch them..and dips, sauces and dressings do absolutely nothing..infact I think it repels him even more because it makes his hands yucky..which he doesn't seem to like. Dyl won't eat pasta either.
It is just strange that some kids will try anything..and some will pass judgment before they've even tried it.
Dyl goes to daycare and is always watching the other kids but he doesn't follow there lead..in fact he is grateful when another child reaches over and takes the food off of his table so he doesn't have to eat it.
I will look into that booster.
and I will give hummus and pita a try...although I have a sneaking suspicion that he will mistake it for the peanut butter sandwich that he refuses to touch
thanks for all the advice

Michelle - posted on 07/06/2010

My boys aren't to picky but I had a suggestion any way. If there is a food they won't eat I give them dip. It doesn't really matter to them what the dip is they just like to dip. With french toast (I know that is out for the ones with egg allergies) We use yogurt or unsweetened apple sauce. For veggies we use salad dressing and of course for meat they always want ketchup. The other thing we have found is that our youngest will eat meat better if it is ground up. So we just put the meat into our magic bullet for a few seconds and he loves it but if we just give it to him sliced up small he won't eat it. He seems to have an issue with the texture or the chewing or something. Oh and my 2 1/2 year old will only eat veggies if he picks them. I just give him a choice of 2 or 3 veggies and then have him put them in the pot or whatever and then a dinner we make a big deal about the veggies HE made and he loves it.

Good luck.

Vikki - posted on 07/06/2010

My 21 mth old son is also allergic to nuts and eggs so I am always looking for new safe ways to supplement his diet that he can do himself. He won't be fed at all. I have introduced lots of legumes into just about any meal we have. He quite likes chick peas and really likes dipping tortilla bread into hummous. Plus he will eat ham some days. His favourite food by far tho is penne pasta so i try to make meat and bean sauces that will stick to that for him. He likes sticking his fingers in the pasta and waving it around, but some of the other bits get eaten too. Good luck :-)

Marni - posted on 07/05/2010

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. STARTED TO GIVE MY LITTLE MAN ZINPLEX. ITS A BOOSTER BUT HELPS WITH HIS EATING HABITS. IT REALLY WORKS. TRY IT!!!

Jamie - posted on 07/05/2010

I have the same problem. My son is 22 months. he used to be such a good eater then as of like 13 months he wont eat ANYTHING. it used to be wud eat hotdogs n nuggets thats it now he wont even do that most of the time. Now if there is even a veggi on his tray everything go to the floor (ive found an awesome new mop tho :) ). My peditrian told me that it completely normal and amazingly kids do find on just the cheerios they find in the couch so not to be super concerned. Varriety is probably the key. I also now, from being a nanny, that if i get other kids, mostly older ones, to eat something im trying to give him he will eat it without a problem. Even things hes tried before and didnt like he will LOVE when the other kids are eating... so mayb try a few play dates with a better eater. Dont even offer it to him until he watches the other/s eat it. Cause their smart they catch on to you eating just to make them eat it.

Katrin - posted on 07/05/2010

Yogurt is a good source of protein, so make sure he keeps eating that. My DD seems to like smokey foods, she will devour smoked salmon, and smoked turkey cold cuts. She also really loves beans, so she eats a lot of hummus or black bean quesadillas for protein. One "trick" that works sometime is rather than trying to convince her to try something new, I just tell her it is something she likes. For example, she loves pizza, so the first several times she had quesadillas, I just said, "Do you want some pizza?" She falls for it enough to try it, and then at least decide if she likes something or not, then I can introduce the actual name of it later. Good luck, my DD is pretty picky to, so I'll be looking for other suggestions as well!

Joanne - posted on 07/05/2010

Ha..well I wish my child would eat bread ...or peas which closely resemble edamane...believe me I am one for more natural sources of protein...I am pretty sure you are very lucky to have a child that will try anything you put in front of them.
those who don't have an issue like ours need not reply.. and clearly you didn't read the issues I am having...because believe me my child would be eating nothing but healthy foods if he would put them in his mouth or let me put them in his mouth.
thanks
anyways

Christel - posted on 07/05/2010

Personally I would be more concerned with healthy protein options than the fact that it is "chicken". Highly processed meats that are the shape of french fries sounds mighty suspicious and is likely filled with additives, preservatives, and junk not to mention the antibiotics and steroids the chickens themselves were injected with. Try Arnold brand bread, they make a "Double Protein" variety that is great and also you can use protein powders (whey protein) and mix it in juice if you are really worried. Soybeans (edamame) is a nice snack for a child that age, too.

Alison - posted on 07/05/2010

Going through the same thing here too!!! My son is 23 months and he has been the same way for months!!!! We have tried everything and Erika, he is just like your little guy!!! He snacks just fine and we make snacks as healthy as we can and he LOVES Nutri Grain bars. Chicken nuggets were our sure thing and now they are hit and miss (mostly miss). He won't try new things really either and I have to force things into his mouth sometimes so that he can at least get a taste to see if he likes it or not. I am glad to hear that other moms are going through the same thing. My 4 year old daughter was never like this so I don't understand this. I have thought about getting him on Pediasure to replace some of the nutrients. Recently I have been able to get him to eat peanut butter between two graham crackers and it has been pretty popular with him. Hope to hear more from you guys as you get your kiddos to eat more.

Erika - posted on 06/30/2010

If I have any breakthroughs, I will let you know. We've started giving him Pediasure and Boost as a backup, but I try to let him fill up on snacks throughout the day and I feel terrible about it. He likes cereal bars though (NutriGrain and Gerber). You're right, it is good to know someone else is going through this, because all I keep doing is asking myself "what am I doing wrong?"

Joanne - posted on 06/30/2010

I have the same problem..and all I want is for my son (21m) to have a well balanced diet. He won't even touch food before he dismisses it....

One day I offered my guy chicken nuggets and french fries..well he picked up the nugget and through it on the floor but he ate the french fries..a gave him fries periodically for a couple of weeks...then I found chicken strips that were very close to the size and shape of french fries and he ate them and still eats them. He still wont eat any other form of chicken..but you can try that. I notice that slowly like once every 1-2 months he will try a new food..but he still does't eat a lot of food that most kids eat..like bread/toast..I am just hoping that one day he will at least taste something before deciding he doesn't like it
and I can't personally hand feed him anything (not even spoon feed)..his mouth is clenched shut..
keep in touch it is nice to know someone else who is going through the same thing