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This spring we put our preschooler on a strict, allergen-free diet in order to test for any possible food allergies or sensitivities. We eliminated – among other things – gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, corn, tomatoes, citrus, honey, and bananas. It was very hard to prepare kid-friendly allergene-free foods.
It was during those very looong weeks that I came to appreciate what a difficult job it can be to care for children with allergies. Because while there are many more products available these days, it only further narrows the field that is often already limited by a child who is a picky eater. For example, while vegetables were relatively unlimited on this diet, our son will only rarely eat them except, for example, in spaghetti sauce…which we couldn’t use because he wasn’t supposed to have tomatoes.
And if there are multiple allergies, the difficulty increases exponentially. For example, there is exactly one brand of “cheese” available that does not use either soy or nuts, most GF breads use corn or soy, and it is just really difficult to make good tortillas without gluten or corn.
My husband is from Costa Rica, so we eat a lot of rice and beans. Luckily these were both still on our menu, along with other favorites like potatoes and chicken. Still, most of my son’s favorite foods (burritos, fish sticks, grilled cheese, ice cream) were not.
Yet, we made it through, and we even found dishes that we still enjoy, even after the restrictions were lifted. This is a typical week from that time. You can find more ideas on my Elimination Diet Pinterest Board.
***Please note: The ideas below are only suggestions. A diet of this type, particularly for children, should only be followed under the supervision of a nutritionist or other healthcare professional.
Monday
Breakfast: GF oatmeal pancakes
Snack: Sliced apple
Lunch: Macaroni and “cheese” made with rice pasta, rice milk, protein powder, and fake cheese
Snack: Sweet potato muffins (I substituted GF flour, GF oatmeal, coconut milk, and ground flaxseed)
Dinner: Oven potatoes and “magic” rice (brown rice made with red lentils)
Tuesday
Breakfast: Sweet potato muffins
Snack: Berries
Lunch: Garbanzo mashed potatoes
Snack: Rice crackers
Treat: Store bought coconut “ice cream”
Dinner: Chicken fingers (coat the chicken pieces in potato starch and spices, then fry in coconut oil or olive oil) and rice
Wednesday
Breakfast: Crispix with rice milk
Snack: Oatmeal on the go bars
Lunch: Refried black beans with garbanzo “tortillas”
Snack: Coconut & greens popsicle (I left out the bananas)
Dinner: Kidney bean burgers (I substituted mustard) and rice
Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with sugar and berries
Snack: Coconut yogurt
Lunch: Moroccan “french fries” (I also mix in mashed sweet potatoes) and rice
Snack: Coconut & greens popsicle
Dinner: Magic rice and oven potatoes
Friday
Breakfast: Crispix with rice milk
Snack: Berries
Lunch: Macaroni and “cheese”
Snack: Rice crackers
Treat: GF chocolate chip cookies
Dinner: Chicken fingers and rice
by 
Leanna
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I am sorry to hear your son has food allergies!
I like your meal planning and I think it is really great and easy!
Thank you! And luckily, it turned out that he doesn’t have any allergies. We went through the allergen-free diet for several weeks, though, which is where you remove all potential allergens for a time, then slowly introduce them one by one to see how he reacts. Thankfully he didn’t, but it’s a good way to find out.
What a great inclusion for a post – my sister needs to be GF and her son is allergic to dairy, and that is a challenge – imagine eliminating as much as you did! This is a great list for those dealing with food sensitivities!
Thank you! Yes, any allergies are difficult, but managing multiple food sensitivities is a real challenge. My hat is off to your sister!