MSPI Mommies, what do your infants actually EAT?

[*Liz*]

Oh, I've just had a look at mine, and no oats!! Or Soy! You can also get the rice cakes in a blueberry flavour.

I'm getting mine in a bigish tescos.

I agree they look so cute eating finger food - makes then look like little mini grown ups (for like 2 mins until they become a baby again!).

I'll send you some to try it you like? Its a nightmare trying to find food for these sensitive tummies!

[Mashi]

Aw that's really sweet of you, but I will have DH look in Tesco on the weekend, he goes to one of the massive ones (so he can do the shopping at 530 am when it's empty!) I just got the apple ones when I was in our local co-op as that's where I spotted them, and the ones I saw yesterday were in one of those little bakery/deli type shops on a high street that sells little jams and posh teas and things, so I haven't exhausted the search yet!  But what a sweet offer - if I get desperate I'll let you know 

[Peek-a-boo]

Mashimaro--I make my LO pancakes from millet, which is a gluten-free very non-allergenic traditional grain.  I use the recipe outlined at this link: 
http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/breakfasts/blenderbatterwaffles/blenderbatterwafflesA.htm

I use all millet rather than 2 grains as suggested.   I use rice milk + vinegar for the liquid.  For the egg, I use a a product called Ener G egg replacer that is marketed to vegans and those with egg allergies.  I have mixed feelings about using this, but do for now as I feel like it's a less allergenic option than egg.  Here's a link that describes it and lists the ingredients:  http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/breakfasts/blenderbatterwaffles/blenderbatterwafflesA.htm

I've also made millet porridge. 

Something I just recently was excited to find is cultured coconut milk (aka dairy free, soy free, coconut milk "yogurt").  Here are two link that describe it.  The second link lists ingredients and has the nutritional break down. 
http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/coconut_yogurt.html
http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=DA141

It has a little more sugar than I'd like and it's pretty spendy, but it tastses GREAT!  DD loves it.   It tastes just like yogurt to me with only a hint of coconut taste in the back ground (we got the raspberry flavor).  I don't know about it's availability outside of the US though.

[Peek-a-boo]

Oh, I also make the "famous sausage recipe" posted on the baby food recipe board but substituted some cooked millet for the bread slices.   

[Mashi]

Oh Bethany that's fab - I was just reading my Annabel Karmel recipe book (where that sausage recipe is from) and was gutted that I couldn't make it without the bread! Thanks for the idea!

[rachel 2009]

Hi my lo is MSPI and i can really empathise with you... I feel just the same way. In fact i have just started adding rice milk to some foods after reading tips from this board.  He was having frequent loose stools..i think from all the fruit and veg. Anyway he has been having weetabix for breakfast since he was 6 months...i use to make it up with boiled water as he hates it with pregestimil...now i have been adding rice milk to it..some days i add banana..i found some super porridge by Plum ( i got it in boots) that has no diary in it that i am gonna try with the rice milk. Mash potato is another one that he likes...as for cooking i don't really do that much apart from spag bol he has it with the baby pasta and there is a Annabel Karmel recipe that he loves braised beef with sweet potato it has fresh orange juice in it which makes it rather tasty. I don't know which formula your LO is on but i rang cow and gate about there baby rice to see if it was suitable (some contain milk) and they sent me a free little recipe book with milk free alternatives in it..gonna start making some of them with the rice milk as the pregestimil doesn't seem to go that well in cooking (its got quite a strong taste...almost cheesy yuk!) Cow and Gate also sent me a list of all there products and there ingredients so i could easily see which were suitable...made it easier. I must admit that i usually just buy the same jars usually hipp organic as i find that quite a lot of there's don't contain milk where as the others are a bit limited on the milk free front....hope this helps a little.

[MLK]

Mashimaro, you could make the sausage recipe with rice flour instead of bread, or some other grain if you think rice is constipating. I've used cooked quinoa in recipes instead of bread and it works OK.

I only tried the sausage recipe once - M absolutely HATED it, so it was too much trouble to try again!

Rachel - I often use a mix of coconut milk added to either rice milk or water to replace cow's milk in recipes - it seems to work OK. We get the loose stools here too!

[rachel 2009]

Cheers Lan

gonna get some coconut milk next time i do a shop...which sort do you use?.... do you just mix half and half?.... He hasn't had too many loose stools since using the rice milk... which is good....it gives me much more variety of things to cook with...i thought it would taste awful...but its quite nice...thanks for your advice

[MLK]

Rachel, I am in Australia, where are you? I usually use the Ayam brand because it has no preservatives or other additives. I use the canned stuff, you need to be careful of the powdered coconut milk, sometimes it has milk powder in it!!!!  As for mixing, I don't usually measure it, but I usually add 2-3 tablespoons to a cup of rice milk in recipes , so it has the consistency of milk. It depends on the brand of coconut milk really - some are more dilute than others. The Ayam brand is really thick, if yours is watery you could add more coconut milk to the mixture.

[birdie]

At the time we were trying to find food options for DS, he was milk/soy/wheat-free. That being said, I could only find 3 premade baby "meals" that he could eat. So I had to get creative.

DS ate a lot of homemade stew at that age. I would make a large pot as needed an freeze it in 1/2 cup portions until he was ready for larger servings. I would throw in stewed tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatos, chicken and whatever else sounded good. Different batches have had different things including black beans, kidney beans (which he did not like), corn, homeny, etc.

DS LOVED the stew. After he tolerated that, I found a recipe in a baby cookbook that had mushrooms, potatoes, and spinach. DS also loved it.