My toddler just diagnosed with multiple food allergies - help! page

[Mummy_]

So I have been Primal/Paleo for nearly a month now...I feel great and naturally I want my family to feel well too.

My husband and I knew he had major food allergies. Our son has the following allergies (diagnosed today) : peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, chocolate , wheat, corn, beef, pork.

How would you feed him? I was planning on switching him to Primal over a slow increment of time so he gets used to the new WOE but now I want to do it immediately. The beef and pork allergies concern me.

He likes chicken...and fruit.. not much else. I am working on giving him sweet potatoes this week. Can every meal be based around chicken? I am a little lost and need help.

We are getting a more comprehensive panel done soon. He eats half healthy/fresh and half junk currently (pre-diagnosis) . He drinks water with some milk... I am breastfeeding his newborn sister and I give him some breastmilk on occasion. We will be getting goats milk for him as well albeit pasteurized. We are stopping all allergens cold turkey.

Could his egg, beef, and pork allergies get better if we heal his leaky gut? I assume this is the cause of the allergies.

[Sabine]

Okay, you say toddler, so I am working on a guess of two years. At that age, there is still a vast field of food to try, so I wouldn't worry about him just liking only chicken and fruit- just keep offering other things for him to taste over and over, and he will expand his palate.

And I would go cold-turkey, no gradual switch over. That should be easy at his age, especially as he already likes chicken and fruit. That can be a good base as he learns to like more things.

If he likes chicken, start adding in other kinds of poultry: turkey, duck, goose. Asian markets are a great resource for this.
Also, don't forget the less common(to America) meats: lamb, rabbit, goat. Hey, even some ostrich if you can find it.

Try the vegetables in all the different preparations: cooked different ways, raw, cut different ways, with sauces. Lots of times it can be a texture, and not a taste that puts people off.

His allergies could very well change, but it seems like they are very workable, especially with a primal diet. Peanuts, soy, corn, and wheat are no-nos for that. Beef, pork, eggs, milk, and chocolate are sad, but not insurmountable.

Sweet potatoes, yay! All the way. And kids usually love them. Again, try in different ways. Also, avocados are usually a favorite.

Oh, and goat's milk. Is it just cow's milk he has problems with? Goat's milk might be worth trying. Fresh would be great, but you can get it canned just about everywhere. And of course, coconut milk. That stuff is heaven!

Hope some of these ideas are helpful, or at least reassuring. Good luck.

[Sabine]

And fish, don't forget fish!

[orielwen]

Up the breastmilk if you can. It's incredibly good for him. You may need to steer clear of cow dairy yourself while doing so.

Agree with trying other poultry. Duck and goose are lovely and fatty. Also, lamb and mutton. (Why do people not eat lamb in the US?)

Don't pressure him into eating, just provide him with food and don't make a big fuss either way. He might be more likely to try things if he doesn't feel pressured. Though I suspect his food limitations are a result of his experience feeling grotty after so many meals (containing things he was allergic to).

[Penady]

My best friend's son has almost the exact same allergies (add in Bluegrass, which is planted in their yard). He was really fussy as a baby and just never felt well. After he was diagnosed with allergies, they struggled a little with what to feed him. Now he eats a lot of free range chicken and game meat. Fortunately for them they live in rural Missouri, so her husband can go out and hunt for a lot of their meat. Basically whatever is in season...deer, turkey, rabbits. If you can't do the same, you might want to see if there are local butcher shops where you can purchase game meats. Just a suggestion.

[Mummy_]

I should have mentioned that we are on an extreme budget right now, so unfortunately nothing pricey - i would give everything for him to have lamb and rabbit - we use food stamps. I was so sick pre-paleo... I have PTSD, PCOS, Fybromyalgia and an undiagnosed auto-immune disease. Over the past two years I've tried to eat Raw Vegan (not sustainable ) and Convential gluten free foods - yuck. So trying to pull our lives out of the gutter. We live in Kentucky right now.. there are not a lot of options for us currently beyond Kroger...

When we move we are planning on small scale farming (goats, rabbit) and hunting with family and will have a ton of options.

He is two, almost 3

I started paleo for him and his sister....I am so sick right now and I had to watch my mom and dad slowly die in front of me at the age 54. I lost everything and I don't want my kids to suffer like I did. We are all allergic to wheat... I vomit and my stomach burns when I drink a beer. The doctors we see never want to run tests.

Sorry if my sentences are odd - using on-screen keyboard because my son ripped up my keys lol

ETA: Thanks for all of the advice! I think we have a good idea of what to do! I am planning to try to get him to nurse again and if not then get him to drink fresh expressed breastmilk. I can't store my milk or it tastes soapy... I have a lipase "storage disorder". So I don't know. We just found out we can't get the goats milk through wic.

[jkr]

What types of allergies are these? IgE (swelling, etc.) or IgG (stuffy nose, behavior issues, etc.) ?

I used the GAPS diet to heal my IgG allergies with lots of success, as have many of my friends.

[Sabine]

Our chain grocery store(Tom Thumb/Safeways/Randalls) regularly discounts meats that must be sold that day by 30-50%. Check with your Kroger to see if they do something similar. It usually happens at a particular time of day, so you may have to change your shopping schedule, but it is so worth it. Today I got lamb chops for $2.99/lb, which is a deal for our area.
And if you have local butchers who dress game, you can see if they can connect you with hunter who might not want all their meat, and would be happy to come to some unofficial sharing/trade.
And, really thinking outside the box, some National Parks allow children to fish without a license- check the rules in your area. Maybe he could catch his own dinners, if you live close enough to one.

[noodletoy]

am wondering if the corn and soy issues are simply exacerbated by him eating cafo meats, since the animals are fed soy and corn?

canned wild salmon and tuna would be ok for him every once in a while if he'll eat them. you can dress them just with olive oil and mustard instead of mayo.

offer veggies cooked different ways and sometimes cutting them into shapes makes kids curious. he's big enough to "dip" raw or lightly steamed veggies. you can give him hummus or any kind of roasted root veg that you puree with some oil, coconut milk or stock.

i'd also try to get your whole family going on bone broth. you can float some veggies in there and bits of meat or seaweed to make them more like a meal.

these paleo family blogs may help you too:


Paleo Parents

Everyday Paleo from Sarah Fragoso - Paleo Recipes and Paleo Talk Podcast

Our Little Paleo Family