Whether your toddler is allergic or has a specific diet for lifestyle or religious reasons, it is perfectly possible to present healthy, balanced meals. As long as you know where the potential nutritional shortfalls may be, you’ll have the knowledge you need to substitute from a cornucopia of goodies.
| Q: | What grains are a good addition to a vegan diet? |
| A: | The key is to provide variety, so the greater the number of grains you manage to include in your toddler’s diet, the more nutrients he will be getting. Good choices are quinoa, |
| Q: | What can I use instead of eggs in my allergic toddler’s diet? |
| A: | Eggs are a good source of protein, and contain mainly vitamins A, D, and E. While eggs are not essential, you will need to ensure that your toddler gets protein from other sources, such as pulses, whole grains, meat and fish, seeds, soy, and dairy products. Although nuts are a If you are baking, |
| Q: | How can I incorporate pulses into my toddler’s vegetarian diet? |
| A: | On their own, most pulses are fairly bland, which makes them ideal for adding to almost any dish. A handful of cooked lentils, chickpeas, butter beans, kidney beans, or soy beans can be added to pasta dishes, vegetables bakes, and casseroles. They can often form the basis of meals, too, as in the Vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe, which uses lentils instead of meat. Chickpeas can be added to couscous for a cold or hot main meal, along with chopped onions, feta cheese, and some diced tomatoes. Purée chickpeas or even butter beans with some tahini, lemon juice, and garlic to make a healthy hummus to spread on toast. Try mashing butter beans with a little vegetarian stock as an alternative to mashed potatoes. |
Quinoa quota
One of the very best
foods you can offer a vegan toddler is quinoa. This looks like a grain
but is, in fact, a seed. It is rich in essential fatty acids, protein,
iron, fiber, and antioxidants. It can be used in much the same way as
couscous, or can be added to soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes, and
risottos.
Culinary adventures
Having a child with
special dietary needs may force you to become a little more creative in
your cooking, and to experiment with foods with which you may not be
familiar. However, in the long run, your whole family will benefit from
the wealth of new ingredients you explore, and will undoubtedly become
more adventurous eaters, as a result.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Lentils are a good source of protein and iron for vegetarians, and green lentils in a tomato sauce makes a savory and satisfying filling for these little potato-topped pies.
10 minutes
1 hour 35 minutes
NOTE
4–6 small pies
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 red onion, finely chopped
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1 carrot, peeled and grated
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1 garlic clove, crushed
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3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed
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14oz can crushed tomatoes
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21/2 cups vegetable stock
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2/3 cup water
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2 tbsp tomato paste
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1 tbsp soy sauce
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1 tbsp light brown sugar
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Freshly ground black pepper
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1/3 cup frozen green peas (optional)
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Topping
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Heat the oil in a large
saucepan and sauté the onions and carrots until softened and lightly
browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils,
tomatoes, stock, water, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a
boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the
lentils are tender, about 1 hour. -
Season the lentils to
taste with pepper and stir in the peas, if using. Divide among four to
six ramekins or other small baking dishes. Spread the mashed potatoes
over the lentils and mark ridges with a fork. Cool, then refrigerate.
Or, cover with plastic wrap and freeze; thaw overnight in the
refrigerator when needed.