The idea for this post came from a birthday party we attended over the weekend. The birthday girls family were very thoughtful towards my daughter in their planning and purchased a small cheese-less pizza and a vegan cupcake for her. When getting the pizza, they asked what she would like for a topping and I answered with her favorites: Canadian Bacon and Olives.
Well, at the party I had several parents question the cheese-less pizza and I would explain to them the reason. I'm sure you are all used to that. But then something else happened, they were extremely surprised at her liking canadian bacon and olives. The other parents seemed to think this was a "sophisticated" taste. ??? right? This idea surprised me.
The fact is, when people find out that my daughter is allergic to dairy, they always wonder what she eats. This is, I gather, because the average 3 year old eats a LOT of dairy. Cheese, yogurt and cow milk are the top three things every child I know eats. A few fruits and vegetables, sure; meat, maybe.
So here is a typical lunch for my dairy-free kid.
Edamame, carrots, applesauce and a super cookie. Other possibilities: watermelon, dairy free chicken nuggets, apples, sandwiches on dairy free bread, beans, rice. You name it really. There is just so much available, isn't this what other kids eat? Even if my child weren't allergic to dairy, I'd like to think the above is more common than just dairy items.
Your thoughts?
