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Food Allergy Living is a resource for parents of children with food allergies, brought to you by Nutricia, the makers of Neocate. For more in-depth information about our purpose & authors, see our About Food Allergy Living page.

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Flavor Packets

Posted 7.28.11 | Rob McCandlish, RD

Nutricia Flavor Packets Graphic
If you’ve ever tried to prepare a meal for a picky eater, you know that the process can be a handful. But what do you do when your little one has a very limited diet and they do not find the things they can eat appetizing? That’s just one of the many things we here at Nutricia have in mind, so we try to offer as many options to our customers as possible. Our goal is to make meal time as stress-free as possible for a diet that is difficult, but necessary. One of the easiest solutions we offer is our Flavor Packets.

What makes our Flavor Packets so great? They come in 3 flavors (cherry-vanilla, grapefruit and lemon-lime) that are different from the Neocate Junior and Splash flavors. Each packet adds only about 15 calories and contains no protein, making them perfect for an elemental diet. This gives more variety to a formula-based diet for children over one year.

The best feature of the Flavor Packets is that you can use as little or as much as needed to match your child’s flavor preference. For instance, some children who start using Neocate Infant at a young age and then transition to unflavored Neocate Junior make the switch with no problem. However, as they get older and experience new tastes (like fruit juice) they may not like the taste of an unflavored elemental formula as much. But it’s also possible to find one of our flavored formulas a bit overpowering. In this case, you can add just enough flavor to help mask the taste of the amino acids, but not so much that the flavor or sweetness is overwhelming.

Not sure how much of a flavor packet to use? Each flavor packet is designed to mix with about sixteen ounces (or two cups) of prepared formula. For a child who is accustomed to unflavored formula, a good suggestion might be to start out at half-strength and see what they think. If your child is old enough, you could set up a blind taste test “experiment” for them with a few different concentrations and flavors to see what they like best and make the experience more fun! Also, for children over a year old you can use Flavor Packets with Neocate Nutra. We suggest experimenting to see how much flavor is right and a good place to start might be ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon per serving of Nutra.

Have you found the Flavor Packets to be helpful with keeping your little one interested in their elemental formula? Let us know in the comments section below.

- Rob


Festive Allergy-Friendly Holiday Recipes

Posted 12.22.11 | Nutrition Specialist

On behalf of all of us here at Nutricia North America the makers of Neocate, we want to wish you and your families a very happy, healthy holiday season!  We hope these festive allergy-friendly recipes brighten your holiday!

Milk-Free Hot Chocolate

Heat water on the stove or in the microwave. Remove from heat, allow to cool and add Neocate powder and sugar. Stir well. Top with marshmallows (check the label to be sure the brand is appropriate for your child’s dietary restrictions).

Calories: 170
Protein: 5.2g Fat: 7g
Carbohydrate: 22.5g
Calcium: 183mg
Vitamin D: 1.8mcg

 Gingerbread Cookies:

  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Over medium heat combine molasses, oil and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Set aside. Combine flour and other dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add molasses, sugar and oil and pour into mixing bowl and then add egg and blend together to form a thick dough ball. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 1 hour (if dough is too dry, add drops of canola oil, if too sticky to roll out, add flour). Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough in half and roll out on floured surface. Use cookie cutters and place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes and let cool.

  • Calories190
  • Protein 2g
  • Carbohydrates 31g
  • Fat 7g

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Submitted by: Marie Bedard

Milk-free Peppermint Shake:

Add all ingredients except Neocate powder into the blender and mix until smooth. Next, add Neocate powder and mix on low setting until blended. Pour and serve. Makes 1-2 servings. If your child drinks smaller servings, pour half and store the remaining shake in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Tip:Remember using the Old-fashioned peppermint sticks as a straw? Try using it with this shake! Check ingredients because brands will vary. Alternatively, you could use candy-striped straws, which you can find at most party stores!

Calories: 409
Protein: 8g
Fat: 18g
Carbohydrate: 54g
Calcium: 295mg
Vitamin D: 206mcg