Cooking for Colic

When Dinner Became a Medical Emergency

If someone had told me before having kids that I’d one day be asking chatgpt “does soy hide in bread crumbs?” at 3 a.m. while holding a screaming baby, I’d have laughed and poured myself another glass of wine. Yet, here we are.

When my second daughter arrived, so did the colic. Not just a little fussiness - no, we’re talking red-faced, knees-to-chest, screaming-for-hours colic. Add in severe allergies to cow’s milk protein, soy, and eggs, and suddenly my kitchen became less “Chef’s Table” and more “CSI/ Law and Order / Netflix crime documentary Ingredient List.”

The Grief Stage: Goodbye Cheese

The first few weeks were basically me holding a memorial service for cheese. Feta Mozzarella, Parmesan — I loved you all. I went through all five stages of grief: denial (surely a tiny bit won’t hurt), anger (why me?!), bargaining (what if I just eat feta on weekends?), depression (spoiler: this one lasted a while), and finally, acceptance (fine, I’ll eat hummus again).

The Detective Stage: Reading Labels Like It’s My Job

Did you know soy is in literally everything? Things that should not even remotely contain soy somehow… contain soy. Bread. Crackers. That “innocent” little packet of seasoning. I became that person in the supermarket aisle muttering to myself like a conspiracy theorist: “Of course there’s soy in this. Why WOULDN’T there be?”

My husband became a soy detective himself, which just made him more irritating (on top of the postpartum rage)

The Experimentation Stage: MasterChef, But Make It Dairy-Free

Once I stopped crying over lost cappuccinos, I got creative. I swapped, I tested, I ruined a few perfectly good pans in the name of dairy-free béchamel. Somewhere between curry night and “mystery stir fry number six,” something magical happened: my cooking actually got… better.

My family noticed. My husband said, “Babe, this is delicious!” My toddler said, “Yuck, I want Pizza,” but honestly, that’s toddler-speak for high praise.

The Victory Stage: Cooking for Colic is Born

The real miracle? My baby stopped screaming. No more endless colic episodes. No more pacing the house like a zombie at midnight. I had cracked the code, not just for her, but for me too.

I found a way to eat pastas, curries, stir fries, sandwiches, breakfasts, even desserts - all dairy, soy, and egg-free, but still indulgent, comforting, and (dare I say) delicious.

And so “Cooking for Colic” was born. Not just a survival mechanism, but a passion. It’s part therapy, part creative outlet, and part “I can’t believe I’m thriving on almond milk.”

Why I’m Sharing This

Because if you’re a mom standing in your kitchen, baby wailing, staring at a pack of rice cakes and wondering how this became your life . I’ve been there, I am still there most days. And I promise, there’s light (and flavour) at the end of the tunnel.

Cooking for colic doesn’t have to be boring, bland, or soul-destroying. In fact, it might just make you a better cook, a more resilient parent, and a surprisingly decent label detective.

And if all else fails, just remember: You can still have a glass of Wino , despite it all!

👉 Next up: I’ll be sharing some of my favourite colic-friendly recipes ...ones even your toddler might eat (no promises).