Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Did Your Child's School Keep Him/her gluten-free In The Cafeteria?

cgsimon

Recommended Posts

cgsimon Newbie
cgsimon
Posted

Newbie here...please help!

My 5yr old daughter starts Kindergarten in August and I'm stressing out for her. The school has safety measures for peanut allergies - they have a designated "peanut-free" table in the cafeteria! Plus, the lunch menu is peanut-free. But the school has never dealt with gluten allergy before...the school menu is loaded with gluten-laden food! She knows cheating on her diet makes her sick, but if a Kindergarten classmate offers a cupcake, I don't think she'll resist. I hope she does, but I'm doubtful.

Anyone have experience with this? What did your school do? What did you do? Any advice or experiences would be so helpful!

Celina

blood test/biopsy dx 06/2004

Meagan

blood test dx 1/2006

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

my daughter is in kindergarten and coming to the end of her first year of public school... she's been gluten-free for 3 years. I pack her lunch every day, she knows she can get milk and vanilla ice cream from the lunch line but everything else is off limits. She freaks if someone even spills something near her that MIGHT have gluten, so I don't worry about her taking anything offered to her. She did that in preschool... ONCE. A friend offered her an Oreo and she had ONE bite before the teacher realized what had happened and took it from her, she ended up having such terrible gas, bloating, cramps and diarrhea from that one incident that she is terrified of it happening again.

One of the ways that I help her feel more "normal" is her teacher sends home the school menu every month and I try to prepare lunches that are as close to what the other kids are having as possible, or even better! She has done really well with this all on her own, I think you have to put some of the responsibility on her. She has to be aware what could happen if she "cheats".

Her teacher also sends home a list of birthdays and they have a snack calendar, and on the birthday days I send a gluten-free cupcake in with her, I supplied the teacher with a box to keep by the teachers desk of gluten-free snacks for her to have when the other kids bring in the class snack. When it's her turn I let her pick something normal that is naturally gluten-free that she can share with her classmates. Her teacher gave me the option of opting out of the snack calendar, but I felt that it would be good for her to share her snacks like the rest of the kids, she just knows that she can't have most of the snacks that the other kids bring in.

I did send in a letter at the beginning of the year to the other parents about snacks that would be safe for her IF they chose to send in that type of snack... but told them no obligation... it amazed me how many parents do try to send in snacks that she can have.

you just have to maintain constant communication with the school and the teachers and even the school nurse, there are some letters that you can print out for school staff... if you want them I'll find them for you.

my husband reminded me that you need to be aware of is PLAY DOH! Regular Play Doh has gluten in it and they get it all over their hands and little hands end up in little mouths and voila! gluten. I have a recipe for gluten-free playdough that I made at the beginning of the year and supplied the class with enough play dough for the year. I also provided a variety of gluten-free dried pasta noodles for crafts...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to BIg Nodge's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Opinions on my test results/symptoms

      Many of the symptoms, there are over 200, associated with celiac disease and NCGS are vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by small intestine damage in the case of celiac disease and food avoidance and the poor nutrittion of the Modern American Diet (MAD) I used to turn the heat on even at 78 degrees. The 600 mcg of Liquid Iodine helped. Also...
    2. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Nicbent35's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      If you mean continueing on Gluten Free my answer is yes. She showed significant improvement in her behavior and that translates to a happy family. Do get her tested as sooon as you can. You might want to investigate genetic testing for Celiac Disease. Children recover more quickly than adults. It took my son about 6 months on Nutramigen before going...
    3. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Nicbent35's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      Hi @Nicbent35, When my son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when he was weaned, so I understand your frustration. With improvement so dramatic, it cannot be a coincedence. Get her to the doctor and tell the story and insist on testing. In the meantime, though, continue on GFD. Her health is more important than convincing...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to plumbago's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      3

      Anyone else with very high HDL?

      @plumbago, Are you taking any folate with your B12? Folate helps regulate HDL levels. You may try taking a methylfolate supplement with your B12. If there's a folate deficiency because you aren't absorbing sufficient folate, or have the MThF mutation causing a functional folate deficiency (methylfolate trap), you can have a functional B12 deficiency...
    5. Nicbent35
      - Nicbent35 replied to Nicbent35's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      Thank you for all that helpful info, does that mean it’s not a good idea to do what I’m doing? Or since it’s only been a week should I see if I could get her tested now? Would it show up still since it hasn’t been long if they tested her?
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,889
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Missymid
    Newest Member
    Missymid
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.5k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Opinions on my test results/symptoms

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Many of the symptoms, there are over 200, associated with celiac disease and NCGS are vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by small intestine damage in the case of celiac disease and food avoidance and the poor nutrittion of the Modern American Diet (MAD) I used to turn the heat on even at 78 degrees.  The 600 mcg of Liquid Iodine helped.  Also good for hair, nails, skin and brain fog.  Another good thing for brain fog is phosphatyl choline.  It is essentil for acetylcholine- a brain chemical. I have familial hyperlipdemia and instead of a statin I got a prescription for Nicotinic Acid, 2000 mg a day.  I was already taking 500 mg a day and was really surprised when my HDL when up to  44 and I began sleeping better and my legs and back are getting more flexible.  In addition after the first few doses of itchiness I get a warm fuzzy feeling Raising your vitamin D is crucial.  Low vitamin D allows the immune system to run amuck. intermittent bouts of fatigue, chills/cold intolerance, and shortness of breath/air hunger (sometimes feels like a hollowness in my chest, hard to describe).  Look at Thiamin deficiency. consistently ran hot, was always cranking the a/c, to someone who wears a down vest.  Any combination of deficiencies in B1, B2, B3, B5, choline and Iodine can cause this.  Likely all of them. After a lifetime of mouthbreathing GFD cleared my sinuses.  Post nasal drip is my first symptom of cross contamination nowaday.  
    • Wheatwacked
      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      If you mean continueing on Gluten Free my answer is yes.  She showed significant improvement in her behavior and that translates to a happy family.  Do get her tested as sooon as you can.  You might want to investigate genetic testing for Celiac Disease.  Children recover more quickly than adults.  It took my son about 6 months on Nutramigen before going to regular food, gluten free.  Blood tests are not always accurate in very young children. You may be advised to see a gastroenterologist instead of relying on blood tests results. Logic: She is better off gluten than before.  Wheat flour has no nutritional value and has an omega 6: omega 3 ratio of 22:1.  Our bodies do better at 3:1.  Omega 6 causes inflammation. When my son was diagnosed, back in 1976, his doctor recommended my wife and I also go gluten free.  We declined and lived to regret it.  I started GFD at 63 and have spent the last 10 years undoing the damage, some of my symptons went all the way back to my childhood and things I lived with all my life got better.
    • Wheatwacked
      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Hi @Nicbent35,             When my son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when he was weaned, so I understand your frustration.       With improvement so dramatic, it cannot be a coincedence. Get her to the doctor and tell the story and insist on testing.  In the meantime, though, continue on GFD.  Her health is more important than convincing a doctor.  Bring videos of her behaviors if you can.  Even if the blood tests and biopsy prove negative, that is part of the diagnosis process for NCGS and later when she is recovered you can always do a Gluten Challenge.      This is an important time in her developement.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption syndrome, leading to malnutrition, regardles of what she eats.  Though NCGS may not cause malabsorption, it will affect food choices which can lead to malnutrition.  There may be benifits that an official diagnosis may have, but they don't trump a healthy child.      Get her healthy, then worry about validation later.  Celiac Disease is difficult to diagnosed, especially in children, because doctors look for antibodies in the blood and young children have immature immune systems.  Also you don't mention any gastrologic symtoms and celiac disease is traditionally considered gastrolic only.  Not true.  There are over 200 symptom that celiac disease and the accompaning malnutrion mimics or causes that often causes misdiagnosis and delay in recovery. While at the doctors, ask them about vitamin D deficiency and Iodine deficiency in particular. Milk being the primary source of iodine in the diet, but concerns exist regarding the lower iodine content in organic milk and reduced milk consumption in certain demographics.  Vitamin D deficiency is 40% of the industrialized population and a recent study in the Great Britain showed a wopping 60%, beaten only by some areas of Canada at 70%. And B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6.  Deficiencies in these are common in untreated Celiac Disease and they affect energy production. Are You Confused About Your Celiac Disease Lab Results?
    • knitty kitty
      Anyone else with very high HDL?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @plumbago, Are you taking any folate with your B12?   Folate helps regulate HDL levels.  You may try taking a methylfolate supplement with your B12.   If there's a folate deficiency because you aren't absorbing sufficient folate, or have the MThF mutation causing a functional folate deficiency (methylfolate trap), you can have a functional B12 deficiency despite supplementing, resulting in HDL levels not getting regulated, but running high or low.   Pushing the envelope in explanations, too. P. S. Are you taking a B Complex?  Folate and B12 Cobalamine need enzymes made from B6 Pyridoxine's interaction with Thiamine, and B2 Riboflavin's interaction with Thiamine.  Is your Vitamin D low?
    • Nicbent35
      3 year old gluten intolerance?

      By Nicbent35 · Posted

      Thank you for all that helpful info, does that mean it’s not a good idea to do what I’m doing? Or since it’s only been a week should I see if I could get her tested now? Would it show up still since it hasn’t been long if they tested her?
×
×
  • Create New...