So What Can He Eat?

[zachsmom]

BIg question here.... thanksgiving is coming up ... I know he can eat turkey... and I know the cross contamination thing happens..

I would like to know what can I feed him. He has a total of 4 teeth in the front and two on the bottom.

What is possible to feed to him .. with out glutening him. ( vomits after two hours and is run down but fine. )

He eats baby food rice cereal ,,, yo baby yougurt... ... baked chicken .. lunch meat turkey.... and apple wheels from gerber... I am lost down and really sad by this .. I dont know what to feed him .. he screams and cries when we tell him that our food will make him sick .. as I am feeding him his food. HELP .... I am tempted to put the NON celiacs on a gluten free diet just for an expiriment .. one is add and the other is POS NOD or sensory intergration problems... umbrella for AULTISUM.... HELP ME ..

It seems that only wheat ... is the problem .. But I am afraid to try corn ... corn meal ... potaoes ( white) .. rice flour.... c arrots ??? beef.. I dont understand what I am looking for ... I know malt is evil ... flour ... oats .. are even bad....

Just plain old help.

[AndreaB]

I would put the rest on a gluten free diet for dinner's anyway. That way your youngest can participate in the meal. He could have ground beef as far as I know. I don't buy supermarket beef so I don't know if there is an issue with that. My almost 12 month old just tried some tiny pieces of ground beef tonight. He only has 3 teeth. Your little one should be able to eat some of what you do. Obviously that is really limited with the low number of teeth. I'm still feeding mine baby food. You could always blend some food to make it chunky puree.

I'm sorry, I don't have many ideas. I'm getting ready to cross that bridge too.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

We gave all our babies flaked broiled salmon as their first "real food." It's soft, very digestible, and extremely nutritious. Tilapia is good, too, but you might want to avoid tuna as it is high in mercury.

Rice pasta is something you can make for the whole family that your baby can eat. Be careful of lunch meat turkey, some brands to contain gluten (sigh), and most are highly salted and preservative-laden.

If soy is not a problem, then tofu is good. My kids liked diced peaches and pears, too. Mashed sweet potatoes were always gobbled up by all the kids!

If your other kids are on the autistic spectrum, please DO consider a gluten-free or possibly even a gluten-free/CF diet (one at time!)--do you have Special DIets for Special Kids by LIsa Lewis? It has a lot of recipes, but better yet, it has a lot of very specific info that makes sense.

Also, please do a lot of research on vaccines, as they very likely are a factor (not THE CAUSE, just a factor). I'm not saying not to vaccinate at all, but be aware that you can spread out vaccines, you don't have to follow the set schedule, and one vaccine at a time is far easier on their systems than 4. You also have the right to turn down any vaccine. Most people don't know that. If you feel you must get your kids a flu shot, make sure that you get one that is not preserved with thimerosal, as that one contains mercury. The thimerosal-free flu shot IS more expensive (it comes in a single-use vial), but at least you are not poisoning your child.

[lovegrov]

Sweet potatoes are gluten-free. Green beans. Cranberry sauce (not sure a kid would liker it though).

richard

[Mamato2boys]

What my 3 year old will be eating (and he also ate this when he was your dc's age) is mashed potatoes made with Pacific rice milk. I know you said you weren't sure about potatoes, but they are, along with the Pacific rice milk, gluten/casein free. He'll also eat turkey (no gravy), mashed sweet potatoes (no butter). Cranberry sauce is a bit tart for him so he doesn't usually eat that. He'll have green beans (again - no butter). I'll probably try making a gluten-free dessert for us to have, and he'll also eat fruit. All of those things your dc can have as long as they're mashed/cut up really well. Also, avocado is a great finger food for them. It's high in good fats and mildly flavored, so a lot of babies will eat it.

I know you're overwhelmed - we all felt that way at first. The very best thing to do is just keep it simple. Natural, whole foods are the best things to start with because they're easiest and you know what you're dealing with.

[Nic]

Don't forget about mashed potatos. Unless he has a problem with potatos most kids like them. You could also make the turkey with gluten free stuffing so that there is not a concern of CC. My son is a bit older (he was 5 last Thanksgiving) but he ate turkey, mashed potatos, and maple carrots (carrots baked with butter and maple syrup so they are soft). He loved it, it was gluten free, and it was food that was on the table offered for everyone else so he did not feel different. As far as regular everyday eating, our whole family eat gluten-free for dinner and for the rest of the day no one eats in front him things he like but can't have. Someone mentioned rice pasta, Tinkyada makes very good brown rice pasta. We use it with tomato sauce, butter, or cheese depending on what he wants. I made gluten free meatballs last night using Ener-G Foods bread crumbs. I remember when they were babies they loved meatballs mashed up for easy chewing. All meats are safe unless they are seasoned or marinated and then you need to check. All veggies are safe also unless in a sauce. Potatos are fine as well unless your child can't eat them for another reason. There is plenty for them to eat once you get the hang of this diet. Good luck!

Nicole

[Fiddle-Faddle]

It's even cheaper and easier to make meatballs either with no bread crumbs at all (works just fine, bread crumbs are just a way to make the meat feed a few more people), or with potato flakes (use the exact amount as the amount of bread crumbs specified in your favorite recipe, works great!).

[GFBetsy]

zachsmom -

I just went back and looked at some of your first posts. I can understand your anxiety about cross contamination because your son does react very badly to exposure. Your post feels almost panicky . . . like this situation is completely overwhelming you. So I'm going to give you some very basic advice that hopefully will help you feel more in control.

First: Breathe. Find somewhere quiet (a closet, if necessary) and close your eyes and sit still and breathe. Don't let your mind list all the things you can't control, just concentrate on being still and feeling peaceful. (Get someone else - like your husband - to take care of your children while you do this. If you need to, leave the kids at home and go find a quiet corner in your local library.)

Second: Make a list of all the foods that you know of that are naturally gluten free. To accomplish this, you need to know this basic information: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It is also found in thing that are made from wheat, barley, and rye. Flour (whether it is called "white flour" or "whole wheat flour") is made from wheat. Malt is made from barley, which is why it is on the "no-no" list. Oats are processed on the same equipment that processes wheat, which means they are almost always contaminated by wheat products that were left on the equipment, which is why standard oats are on the "no-no" list. Foods that don't contain ingredients that came from wheat, barley, or rye are gluten free. (I know this is really basic stuff, but sometimes going back to the basics helps a lot.)

So, when you are listing naturally gluten free foods, you just need to write down things that are not gluten-filled grains. For example: fresh fruits (apples, peaches, pears, grapes, melons, oranges, bananas, etc.), fresh vegetables (corn, beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.), other grains (rice, corn, etc.), plain spices, etc. Potatoes are okay. Most meats are going to be just fine. (Some poultry or processed meats have been injected with broth solutions which may contain wheat, but the new labeling laws require them to explicitly state on the package if their product contains any wheat ingredients.) Make a big, long list. (And it will be long . . . there lots of foods that aren't wheat, barley, or rye.)

Third: Look at your list and think about the meals and snacks you can make with them. (Scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, hamburgers, etc.) You can cook carrots and then chop them smaller for your baby. Even with only 4 teeth, he should be able to gum vegetables that have been cooked until they are soft. He can eat baked apples, mashed bananas (he should even be able to gum up small pieces of banana), all sorts of foods.

Fourth: Only after you have come up with lots of naturally gluten free foods is it time to think about "pre-packaged" foods. You already know that you have to stay away from foods that are labeled as contianing wheat. Here are the other main ingredients that will put a food on the "no-no" list: Malt (as mentioned before, this comes from barley), "natural flavors" (this could contain barley or rye). Some other useful information is: Kraft Foods will always list any wheat, barley, or rye that is in any of their foods. So if the contact info on the box says "Kraft" or "KF Holdings" (which stands for Kraft Food Holdings) and the ingredients list doesn't contain the words wheat, barely, or rye, it is gluten free. Kraft owns things like Jell-o and Oscar Meyer, among others. Some other major companies do this as well. (Maybe other posters could give more info on which companies do this.)

Slowly go through your favorite local grocery store and check labels on foods. Just take one or two isles of the store at a time. Skip things that are obviously made with wheat. (You just won't find a gluten free bread in a standard grocery store. And only crackers labeled as "Rice Crackers" are even possibilities as far as the crackers go. The cookie isle is also going to be one that you won't even have to look at.) You'll find a lot of mainstream products that are gluten free - peanut butters, jams, honey, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, evaporated milk, milk, cream cheese, sour cream, cheeses, yogurts, oils, shortenings, etc. (I'm just mentally going through the first couple of isles in MY favorite grocery store and listing some of the things I buy there.) Read the labels and find the products that will be okay. If you have questions about a specific product, call the company and ask them. (Don't take your children with you when you are doing this. Either leave them home with your husband or get a baby sitter for them so you can focus.) Make a list as you go of all the products that are okay so that the next time you go shopping you'll be able to refer to the list and add new products to it.

Fifth: Involve your family in your dietary efforts. Discuss with your husband the option of making the whole house gluten free. If you decide to do it, carefully explain to your older children the reasons behind the decision. Get everyone on board. If you don't decide to make your whole hose gluten free, you will need to maintain seperate jars of peanut butter and condiments (mayo, butter, etc.) so your baby won't get cross contaminated by "regular" bread crumbs that get wiped back into the jars when people scrape their knives on the edge of the jar. So you will need to make sure that everyone understands that the baby's condiment jars are off limits for everyone else.

Sixth: Remember, you will be okay. You are not alone in this. You can always come here and ask for advice.

Finally: Thanksgiving. Check the ingredients lists on the turkeys, and buy one that doesn't contain wheat in the broth that was injected into it. Mashed potatoes are going to be okay. Sweet potatoes cooked in butter and brown sugar will be okay. Do fresh veggies and dip, and LOTS of olives. (Your kids will think you are the best mom ever if you give them enough olives to cover their fingers 3 or 4 times.)

Skip the regular rolls and stuffing if you are worried about cross contamination. You can make gluten free ones instead, if you feel up to it, or you can just make a rice pilaf sort of thing instead. Your family won't die if they have to go without rolls at Thanksgiving one year. Instead of making pumpkin pie and apple pie, make pumpkin custard and baked apples. (Let me know if you want some recipes for those things). Serve dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It will require a lot of cooking, but then, Thanksgiving always does require a lot of cooking.

You can do this. Really. You can.

PS - I just posted this and then realized how long it is . . . I hope it is helpful.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Betsy, what a great, super-organized post!! I think Scott should put this on the Celiac.com home page!!!!!

Only thing I'd add is, fish is such a super-healthy and gluten-free food, and so easy for the babies to eat and digest. I would suggest adding that in (avoiding obvious problematic ones like tuna and shellfish). I think very few people have problems with fish like salmon (which comes canned!) and tilapia. Correct me if I'm mistaken on this!

[Kibbie]

The good news is that in a month you will be so good a this gluten free thing you'll be answering posts helping other people out!

This website is a great resource!

Here are the steps that I took:

1. Made a chart with 3 sections a. Gluten Safe foods b. I have to check c. Forbidden foods

2. I sat down and listed every food my daughter had been introduced to since eating solids. Putting them in the right column.

3. I started feeding her from the gluten safe foods right away (mostly just fresh fruits and veggies)

4. I checked the questionable foods by calling the manufactures and placed them in the right column

5. I started checking for replacement foods in my "forbidden" list

6. Each time I found a food that she could eat it went in the Gluten Safe food list.

I started taking my cell phone into the store with me and called the numbers on the foods before I put it into my cart, and asked if they were gluten free (most places answered right away and then sent me a few coupons along with a gluten free product list via mail or e-mail)

This site Open Original Shared Link (I believe from nini) helped me tremendously to start with, I also lurched Gluten free living for Dummies and LOVE that book!

My daughter is a little older than your son...and our entire house has gone gluten free (with out even really knowing the difference) Here are some ideas about what you can feed your son:

Sweet potatoes (even with jet puffed marshmallows)

Pumpkin pie mix (as long as it was never in regular pie shell)

Turkey

Cranberries

Rice (If you look on line there are a ton of wonderful looking recipes for Rice stuffing we are going to try one this year)

Regular Mashed potatoes (just make sure the butter you use has not been contaminated with bread)

All fresh fruits and veggies are good

Squash (we do a lot of acorn and butternut around the holidays)

gravy (as long as you use cornstarch or potato starch to thicken it and not flour)

There is a ton of other stuff if you want to do a lot of cookinig:

Green bean caserole can be done if you make your own cream of chicken/ cream of mushroom soup and do your own onions so they have no gluten in them

Pumpkin pie can be done in a crust with a gluten-free crust mix (I have better luck with the mixes than I do on my own)

Even bread stuffing can be done with gluten-free bread!