New To Feeding A Child With Celiac, Help!

[missbread]

hi all, i am more than certain my 7 yr old son has celiac, i first noticed when he got the age of potty training, he didnt start using a toilet untill he was 4 years old and even now has very regular bouts of diarrhoea and often doesnt make it to the toilet , i first started with symptoms while i was pregnant with him and was diagnosed despite a neg blood test, i am also quite certain both my parents and sister has it. I have been ignoring my celiac for 7 yrs now but its time to change!, this also means including my son in this life style change, but OMG, i am almost stricken with panick as to what to feed him. It's difficult enough feeding him as he is a very picky eater, won't eat potatoes,veg,pasta,etc etc. Now i am quite certain i will be able to cook gluten free meals (after a bit of practice) and was wondering if anyone has any fun recipes that small children like or knows and sites to go to, also any tips on how to support a small person when they have to deal with not being allowed their fave snacks like candies!? I feel so mean when i tell him he can't have things like certain ice creams etc etc. Does chocolate contain gluten? are there any alternatives? I am so confused as to what to do with him, it's hard enough feeding my self hahah

any feedback would be so welcome

thanks!

[tarnalberry]

Granted, my daughter is only 1, and afaik she doesn't have celiac, but she eats what I eat, so she gets lots of:

roasted veggies - especially sweet potato fries, roasted carrots (whole, 'cause they're fun to eat that way), zucchini, etc.

stir-fry - veggies (like carrot, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.), chicken or beef that have been stir-fried, and the rice

hummus or "refried beans" (homemade bean/spice mix)

all kinds of fruit (oranges, mangos, strawberries, banana, kiwi, etc.)

soup (lentil or chicken, primarily)

Keep trying different foods - foods you eat too - and (yes, I'm "that mom") remind yourself that you are NOT "mean" to require him to eat healthy foods you choose (or the safe alternative treats). Maybe he'll call you that, but it doesn't make you mean to not give him exactly what he wants. (I know you know this; I'm just offering that reminder to boost your confidence. I'm sure it will have to become a personal mantra for myself when my daughter gets to "a certain age".)

Rely on the foods you know he can eat safely that he will for now, and try new things slowly, with lots of encouragement, and add in the ones he likes. It may take a couple *YEARS* of experimenting and finding things. But you guys *will* make it through.

(And others on here will have far more useful suggestions for things you might be able to buy already made. )

[alex11602]

hi all, i am more than certain my 7 yr old son has celiac, i first noticed when he got the age of potty training, he didnt start using a toilet untill he was 4 years old and even now has very regular bouts of diarrhoea and often doesnt make it to the toilet , i first started with symptoms while i was pregnant with him and was diagnosed despite a neg blood test, i am also quite certain both my parents and sister has it. I have been ignoring my celiac for 7 yrs now but its time to change!, this also means including my son in this life style change, but OMG, i am almost stricken with panick as to what to feed him. It's difficult enough feeding him as he is a very picky eater, won't eat potatoes,veg,pasta,etc etc. Now i am quite certain i will be able to cook gluten free meals (after a bit of practice) and was wondering if anyone has any fun recipes that small children like or knows and sites to go to, also any tips on how to support a small person when they have to deal with not being allowed their fave snacks like candies!? I feel so mean when i tell him he can't have things like certain ice creams etc etc. Does chocolate contain gluten? are there any alternatives? I am so confused as to what to do with him, it's hard enough feeding my self hahah

any feedback would be so welcome

thanks!

Hi, I have a four year old and a 17 month old with Celiac plus other food allergies. Feeding them can be a little difficult, but once you find stuff they will eat it does get easier. One thing that my girls love is Chex cereal, there are 5 flavors that gluten free. They also love rice cakes. I have found some chocolate that is gluten free, but I dont remember the brands since my girls cant have it because of dairy and soy. Does he like rice? There are alot of different things that you can do with that. What about fruit? Smoothies are a big thing in our house, we put a bunch of fruit in (fresh, canned, frozen, whatever we have), add some natural peanut butter for protein and they drink that. I always let the older one pick what goes in because she loves to drink something that she made. If he likes chips we cut up corn tortillas (Mission brand are gluten free), brush it with a little olive oil, put some salt on and bake them at 425 until they are crispy. We will sometimes make nachos out of the chips for lunch and I let the girls put on whatever they want. So that they dont feel left out if other people are having dessert I sometimes make them flourless peanut butter cookies which are peanut butter, sugar, baking soda and applesauce or I just made an allergy free chocolate cake that didnt taste much different from a regular one....if anyone wants the recipe I will post it. I sometimes give the girls fruit snacks for snack, I know the Betty Crocker brand is gluten free. I will make the girls pancakes or waffles for breakfast about once a week, we found a recipe that wasnt too bad and tasted like pumpkin pie, I could also post that recipe if anyone would like. If your son likes chicken nuggets we found a way to make them with cornmeal and Betty Crocker instant mashed potato buds and then you just add seasoning to taste. Dinner is usually meat and rice, my daughters do eat potatoes and veggies so that makes it a little easier. But with veggies does he just not like the taste because sometimes cutting them into fun shapes will make it "taste" better. When I took psychology last year we talked about how what something looks like effects the way we think it tastes so if he thinks they look gross his mind may just say they look gross so they taste gross. I hope this helps some and if you need anymore help I absolutely love coming up with simple cheap recipes and would be more then happy to try and help. Culinary school was out with having kids so now I just try and come up with allergy free recipes and experiment. Good luck.

[missbread]

Hi, I have a four year old and a 17 month old with Celiac plus other food allergies. Feeding them can be a little difficult, but once you find stuff they will eat it does get easier. One thing that my girls love is Chex cereal, there are 5 flavors that gluten free. They also love rice cakes. I have found some chocolate that is gluten free, but I dont remember the brands since my girls cant have it because of dairy and soy. Does he like rice? There are alot of different things that you can do with that. What about fruit? Smoothies are a big thing in our house, we put a bunch of fruit in (fresh, canned, frozen, whatever we have), add some natural peanut butter for protein and they drink that. I always let the older one pick what goes in because she loves to drink something that she made. If he likes chips we cut up corn tortillas (Mission brand are gluten free), brush it with a little olive oil, put some salt on and bake them at 425 until they are crispy. We will sometimes make nachos out of the chips for lunch and I let the girls put on whatever they want. So that they dont feel left out if other people are having dessert I sometimes make them flourless peanut butter cookies which are peanut butter, sugar, baking soda and applesauce or I just made an allergy free chocolate cake that didnt taste much different from a regular one....if anyone wants the recipe I will post it. I sometimes give the girls fruit snacks for snack, I know the Betty Crocker brand is gluten free. I will make the girls pancakes or waffles for breakfast about once a week, we found a recipe that wasnt too bad and tasted like pumpkin pie, I could also post that recipe if anyone would like. If your son likes chicken nuggets we found a way to make them with cornmeal and Betty Crocker instant mashed potato buds and then you just add seasoning to taste. Dinner is usually meat and rice, my daughters do eat potatoes and veggies so that makes it a little easier. But with veggies does he just not like the taste because sometimes cutting them into fun shapes will make it "taste" better. When I took psychology last year we talked about how what something looks like effects the way we think it tastes so if he thinks they look gross his mind may just say they look gross so they taste gross. I hope this helps some and if you need anymore help I absolutely love coming up with simple cheap recipes and would be more then happy to try and help. Culinary school was out with having kids so now I just try and come up with allergy free recipes and experiment. Good luck.

oo i would love that recipe for choc cake thanks! i have looked at online recipes but it's hard to know if they "work" or not, so anything tried and tested would be good to know. i live in the UK so not quite familiar with some of the brands you mentioned but i guess i will have to start ordering food online now as this country is really bad for offering gluten free foods, and OMG i forgot about smoothies, he loves smoothies and fruit. Thankfuly he loves rice and rice cakes so i guess i could experiment with some toppings. He refuses point blank to eat any kind of nut, i am going to have to research which foods are high in protein me thinks!. I guess i am just in a panick right now, but it's really nice to hear good encouraging comments from members, thanks for your reply, and this goes to the other member who replied to me too! (sorry i havent quite worked out how to post replies properly, hope this one works hihi)

tonight i shall cut the carrots into star shapes, lets see if that works! hahah

[alex11602]

Allergy Free Chocolate Cake

3 c gluten free flour (I used a mix of brown rice flour, tapioca flour and potato starch)

2 c sugar

8 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

2 c water

1/2 c plus 2 tbs oil (I used light olive oil)

2 tbs cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together and divide between 2 greased 9 in round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely before trying to take it out of the pan or it will fall apart on you.

No Butter "Buttercream" Frosting

1/2 c dairy free margarine (We used a dairy free/soy free margarine from Earth Balance)

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 lb. powdered sugar

6-8 tbs water

Definitely not the healthiest cake out there, but when you need something sweet or a dessert to bring somewhere it did the trick for us.

[sa1937]

Definitely not the healthiest cake out there, but when you need something sweet or a dessert to bring somewhere it did the trick for us.

Not everything we eat has to be healthy!

[kareng]

I have 2 teen boys. The 18 year old was & still is picky. The younger started that way but changed. He still won't eat some mushy sticky stuff like PB. He can't stand the texture. Here is how he became less picky. He is active in Boy Scouts. If you are hungry, you eat what is being served or you have to cook with.

Also, if my BIL would eat it and say it was good, he would eat it and like it! If the Dad next door fixed it for him when he was over playing, he loved it! Maybe you can find an older boy he would look up to to have lunch with. Don't make a big deal but serve everything your kid likes with something he doesn't but the older kid likes. When he sees the older kid happily eating BBQ chicken or carrots, maybe he will give them a fair try.

Some kids will eat anything if they can dip it in ketchup or Ranch dressing. My dad hates broccoli but loves it if he has enough shrimp cocktail sauce to smother it with.

We also have "fair try" . Everything has to get 2 bites. They can be small. Then they don't have to eat it. When it is next served, they have to give it 2 bites. They either get used to it or my older one just gave up and ate them.

[sb2178]

Yes, it can take kids up to twenty times to accept a new food (even if it's something that they like... it's just the scarey new-ness). Having a role model definitely smooths out the process for most. Another couple options for protein and sweets:

tofu stir fried in gluten-free soy sauce with a touch of thyme and sage (sounds weird, but it's chicken without the meat texture)

beans (try plain and seasoned)

hard boiled eggs (and eggs in other forms)

pudding (American pudding does not have wheat/flour; it's often an egg-less custard thickened with starch which I don't know if other places eat)

custard/flan

polenta (can be topped with things like cheese and tomato sauce aka "pizza")

veggie sticks (if you put out a variety with every meal and let him pick, he'll probably learn to eat some of them if not everything)

baked apples/pears

frozen bananas dipped in chocolate

chocolate (they vary; read the labels. I eat some Ritter Sport bars but there is the possibility of wheat contamination. Haven't had any problems with them though.)

[sreese68]

Two of my four kids are very picky (one due to tongue coordination problems, one due to heightened sensitivities). It's tough. Here's a link to a post where I was asking about store-bought food for the kids:

Interestingly, my least picky child is having the hardest time with all of this. I think he has a set idea in his mind of what food should taste like. I keep reminding them that the bread won't taste like "regular" bread, but to try to have an open mind. My 7yo likes the KinniToos (looks like K Toos on the package) "oreo" cookies and their animal crackers the best. Udi's bagels are OK with 3 of them. Rudi's bread is OK with my 12yo, though the rest hate it. Udi's muffins are good.

3 of them liked Glutino's frozen pizza. All liked Simply Shari's frozen pizza (found at Sprouts). Udi's pizza crust went over ok. Snyder's pretzels went OK. My surprise hit is Mission tostadas. They LOVE them! Dreyer's Natural ice cream is wonderful! Just check to make sure it isn't brownie or something

[anna34]

rice cake pizzas

corn tortilla shell pizzas

smoothies with fruit and yogurt (add skim milk powder for extra protein if you think it's needed)

Chapman's icecream

make your own tossed salad

Chex cereal

vegetables with dip

fruit salad

[Mizzo]

First and foremost everything gets easier over time so don't waste too much time worrying, Although we all did. :-)

some of our favorite brands for non-natural foods;

Cereals :

Chex has multiple flavors that are gluten free and Fruity pebbles and Cocoa pebbles are gluten free.

Natures path and Envirokids( higher in fiber and protein ) has a couple of flavors but are expensive so I mix up my cereals half sugary fun cereal and half healthier cereal. :-)

For breads, bagels and soon hamburger and hotdog buns only 1 brand is worth buying for kids IMO and it's Udi's.

Frozen muffins and donuts = Udi's and Kinnikinnick

Cake mixes ;

chocolate cake/muffins = King Arthur and Pamela's, Namaste is pretty good also

Vanilla cake/muffins = Pamela's

pancake mix = pamela's for my 7yo , I like King Arthur better

I use King Arthur gluten-free flour for homemade pb cookies and muffins

gluten-free Bisquik for biscuits

Some people like the corn pasta we don't. We use Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta's.

For meals:

I made a chart of all my girls favorite things and listed them out. This made it easier to plan meals and leftovers for lunches.

Making a list allows you to see all your options. At first it might seem like your losing soo much but in reality when you list out all your do's the list is pretty big.

Making a list was key for me, I was soo overwhelmed at first, I was living meal to meal for 2 weeks and was completely freaked out.

Make sure to get a list of all your favorite sauces, spices etc.. and start researching the gluten-free equivalent.

Wish bone makes a lot of gluten-free salad dressings, they say right on the back . Yeah thank you Wish bone.

Expect to spend more $$ than usual the first month replacing non- gluten-free sauces, dressings, spices etc..

Anything you dipped a knife fork or spoon into that touched a gluten based product has to be replaced as well.

Try to keep your meals simple for a couple of weeks. Keep the snacks even simplier.

good luck

[Salax]

Udi's bread for grilled cheese, french toast, PB & J. Udi's also has frozen pizza crusts that I enjoy, he could help you make his own gluten-free pizza.

A yummie dinner is the betty crocker gluten free baking mix with taco meat. You can look up all kinds of fun recipes through the betty crocker website under the gluten free section.

I think the best resource besides this awesome website is other searches for kid friendly gluten free recipes.

[Noomers]

Check out this blog: Open Original Shared Link

[Kelleybean]

I have a very picky eater too. Some things I give him ... Applegate Farms hotdogs (they make an apple/chicken sausage too), muffins that I make from Namaste muffin mix and add pureed veggies and 1/2 c applesauce, scrambled eggs (we have this for dinner at least once or twice a week), gluten-free cereals like Gorilla munch, bean patties, "Impossible pies" with gluten-free bisquick. Rice cakes topped with peanut butter, almond butter, sunbutter, or bean dip. Smoothies with a handful of spinach, 1/2 banana, few ice cubes and almond milk (or skip the ice cubes and spinach and add frozen carrots). Will didn't like them but I thought the Dr. Praegger's potato crusted fishies were good. Also he won't eat veggies in whole form, but he will do mashed sweet potatoes with some butter, milk, brown sugar and a dash of salt. They are a little expensive but Will's favorite thing is Ian's alphabet potatoes. I use those to bribe him to try new foods. PB&J with Udi's bread. French toast with a jar of baby food squash mixed in the batter.

The easiest thing for me was to look at what my son was eating already and figure out a gluten-free alternative.

[Jennaand2kids]

check this blog out....she is amazing....

Open Original Shared Link

Also, ALEX: whats the pumpkin pie pancake receipe please?

[alex11602]

check this blog out....she is amazing....

Open Original Shared Link

Also, ALEX: whats the pumpkin pie pancake receipe please?

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes (adapted from a Carol Fenster recipe)

3/4-1 c water depending on if it's pancakes or waffles

[sa1937]

check this blog out....she is amazing....

Open Original Shared Link

Just curious, Jenna...what do you find so amazing about her facebook page since you've sent that link a few times already?

[Jennaand2kids]

She has a masters or doctrate in nutrition. She has written 2 regular books and 2 cook books. She believes gluten isnt needed even if your not allergic to it. She gives healthy ways of making gluten free foods...For example she uses almond, peanut, and coconut flour mainly as flours. And everything is sugar free and mostly dairy free unless specifically written. She just helped me open my eyes to everything and realize how food effects your mood and stabalizes who you are....

[AmandaM]

Hi

My nephew is nearly 3 years old and has just been diagnosed with celiac disease. I live in London and am thinking of posting food to my sister in South Africa as she is struggling with gluten free food, as this condition is not as common in South Africa as it is in Europe. If anyone can please advise me on where she can get gluten free products.

My sister is very upset about this new diagnosis and is wondering if anyone can give advice about living gluten free in South Africa.

Also how do you eat out in restaurants with children who have celiac as you cannot read the ingredients

Thank you

[momof2peanutz]

Open Original Shared Link

Hey there, found this site on gluten-free candy. They also have candy that's completely free of all 8 major food allergens. It has an "orange 'A'" at the top.

My son is super super picky. He's 3 and has major texture issues. He eats tons of "Sticks and Twigs" by Mary's Gone Crackers. She makes lots of crackers that are wheat free and yeast free.

Also we make him a "shake" of sheep's milk yogurt, raw almond butter and rice milk. (that's his protein)

Also, juicing. If you're staying away from anything sweet to clear out his system (of yeast), then you can juice cucumbers, lemons, kale, broccoli, zucchinis, pretty much anything. It's pretty good and surprisingly sweet. Just make sure you juice organic stuff. otherwise tastes awful.

The best thing, truthfully, is to troll your health food stores' aisles and just read every label of food that looks interesting. You'll learn a lot of what is in stuff and what your son can and can't have. Also: beware.. yeast is also a prob for some kids w/ celiac or 'gut issues'.

I consider Julie Matthews (licensed nutritionist) to be the expert on what to feed and what not to feed when it comes to kids and gut issues. Open Original Shared Link

Don't worry! Your son will get used to the new foods. I know I know.. he is picky. I totally understand your pain. He will at least find it interesting to explore the new foods or at least look @ their boxes, etc. He will get to 'pick and choose' and maybe nibble here and there. Then he'll take more and more. I so know how stressful it is!!! You're not alone in this struggle.

Feel free to w/b or email me: morgan0123@ymail.com

Hugs and best of luck to you!

[momof2peanutz]

Hi

My nephew is nearly 3 years old and has just been diagnosed with celiac disease. I live in London and am thinking of posting food to my sister in South Africa as she is struggling with gluten free food, as this condition is not as common in South Africa as it is in Europe. If anyone can please advise me on where she can get gluten free products.

My sister is very upset about this new diagnosis and is wondering if anyone can give advice about living gluten free in South Africa.

Also how do you eat out in restaurants with children who have celiac as you cannot read the ingredients

Thank you

Regarding eating out gluten-free: You can look up online any gluten free menus for restaurants you want to eat at. There are lots of them and I'm finding more restaurants are starting to have these menus and be aware of this issue. Open Original Shared Link Here's a site on eating gluten-free in restaurants in London. I'm sure there are others, as well..

Also, this looked like a great guide to eating gluten free in south africa. Looks like she's just got to go to the right markets and/or restaurants to pick up gluten-free breads and ingredients. .. not sure how easy or hard that is, but this site looks informative.

Open Original Shared Link

Also, just utilize google. there's a ton of info thankfully now on eating gluten-free.

[momof2peanutz]

hi all, i am more than certain my 7 yr old son has celiac, i first noticed when he got the age of potty training, he didnt start using a toilet untill he was 4 years old and even now has very regular bouts of diarrhoea and often doesnt make it to the toilet , i first started with symptoms while i was pregnant with him and was diagnosed despite a neg blood test, i am also quite certain both my parents and sister has it. I have been ignoring my celiac for 7 yrs now but its time to change!, this also means including my son in this life style change, but OMG, i am almost stricken with panick as to what to feed him. It's difficult enough feeding him as he is a very picky eater, won't eat potatoes,veg,pasta,etc etc. Now i am quite certain i will be able to cook gluten free meals (after a bit of practice) and was wondering if anyone has any fun recipes that small children like or knows and sites to go to, also any tips on how to support a small person when they have to deal with not being allowed their fave snacks like candies!? I feel so mean when i tell him he can't have things like certain ice creams etc etc. Does chocolate contain gluten? are there any alternatives? I am so confused as to what to do with him, it's hard enough feeding my self hahah

any feedback would be so welcome

thanks!

Also, if you do almond butter or put it in shakes, it will help "bind him up" a bit, so he's a bit more regular and doesn't have diarrhea. Helped both my kids a bunch w/ their stools.