How To Pack Gluten
A lot of gluten-free lunch recipes involve finger foods, hot lunches, and salads so having the right container goes a long way. Containers with compartments and thermoses have proven to be the most helpful when it comes to packing non-sandwich lunches and Ive got an entire post reviewing the top MOMables lunch containerrecommendations which you can check out here.
How Is Coeliac Disease Diagnosed
Before commencing testing, gluten must still be consumed to ensure that tests can measure the bodys reaction to the protein. Firstly, a blood test will measure for antibodies that are usually higher in people with coeliac disease who are eating gluten. If the blood test is positive, a small bowel biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis. If the tests are negative but gastrointestinal symptoms are experienced it could be due to other food intolerances. It would be recommended that you visit an Accredited Practising Dietitian for appropriate diagnosis.
Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies
Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies by Oh She Glows
Made with oats, banana, cinnamon and jam, these gluten-free and flourless thumbprint cookies are truly, to quote Angela, like portable baked oatmeal. And even though theyre touted as breakfast cookies, you can easily eat them for a gluten-free snack at any time of the day!
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Eating Away From Home
People with celiac disease aren’t limited to eating at home. With experience and knowledge, you’ll be able to figure out which dishes at restaurants or friends’ homes contain gluten. A local support group might have a list of restaurants where the chef is familiar with the gluten-free diet. Some restaurants now offer gluten-free dishes on their menus be sure to ask.
Sometimes, no matter how well prepared you are, you might not be able to find out if a particular food is gluten-free. When in doubt, order something else for your child to eat!
Here are some tips to remember when choosing foods:
Start with the foods your child can eat. Foods and ingredients that someone with celiac disease can eat and use in cooking include: foods made with the flours of corn, rice, buckwheat, sorghum, arrowroot, garbanzo beans , quinoa, tapioca, teff, and potato . Also OK are all plain meats, fish, chicken, legumes, nuts, seeds, oils, milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.
If you bake with products that contain gluten, thoroughly clean appliances, utensils, and work surfaces before preparing gluten-free products. Remember to wash your hands well and often when you’re cooking and preparing food.
In restaurants, tell the server or the kitchen staff about your child’s condition and make sure that they know that it’s important that your child’s food not contain any gluten or related ingredients.
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What Extra Precautions Should I Take
People who are newly diagnosed with celiac disease or have lingering symptoms may be advised to be a little more careful in taking risks with foods that may be cross contaminated. Generally, you always want to avoid foods that state that foods were manufactured on equipment shared by gluten-containing foods. So, it is important to work with your healthcare providers, especially your dietitian to make sure you are doing everything in your control to help prevent undesired symptoms.
To top this whole series off, we went to a celiac disease expert dietitian to learn The Real Truth About Gluten-Free and Celiac. Read what she had to say in part 4 of our series!
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Family Friendly Gluten Free Recipes
I know from experience it can be tricky transitioning to gluten free recipes when someone in the family needs those meals provided for them. No one wants, or has the time, for making two different meals so its important to make the whole family happy with every recipe!
Plus, buying speciality gluten free ingredients can be expensive. Therefore, utilizing affordable ingredients that are naturally gluten free and readily available is key.
Although the purpose of this article is to find a collection of gluten free recipes for kids, they actually all keep the whole family happy. Make one delicious, family-friendly meal and save yourself time and money!
For more affordable family-friendly gluten free recipes, be sure to check out this cheap gluten free recipe resource!
Mango Honey Fruit Leather
Mango Honey Fruit Leather by Dash of Vegan Butter
A much healthier version of fruit rollups that only needs 3 ingredients: mangoes, honey and lemon juice. Puree the fruit and let it dry in the dehydrator or in your oven at the lowest temperature overnight. These are great for lunch boxes or road trips.
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Gluten Free Recipes For Kids
It might seem difficult to elaborate gluten free meals for kids if we are not familiar with gluten free nutrition and no other family member has ever had any gluten intolerance. It is important to be supportive with our kids and make sure that everyone at home understands this new situation. Gluten free meals for kids are as delicious as normal meals, try some of our favourite gluten free recipes for kids and forget to worry about what to cook that everyone might like.
Gluten Free Cheesy Cauliflower Soup: You can try this soup as an appetizer, which is a healthier version of the traditional cheesy cauliflower soup, but without cream, butter or flour. The bacon as a topping is entirely optional. Serve with crackers or gluten free crusty bread.
Gluten Free Burrito in a Skillet: You will need just 10 minutes of preparation for creating this vegetarian burrito without the typical wheat tortilla.
Gluten Free Broccoli Quinoa Cheese Casserole: Fast and easy gluten free casserole which is perfect as a side dish or entree with a side salad or portion of meat or chicken. This casserole can also be made a day in advance.
Chocolate Chip Quinoa Granola Bars
Chocolate Chip Quinoa Granola Bars by I Food Real
Granola bars are a lunchbox staple, but many store-bought granola bars contain artificial ingredients and often have more sugar than chocolate bars! This recipe, however, is packed with fibre, protein and nutritious fats, which results in a tasty yet nutritious snack.
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How To Make Nutritious Gluten
As you know, cooking for children is a tough job. Eliminate kid favorites like mac and cheese, spaghetti and pizza, and it just gets ten times tougher. When your kids have celiac disease or gluten sensitivities, there’s a lot to watch out for. Use these tips to make nutritious, gluten-free meals your kids will love.
Know What to Watch Out For
It only takes a tiny bit of gluten to cause a reaction, so it’s important that all sources of gluten are kept separateseparate cutting boards for gluten-free and regular bread, separate toasters and separate jars of peanut butter and condiments. Check this list of ingredients to avoid.
Go Natural
There are more gluten-free products on the market today, but many are low in fiber and minerals. Lots of gluten-free baked goods are made with refined grains, such as white rice or potato flour. Try to choose naturally gluten-free grains that are also high in fiber, like:
- Brown rice
- Amaranth
Plan it Out
With proper planning and openness to trying new foods, you can make sure your kids love what they eat and avoid a bad reaction. Try these ideas:
School Lunches Coping With Being Different
The conformist rules are stronger in the playground than anywhere and sadly, many children suffer bullying over their lunchboxes teasing about different foods, or others sneaking in gluten-containing crumbs in their lunchboxes. Ask questions if lunchboxes are coming home untouched.
There is also often pressure to include foods which can be eaten quickly so theres more time to play!
Lunch needs to provide the staying-power to last all afternoon. Fibre and protein are key.
Nuts are ideal for the child with coeliac disease, but check your schools nut policy as your child may have nut-allergic children in class. This tends to become less of an issue in older children who dont play as closely.
Many school tuck shops will happily heat gluten-free food you drop in and store in their freezer. Make sure the lunch can be reheated in the wrapping to avoid cross contamination.
If your childs class shares cake or lollies on birthdays, arrange to leave some slices of gluten-free cake or gluten-free cup cakes labelled in the staffroom freezer. Leave some lollipops or whatever your childs teacher may be in the habit of giving out, labelled, with your childs teacher. Encourage children to check labels from a young age with the mantra, safe food is food in a packet with a label on it.
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Treatment Revolves Around Living Gluten
Right now, celiac disease can only be treated by avoiding gluten. Children who start a gluten-free diet often feel much better in as little as two weeks.
Avoiding gluten is so beneficial that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a final rule in August 2020 that, in order for a product to be labeled “gluten-free,” it must adhere to strict compliance requirements.
Unfortunately, gluten is everywhere and not just in the food we eat. The protein is also used in many everyday products such as vitamins, lotion, shampoo, and the adhesives on stamps and envelopes. It can even be in your childs playdough .
Education is key, at home and in the community. It can be challenging and surprising to learn which foods and products contain gluten, but you wont be on your own. Our team can help your child and family, friends, and school or daycare staff:
- Read labels to know whether a food or product is safe.
- Choose vitamins or supplements to help counteract nutritional deficits.
- Create a safe space to prepare gluten-free food.
- Develop a 504 plan, which is a blueprint to keep your child safe and healthy at school.
- Find food swaps at restaurants, birthday parties, or other events.
- Prepare tasty recipes that are safe and healthy, like these from Beyond Celiac.
Before you know it, you and your child will be pros at knowing what is and isn’t safe and navigating those conversations.
A Gluten Free Diet And What To Look Out For
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, malt, and brewers yeast. Gluten is the protein that gives dough its elasticity, holding it together, and giving it a soft, pliable structure.
When reading food labels you should look out for the obvious red flags, such as wheat, rye, barley, and malt. However, even if grains, like oats and rice, are naturally gluten free, they may have been processed on equipment shared with wheat products.
To be confident look for a certified gluten free label on the package or cross reference with the manufacturers website. Although first experiences shopping gluten free can be overwhelming and time consuming, it does get easier! Once you are familiar with safe products its easier to grab and go.
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Can You Make Easy Gluten Free Snacks For Kids
Making gluten free snacks for your children to enjoy at home and at school is easier than youd think. A lot of traditional favorites in the snack world are gluten free naturally. This means that your kid can continue to enjoy staples like peanut butter and jelly, or chocolate and popcorn, as long as youre careful to avoid certain grains.
Another point to keep in mind when youre building gluten free snacks for your children, is that lactose, the sugar in dairy products, can sometimes be a common side issue for people with celiac disease. However, intolerance to lactose in people with a gluten sensitivity can sometimes improve over time as their intestine heals.
Before making any changes to your childs diet, make sure that you speak to a doctor about their specific needs. This is particularly important if you know that your child has an intolerance to certain foods. Your doctor will be able to offer extra advice on how to help your child make the most of their new diet.
Gluten Free Foods Kids Will Love
Kids can be picky eaters. This can make a gluten free even harder for them to follow. Below youll find 12 of our favorite gluten free foods for kids.
Going gluten free can be a challenging transition but having the right food products and some tasty recipes makes all the difference. When it comes to kids going gluten free, there is an extra challenge because kids tend to be picky eaters. They may also feel left out at school, so its important to always have safe gluten free snacks readily available!
The good news is that there are plenty of gluten free options for kids out there, you just have to know where to look. With some gluten free convenience foods and a healthy dose of creativity, you can make gluten free versions of your childs favorite foods, so they doesnt feel deprived. Here are twelve quick and easy gluten free recipes your kids will love.
1. PB& J Apple Bites Peanut butter and jelly is a staple in any childs diet but going gluten free makes things a little more difficult because you cant just grab a loaf of bread off the shelf. For a simple gluten free alternative to classic PB& J, try using apple slices instead of bread. Simply cut an apple into ¼-inch slices and use a small cookie cutter to cut out the core from each slice. Slather half the slices with peanut butter and the other half with jelly then put them together!Prep Time: 10 minutes
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Fitting In With The Family At Meal Times
A common question is whether the whole family should follow a gluten-free diet. The general answer is that as long as the gluten can be contained and the coeliac family member is not put at risk, the rest of the family can continue to follow a normal diet. To avoid cross-contamination at home:
- make most pantry basics gluten-free
- have a clearly designated gluten-free toaster slot
- use pantry stickers or red and green-coloured sticky dots to identify safe and unsafe foods, and to label storage jars
- watch for crumbs in the butter and jam
What It Means To Go Gluten Free
Gluten is a common protein frequently found in grains and a lot ofschool snacks. If youre raising a gluten free kid, theyll need to avoid all kinds of foods and drinks that include barley, wheat, rye, and triticale. Some grains and starches are still suitable for a gluten free diet.
Soy, rice, and cornflour all dont contain gluten. Youll also find that many common snack ideas, from peanut butter to fruit, and some chocolate recipes, dont contain gluten either.
Gluten isnt necessarily unhealthy, but it can cause problems for people who have celiac disease and other food intolerances. So, you shouldnt start cutting gluten out of your kids diet on a whim. Going gluten free doesnt guarantee a healthy snack, and it could make it tougher for your child to get certain nutrients into their diet.
Speak to your childs doctor about how to feed them the best diet, whether they have a gluten allergy or not.
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