Celiac Disease?

One thing that helps little ones to adjust to new ideas is teach them that they have to have "Special" foods. If they are feeling extra special they can adjust. I have to admit that I don't know anything about Celiac Disease, but if she can't have chocolate, but can have something similar then give her a choice at the time she is asking for something. Have snacks that she can have ready when others are having snacks. After a fashion, she will learn that her snacks are... and she'll start asking for them. I would eat them with her sometimes and shen the baby gets snacks I would give snacks to that child too so she doesn't feel like she is totally different from everyone.
I hope this helps. K

Good morning K., I know there is a rice cracker/ chip at Costco that is gluten free, they are actually pretty good. My mother has Celiacs, fortunately the companies are getting better about labeling the items.

My daughter has a peanut/tree nut allergy so I definitly understand it can be hard to explain why they can't have something. Rule number one in our house is that she has to ask me or her daddy if she can eat ANYTHING. Meaning, if she is hungry, she has to ask if she can have something so we can help her make the right choices and not choose something that would have peanute/nuts in it. Especially when we are not at home. This can be hard but you can make it happen. Also, Deby's is a gluten free restaurant in Denver. You can find it in the yellow pages. My mother-in-law has celiacs so we are fully aware of all of the gluten free places/snacks, etc. Honestly, for snacks, there is nothing wrong with always giving her fruits and veggies with dip, cheese and gluten free crackers (I get them at King Soopers), etc. My girls snack pretty healthy because we are with grandma a lot and she servers all gluten free. It's actually been pretty easy. Hope this helps.

I'm not sure about how to explain Celiac but Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage sell a lot of Gluten Free & Wheat Free items. Also, a lot of the King Soopers are starting to carry those items (in much smaller selection). In King Soopers, you might have to look for the "Organic" or "Natural" section.

Explanations will be much easier as she starts to feel better from going gluten-free. My 3-y-o son was recently diagnosed with a severe nut allergy and he's great about it because he doesn't want to get sick like he did when he had nuts.

There are some great options for alternative flours/grains and some yummy pastas. I like rice pasta for lasagna but not spaghetti (it breaks too easily). There's a soybean angel hair pasta (I got it at Vitamin Cottage) that tastes almost like regular pasta & the texture is great.

When my son was diagnosed I found a group on Yahoo... http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/TerrificKidsWFA/ (I hope it's okay for me to post that here). I've gotten a ton of info from there and lots of helpful links. It's nice to talk with other people who are in the same situation.

Best of luck to you!
O.

My daughter and I both have Celiac. I for almost 6 years and my daughter for three. The market is so much better than it used to be. There are a lot of mainstream foods that are gluten free and our local grocery store carries quite a bit now. The most useful website for us is http://www.clanthompson.com/index.php3. Hope this helps.
Dawn

1. Glutino is our favorite brand of gluten free snacks. They make crackers, pretzels, breakfast bars, etc. They are delicious, and your little one will probably not realize that these products are anything different from anyone else's. Stock your home with these kinds of snacks, and don't keep the other ones around to reduce stress for everyone.

2. Another tip: Keep a bag of gluten free goodies in the car so you will have some when unexpected social eating events come up. Crackers, fruit leathers, etc. can last a long time in a zip lock bag.

3. French Meadow sourdough brown rice bread is the best. It's dense, but makes delicious toast and yummy sandwiches. Their pizza crusts are not my favorite though. I wouldn't recommend any brand of white rice bread. It falls apart and tastes like glue.

4. Find a good health food store close to home. Get to know the people who work there, and tell them your daughter's situation. They will probably have a lot to offer you in terms of help. There are many, many fine products to help you meet your daughter's nutritional and social eating needs with a minimum of fuss. It was much harder to find these things 10 years ago, believe me.

5. There are also many chapters of support groups for Celiac families. Join one. You are not alone by a long shot. Being around other people who have had to make these kinds of changes will help you with your grief and concern for your daughter. They will also have lots of tips.

6. Find out which restaurants in your area offer gluten-free options. There are lots, and you can search for them on the internet. There are even gluten-free pizza restaurants! We've had to walk out of restaurants after we found they had no options for our son so try to go to places you know can feed the whole family when you are with your 3 y.o. It is so much more pleasant than getting bad news when you are already there.

Finally, once you get used to stocking products appropriate for your 3 y.o. and you find the places where you can get what you need, it will become pretty easy for you all. It's largely a matter of changing your routines. You can do it. Good luck!

FYI - Spelt is not gluten free. It is not safe for celiacs. Regular oats are not either. However, you can find gluten free oats here in town.

Hi K.,

You are going to be shocked at the amount of information and support that you are going to find as you adjust to this diagnoses. I just started on a gluten-free diet myself and I am exploring the options. I bought "Gluten-Free Living for Dummies" from Amazon and it has been VERY helpful. As for explaining to you daughter, I wouldn't get too technical right now. Mainly, she needs to know that the changes will amke her feel better. She will follow your lead and there are lots of gluten-free snacks available, not the least of which is fruit. All of the "health-food" chains have lots of gluten-free products.

Good Luck!

A.

K.,
I know it seems daunting to completely cut gluten out of her diet, but it is easier than you think when you have a few products. You can mix your own flours to have a gluten free base, but Pamela's brand really has a great all purpose mix, so for simplicity, I use this. You can find this brand at health food stores and some progressive grocery stores. On the Pamela's website you can find recipes on how to use the baking mix to make different foods. The same company also makes a gluten free bread mix that is really good. It slices nice for sandwiches. As far as snacks, lean more towards the rice based snacks, like rice crackers or rice cakes. If she can tolerate corn, there are lots of snacks that are corn based. Also veggie snacks like carrots or fruit snacks are always good. As far as explaining to her, let her know that gluten makes her sick and teach her to ask adults that are giving her food if it has gluten in it. If she's going to a birthday party, for example, you can send her with a gluten free cupcake so she doesn't feel left out (we make cakes out of Pamela's cake mix). I hope this helps. We had to look around to lots of product until we found ones that actually taste good. (for example we tries Bob's brand and it's awful) Good luck! E.

Hi K.,
If she likes sandwiches, spelt bread is great and does not taste funny. You can find it at Kingsooper and Vitamin Cottage. If you like to make bread... Vitamin Cottage also sells spelt flour, its less expensive if you get it in the refrigerated section (which is usually in the back of the store). King sooper and even walmart are selling pasta that is made with rice flour, which she may like. There are rice crackers that you can find at Kingsooper and Vitamin Cottage as well(I like the Blue Daimond brand). Snack wise there are cookies that made with tofu (may not sound good, but they are tasty)cereals that are gluten free and chips that are kid friendly, pirate booty is one my kids like... agian kingsooper or vitamin cottage. Its amazing how the gluten problem is so wide spread. You really have to check labels, I found that some soups have flour in them... especially the cream based. As far as explaining the new foods, let her know that she gets to eat special foods that will make her tummy happy.

I wish you well,
T.

Hi, K., my son doesn't have CeliacDisease, but he is on a pretty restrictive gluten-free diet for other reasons. I get a lot of foods for him at Deby's Gluten Free cafe and bakery. It's maybe a bit far for you, coming from Westminster - it's at Iliff and Trenton, just on the Denver/Aurora border. Everything in the store is gluten-free and I think they do special orders from their website. I've gotten waffles, ravioli, pizza crust, and it's all really delicious. Being gluten-free doesn't mean you have to give up your favorite foods anymore! And you can get gluten-free stuff at WholeFoods, too. There's usually a section dedicated to it. The diet will be the hardest at first, but your daughter will soon realize she feels much better eating the stuff you give her and she'll adjust. Good Luck!!

Fiona's Natural Foods makes a good Quinoa cereal that makes yummy gluten free cookies (just find a quinoa cookie recipe) and also is yummy hot. You can get them at Whole Foods and most Vitamin Cottages! Also Whole Foods offers tours for such allergies, and I know that they have one for Gluten-free foods so you know where to find them. You can also get a list of Gluten-Free foods at the front dest, and depending on the store online too!

GL!

http://www.celiac.com/

http://glutenfreeblog.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

Gluten-free baking mix

Soul dog (resturant in NY) substitutes this mix cup for cup for wheat flour, except in bread recipes. Look for xanthan gum next to the specialty flours.

2 1/3 cups chickpea flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoon zanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Soul dog Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
1 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups Gluten-free baking mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until creamy. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add baking mix, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by level tablespoons or small ice cream scoop 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen.


If you want any other recipes just let me know.

I also have ordered the special diets for special kids (the first one) My son loves the jam muffins in it.

Amazon.com in the grocery section has gluten free stuff also. There are some Rice Krispers at Sams club that are really good. When you grocery shopping just check the labels. It is amazing at what is gluten free.

When I put my son on the gluten free diet (he is 3) I just told him that he gets to have certain things. He was totally fine with it. Now if he wants something that he can not have I just tell him "no you can't have that, put it away" and he is really good about it. My girls are really good about not giving him things that he can't have. For example, my son loves oreos. I stil buy then (they are a weakness for me and my girls) and when we have them I just give him one of his. The health food stores have a lot of the stuff that is gluten free but looks just like "our" food. You will be amazed at how fast she is going to adjust to the diet. My son's school is on board with me too, I send snacks to school that he can have everyday and if there is some special thing going on for the holidays his teacher will call me and ask if he can have the treat. I have only been doing this since Christmas but there is so much out there that it is almost overwhelming. Any of the resturants that you like to go to (McDonalds, Dairy Queen) just look on their web sites and they do offer gluten free info on their foods. Also when or if you go out to eat just ask about stuff for her.

Hi K.,

While this diagnosis is tough at first, celiac disease is a blessing in disguise! It will make your whole family healthier and more conscious of your diet. I have it, my mom, grandfather, mother, and cousin have it and now, we are starting to suspect that my daughter (14 months) could have it. There is a TON of stuff available.

Have you heard of Debby's Gluten Free Cafe? They have good products as well as great pizza. (Beau Jo's has pizza, too.) Vitamin Cottage is more affordable than Whole Foods and they have a ton of stuff.

Good luck!!!

Kate

p.s. Watch out for Spelt. It is low in gluten, but it is NOT gluten free! For people with a gluten sensitivity, it is a good option, but not for people with Celiac.

Myself and my three sons have Celiac disease. Things are much easier now than they were 10 years ago when I was diagnosed. There is a national & local Celiac Association. They have groups just for children. They can give you a lot of information. They have a website but I don't remember it off the top of my head. They sell a book that lists gluten free foods - it is updated annually. Whole foods is a great store. There is one at Wadsworth & Alameda. If you don't mind buying over the internet there is a great website called "glutenfree.com" I have found that Pamela's products are the best. You can find some items at King Soopers & Safeway in their natural sections. The bigger, newer the store the more products they carry. Quite a few of Safeway brand products are gluten free. They have a list - I am not sure where I got mine but I would share it with you. There are quite a few cookbooks out also. Your dietician should be able to help you alot. If you don't like your GI I have a great one - the only problem is she is in Longmont. Good luck and let me know how things are going or if you have any questions. It is very difficult in the beginning but it gets easier. M.

K.,
I consulted Jan Haas and her Gluten Free A-Z business. She is a wealth of information and resources. She know what stores & what foods are good. I couldn't have gone gluten free without her help. contact her at ____@____.com

ok, first off tell your little one, she only can have some very special treats. Not everyone can have them only her. Or something to that effect. To find the rice protein items I know a place called the Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods carries them. Two really great places I use them alot. For any tummy trouble try something called Papaya enyzme. It is from GNC and use thier brand all others taste nasty. Theirs is sweet.

K.,

I have a friend with Celiac and have been surprised how much support is out there. In Utah there are several stored that label products that are gluten-free. Below are two websites.

http://www.celiac.com/
http://www.celiac.org/

Hopefully this will assist you in a diet for your 3-year-old.

With Joy, C.
Loving Connections LLC

I'm gluten-intolerant and found the book "Gluten-free for Dummies" extremely helpful. It has a section about kids and gf living - which you might find helpful. Good luck!

K.,

You can go on to the website www.celiac.com and they not only provide a food list but also online shopping. I would also advise that you make sure that any daycare, preschool, or friends also have the list of what foods she can eat. I work in a district that posts signs when they have students that have allergies-like no peanut zone or something like that. I wish you luck with finding good foods for her. The only other place that I can think of is Wild Oats- they have separate sections for specialty foods.
Hope this helps!

I know a great place to find gluten free products,
e-mail me and I'll tell you more.

Good luck!

____@____.com

I always find that any good health food store would help with what you are looking for. They have a lot of answers for health issues.

K., I used to live in Orem and I met a lady named Betsy. Celiac runs in her family, and her and a friend have got together to work out regular foods to be gluten free. Their website is http://www.eatingglutenfree.com/ The recipes on the site you can get for free or you can buy the combined cookbook for convenience. They also do local gluten cooking classes at Macey's grocery store. While I lived in the neighborhood she helped another family discover that 3/4 kids had Celiac. She has 4 girls of her own and only one, she is a twin, has Celiac so she has had to explain this to them at a very young age. I really think talking to her would help you know how to talk to your child and explain that eating those things are why she feels so icky. The funny thing is there are a lot of things that are typically considered "bad for you" but that are "good" for kids with Celiac, such as sugared cereals, they typically don't have wheat, gluten or barley etc. Anyway I really think it would be comforting to talk to her and get some good ideas. She would totally be willing to talk to you and help you out. If it helps you can tell her I told you to call.I'll send you a personal message with her phone number. Good luck to you.

If you go to the Customer Service desk at Whole Foods, they will give you a printed list of products in their stores that are acceptable for a gluten free diet and other food restriction diets, too. It sure makes shopping a lot easier.

Whole Foods has a great selection of products. Also Safeway. I can usually find what I need at one or the other. Safeway has a very small selection, but carries some hard-to-find things (even gluten-free cookies). As far as adjusting goes, I agree with the first mom. You can keep explaining it and eventually she'll realize she does feel better. Our son does very well and did as soon as he started feeling better.

The body ecology diet has some great recipes .... www.bodyecologydiet.com

Vitamine Cottage is a great place to find good gulten free foods. (Denver area) They also have a nutionist on staff you can make an appointment for free and will help you any way they can!
C. B

There is a grocery store that carries only celiac foods in Utah. They have a website too. They are called "Against The Grains"

Hi K.,
My sister in law and two of her children have Celiac's. She opened a gluten free bakery & grocery store, featuring her own recipes and ingredients. They are SO YUMMY! I'm not Celiac but I eat her stuff sometimes, just because it tastes SO good. She invented a flour mixture substitute that can be used cup for cup in your favorite recipes, and also has frozen entree's including pizza, tortillas, and much more!

She located down in South Denver, but I'm pretty sure she ships. Her website is the best way to get more information.
(http://debysglutenfree.com/)

I sure hope this is helpful!
M.