Sometimes, children can become intolerant to gluten, a protein found in common foods such as wheat, rye and barley. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of a gluten intolerance include diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating after eating foods containing gluten. Contact your physician if your child exhibits any symptoms and schedule a test for gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, which is a food allergy to gluten. You will have to learn what foods are safe for your child when following a gluten free diet.
Foods to Avoid
Your child will need to avoid all foods containing wheat, barley and rye. These are in many common foods such as pasta, bread, cookies and cakes. Your child will also need avoid items that are made using wheat flours. You must avoid most breakfast cereals, as they are often made with puffed or shredded wheat. Other foods to avoid include most snack foods, thick soups and gravies, breaded products and most condiments.
What to Eat
Meats, vegetables, fruit; milk products, if your child has no dairy intolerances; nuts, if your child has no nut allergies; and rice. Rice is also made into a wide variety of items that can be used in place of wheat products. For example, you can now find pasta made from rice, which is acceptable on a gluten-free diet. You can also find rice cakes and rice crackers, which can replace bread. Your child may also have corn based products, like tortilla chips and tortillas made from corn. You can use these as wraps in place of bread, or as a base for mini pizzas. However, be sure to read labels to make sure the products are gluten free. Even though it may be rice or corn based, it may contain gluten. You will be able to find some gluten free, rice based cereals to feed your child for breakfast as well.
Challenges for Children
It may be difficult for your child to live gluten-free in certain social situations. He will no longer be able to have pizza at parties or birthday cake with friends. When other children have birthdays at school, their parents may send in special treats that your child may not be able to eat. It is best to teach your child about his condition, and provide his teacher with a list of gluten-free treats that he can have. You should send him with a gluten free treat when he goes to birthday parties, or to school when special treats will be present which he can't eat. This way, he won't feel deprived on a special day. Additionally, you can find gluten free cake mixes at most local grocery stores. Making one of these will be very special for your child.
Reading Food Labels
Learn to read food labels and teach this skill to your child. Look for ingredients such as wheat, wheat germ, semolina, barley, malt, rye, oats, durum, spelt, couscous, tabbouleh, cracker meal, and all wheat flour. Avoid these ingredients and any other ingredients containing the above key words as they all contain gluten.
Gluten in Non-Food Items
If your child is following a gluten free diet, you will need to read labels on items other than food itself. For example, many children's vitamins contain gluten. Lip balm may contain gluten. Play-dough also has gluten, as it is made with flour. While most children will not eat the play-dough, some young children may place it in their mouths or eat it. If you are unsure whether or not a product contains gluten, call the manufacturer directly to ask. This will help you be sure that you child will not have a reaction to the product.
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