People with celiac disease must avoid the protein found in wheat, rye and barley. All foods with any trace of these ingredients can trigger an autoimmune response in sensitive people, and lead to digestive distress, nutritional deficiencies and other health issues. Girls with celiac disease may be susceptible to health problems, such as anemia and poor growth, if they do not follow a strict gluten-free diet. At first, following such a diet may seem impossible, especially when all your friends get to eat pizza and snacks without having to worry. Learning to identify naturally gluten-free foods that you can eat at home or when you go out will help you manage your condition.
Breakfast
Girls who eat breakfast have a higher calcium and fiber intake and lower body mass indexes than those who skip, reports a study in the June 2005 "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." Gluten-free breakfasts can still include many favorite breakfast foods. Eggs, bacon and cheese are all naturally gluten-free foods. If you are in a rush in the morning and need a quick option, consider yogurt and fresh fruit. Even a handful of nuts and an apple can be a gluten-free breakfast.
Lunch and Dinners
Bringing a brown bag lunch to school can help ensure you do not accidentally consume gluten. Bring string cheese, grapes, baked tortilla chips and hummus or a thermos with chicken and rice soup and brown rice crackers. At home, whip up a fruit smoothie made with skim milk, yogurt and bananas and have alongside gluten-free bread toasted and topped with peanut butter. At dinner, ask your parents to prepare brown rice pasta -- which tastes almost the same as wheat pasta -- or to make stir fry with brown rice, fresh vegetables, lean meat and wheat-free soy sauce. If you like to cook, try making your own gluten-free pizza crusts with alternative flours.
Snacks
Nuts, popcorn and yogurt are examples of gluten-free snacks. Fresh fruit and trail mix are portable snacks you can carry in your backpack or purse. Keeping snacks on hand ensures you always have a safe food to eat and will not be left hungry if at an event or occasion where gluten-free options are not available.
Considerations
If you are out for a meal, do not be shy. Ask the server if the restaurant has a gluten-free menu and explain that you cannot have wheat products. A gluten-free diet is not automatically healthy. If you eat a lot of fattening gluten-free baked goods and snacks, but avoid fruits, vegetables and dairy -- you may not get all the nutrients you need for a healthy body. Without a balanced eating plan, girls can sometimes grow deficient in calcium and iron. If you have any concerns about your nutrition consult your doctor.
References
- Kids Health: Celiac Disease
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association;" Breakfast Consumption by African-American and White Adolescent Girls Correlates Positively with Calcium and Fiber Intake and Negatively with Body Mass Index; SG Affenito et al.; June 2005
- Center for Young Women's Health: Gluten-Free Diet
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