Coeliac diagnosis for 4 yr old DS. Guidance needed for diet change

[RebeccaP]

Hi there. My DS has tested positive for the coeliac blood test. He is booked in for a biopsy/endoscopy on Tuesday. The consultant has told us to change his diet as soon as the biopsy is done, as he is 95% sure it is coeliac disease. I've done lots of reading and I know what we need to cut out of his diet. I would love some suggestions of good GF foods that a 4 year old will hopefully like. I know it's going to take a while to work out what he likes best, but it would be good to have a few substitutes ready that are recommended, to make the transition as easy as possible. I've been looking through previous threads and the following things seem to be recommended a lot;
Doves farm pasta
Isabel's mix for pizza bases
Genius bread
Doves GF flour
Does anyone have other suggestions? I'm particularly interested in cereals, biscuits, cakes and savoury snacks.
Thank you
Xxxx

hi, coeliac uk website has loads of advice, and there are links to companies - juvela and glutafin and others that will send you samples of things you'll be able to get on prescription. my children both love rice cakes and eat them as crackers, the major supermarkets have increasingly wide range of things in the free from section. Hope his biopsy goes well. Interesting that he is having one, in our nhs trust they don't do them on children if the blood test and genetic testing is positive.

Hi, my 7 yr old was diagnosed in December. She particularly likes the free from pancakes and muffins from Sainsbury and choc muffins from tesco. I also found there are various Facebook groups you can join for advice and support - parents of Coeliacs is very good. Also, if you join the Coeliac society they send you a book which contains loads of gluten free foods, very helpful, they also have really helpful pages on how to explain Coeliac disease to children, school etc.

Marks and Spencer are very good. They do g free chicken nuggets and fish cakes etc

Hi, I have a 5 and 7 yr old both with Coeliac Disease. We get Juvela Rice crispies and corn flakes on prescription along with Glutafin pizza bases, Glutafin Fusilli pasta and spaghetti. Orgran Self Raising flour is also available on prescription and works well in the fairy cakes we make regularly. Glutafin White Mix is also good and makes decent pastry for mince pies or jam tarts.

We buy Pink wafer biscuits from Sainsburys (99p), No Wheat Chocolate bars from Tesco (85p for 5) and try get to Marks & Spencer for cakes when we want a bought one. They do a chocolate loaf which is the kids favourite. They also have a Victoria sponge, Coffee and Walnut and Carrot.
Marks is also good for GF cocktail sausages (ready cooked) for parties and they do GF breaded chicken/fish and all their sausages are GF.
Pepperami is GF, babybel, rice cakes, and Morrisons do an own brand tortilla and dairylea dipper pot that is GF and handy for snack/party.
Taco's have become a weekly favourite here. The Santa Maria (used to be Discovery) brand are GF and kids have them when friends are over.

Good luck! There's lots of label reading at first but rarely anything that can't be substituted for something safe.

Marks sausages are good, waitrose do a gluten free chipolata although is isn't marked up as gluten free. Remember Heinz baked beans are gluten free!

Nigellas flourless brownies are ace if nuts ok- I would leave out the nut pieces for 4 year old though and just add a few more ground almonds.

Buy any gf oats and make flapjacks.

Most popcorn (inc butterkist) is gf.

Bread and biscuits take a bit of getting used to.

Watch out for may contain gluten on choc wrappers, in my experience this means it definitely does!

Oh and when you go for the endoscopy expect lots of waiting so take a ipad/DVD/anything to pass a few hours. No food/drink prior to it so expect a cranky hungry child. DS was 5 when he had his biopsy and was just starving after and while they will find you something to eat I would recommend taking a packed lunch so he can eat straight away without waiting for the staff.

I've got a 4yo DS who is coeliac so here goes.
Breakfast - Whole Earth cornflakes are GF and Doves Farm Do GF Chocolate stars cereal. My DS often refuses cereal so I also do French toast or toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast. If I've got time I make pancakes, if you use buttermilk they are light and fluffy.
Lunch - GF pasta, I actually prefer supermarket own brands to Doves farm and they're cheaper. Also Spanish omelette, m&s sausages, leftovers.
Dinner- most of what we have is the same as we had before, just tweaked to make it GF. My DSs favourite is Yorkshire pudding. I use the Glutafin recipe (using glutafin flour he gets on prescription) and they are the best Yorkshires ever. We have them with roast dinners or for toad in the hole. I make casseroles and shepherd pie using GF flour. I make my own chicken / fish goujons using GF breadcrumbs.
I don't make pizza that often as I haven't yet mastered how to make a really good one. My DSs don't like the pre made bases. I also used to make lots of pasta bakes but find GF pasta goes a bit soft if it is baked.
Personally I find most GF cakes and biscuits dry, crumbly and expensive.
I make my own there are lots of GF cookbooks (I'm a big fan of Hannah Miles) and recipes online. I tend to make a batch of biscuit dough but only cook a few at a time, the rest I put in the freezer and cook a few at a time. Muffins/ cup cakes I freeze once they are cooked and just defrost as needed.
For snacks - yogurt, fruit, rice cakes (including chocolate ones), chocolate buttons, prombears. I also make cornbread muffins which he loves.
When going out for a length of time I always take something. DS goes to nursery every morning and he has a little snack box in his bag for after nursery, even though he normally comes straight home. It means if I get stuck and have to get someone else to collect him he's got something. Or if we suddenly decide to go to a friends or the park he's got something. I also keep a box of treats in nursery for cooking/ birthday treats.
One thing we still do is eat out. Most chain restaurants have GF options and you can check out their menus online. Most of our local restaurants are good as well though I always phone in advance to check.
Definitely take food for after the biopsy, my older DS had to have a biopsy and there were no GF food options for him afterwards, just normal sandwiches and I was desperate to get him of gluten ASAP.
Also set up your prescription as soon as you can, GF alternatives can be expensive.

Wow thanks for all the responses. Really helpful. I will get stocked up now. DS loves pink wafer biscuits so that's great that there is a cheap GF version.
Glutenfreecake - I know, I was hoping that the consultant would say that he doesn't need a biopsy. But he was really keen to do it and said it would be quicker than further blood tests and would give us definite answer. There is history of coeliac disease in the family and his blood test was positive, so I'll be really surprised now if he isn't diagnosed with it. Just want the biopsy part over with. Thanks all for tips about taking food & ipad etc to hospital - I hadn't thought about doing that.
Another question - in the Coeliac uk handbook it lists Tesco corn flakes and Tesco rice snaps as GF. DS eats these already, so I'm really pleased that they are GF - but surprised as they have barley extract listed in the ingredients. Are they really ok for coeliac so to eat?

In the UK, for food to be labelled GF, it must have less than 20ppm (parts per million) of gluten. So foods can contain very small amounts of gluten but be considered GF. I think 20ppm is the standard across Europe, in Australia it's 5ppm and in Canada (I think!) it is 0. So it does vary. Some people react at even our low amount and avoid any gluten containing ingredients. My own DSs bloods only went to 0 when we removed codex wheat and I avoid all barley malt extract.