Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Its fine to bring my children up gluten free

582 replies

Ironfistfunkymum · 28/08/2015 17:37

I've been gf for 6+ years, not alergic or anything but feel so much better for it. People seem generally fine with this.

However now I have children people do seem to judge bringing them up gf. But why would if feed them something that I dont think is very healthy (grains hard to digest) and something that I don't think is very ethical (wheat production is causing more deserts due to its growing conditions).

Aibu to expect people to respect my choice and leave it at that?

OP posts:
Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 09:48

It's costing us a fortune though !

Dcs consultant is on board with it but Gp is anti prescribing it. I think I will push it though and insist as some items are 2 times the price of normal equivalent !

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/09/2015 10:24

"I am much more interested in people moving to a generally healthier diet than arguing over gluten. All I can say on the latter is I feel infinitely better without it and that it seems to be linked to all kinds of conditions......

Experiment. Change things that you eat. See what works. if it's just a placebo effect that doesn't matter if you feel better anyway. Even my brain works quicker when I don't have much sugar. Now that might be all in my mind but I don't think so..."

Wise words, Janet.

MarianneSolong · 05/09/2015 10:33

If those with little money did not eat until lunch (intermittent fasting) and only drank water and walked instead of taking a bus where possible the health of the nation could be transformed. Those changes cost nothing.

So breakfast and hot drinks and juices are for the deserving rich, as is the use of transport.

Wise?

Or very arrogant and more than a bit crazy?

HippyChickMama · 05/09/2015 11:00

Nongraindrain which gf foods are you buying? People may be able to suggest cheaper alternatives. Plus, as pp said, a lot of them are full of additives and extra sugar and are best avoided if possible.

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 11:05

Staples such as bread, pasta, crackers etc. usually from tesco or 'ds ' brand

Things like bagels from udis

We don't bother with cereal as dd cannot eat them she has things like eggs plain yogurt and fruit for breakfast instead. Ds would have them but we get gluten free oats for porridge

Ds or kelkin again for biscuits and occasional sweet treats. She's is good as will often bake but the ingredients are expensive too and sometimes we are very pushed for time.
Our shopping bill has increased a lot in the last year due to this change. If we could get just the staples on prescription it would make a big difference

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 11:06

Dh rather than she's

Glasgoow · 05/09/2015 12:08

Buy a break maker and lots of buckwheat stuff.

It would be lovely if the NHS could fund everyone who had to keep to a specific diet, but it can't.

I make my own buckwheat flour. Its cheap as chips grinding the seeds. Often have buckwheat cereal or pancakes.

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 12:13

I'm hoping the consultant will be able to negotiate with the gp or prescribe it herself

We do try and bake when we can bit scary can be incredibly fussy (other serious health problems that the wheat and gluten thing affects) so it's a real struggle

Dh bakes when he can but day to day it's things like bread pasta crackers and biscuits that are ££££

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 12:15

*but dcs can be incredibly fussy

I have been batch cooking meals I know they like which has helped a tiny bit.

PrimalLass · 05/09/2015 12:28

Dcs consultant is on board with it but Gp is anti prescribing it. I think I will push it though and insist as some items are 2 times the price of normal equivalent !

And then cost the NHS about £30 to prescribe them.

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 12:45

why should I feel guilty for having a prescription for wheat/gluten free foods?

I never encountered this attitude when one of my dcs had very expensive neonate formula prescribed from the age of 6months to six years so why the issue with wheat/gluten free foods?

Iam aware it costs the nhs money. Equally it costs is a lot of money buying these foods. We bake where/when we can but with complicated conditions alongside the severe wheat/gluten intolerance it is difficult.
The dcs consultant has been really helpful as has the hospital dietician. The gp may well be trying to cut costs for the nhs but we do really need this help

Reubs15 · 05/09/2015 12:49

Nongrain - I have coeliacs and I have rice cakes instead of crackers, they're really cheap. Unfortunately bread is about £2 for a small loaf so I only have it occasionally. For lunch I'll have salads, omelettes or rice cakes etc. I get morrisons own brand gf pasta. And things like biscuits are expensive but they're not a necessity at all so I bake my own. Baking cakes and biscuits etc hardly takes any time. Bread takes longer but as I say there are alternatives.

Glasgoow · 05/09/2015 12:49

Gf prescription s are left over from when gf foods were very expensive and not wildly avavlible. Are you the op who wanted cake on persecution?

Reubs15 · 05/09/2015 12:53

Also, when I was on mat leave I got some gf stuff on prescription. I was allowed one small loaf of bread and one 500g box of pasta a month and I have coeliacs so I highly doubt they would give people with intolerances anything, sorry

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 12:57

No I haven't mentioned cake ! Dh occasionally makes cakes for the dcs himself

We do get rice cakes too, it's just very difficult lately managing. On average each week we get through

Two bags of gf pasta
Three loaves Gf bread
Two packs gf biscuits
A pack of gf crisp breads or crackers
Half a bag of gf oats
Sweet treat of some sort (kelkin Jaffa cakes of genius cupcakes)
Ready made gf bits such as breaded chicken or fish fingers
Probably a couple of other bits too.

Other allergies too mean we are also getting other free from foods

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 12:59

It is classed as a severe intolerance and shows up on skin prick/blood test but is not coeliacs
Both dcs have other allergies too and IBS and other conditions so it's not 'just an intolerance' it can make them severely unwell and has a knock on effect with their other conditions

Glasgoow · 05/09/2015 13:00

There was someone moaning about not getting cake on prescription.

Your going through a lot, you could save loads by just having foods naturally gf.

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 13:06

The hospital dietician made us do food diaries and worked out how many carbs dcs need so we are going by her advice she has said they are having the correct amount for age etc. dd has less than da though due to her other conditions as it affects her if she has too much (which is why she has low carb breakfast so at least we are avoiding the cost of the gf cereals!)

Reubs15 · 05/09/2015 13:08

Things like breaded chicken/fish fingers etc don't bother with. They're so expensive! You could try stir fry with rice or rice noodles, fresh fish instead of fish fingers.
Definitely go for naturally gluten free foods instead. It'll be so much cheaper and probably tastier!

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 13:11

Unfortunately it's time sometimes I will admit that. It is easier to do food I know they will eat.
Ds is fussy as so many things have made him I'll in the past he's wary of certain food and sticks to what he knows doesn't make him hurt

I would like to try and bake some more biscuits for them but so far we have not been successful. Dh makes amazing gf cakes but obviously that's not a regular thing.

Reubs15 · 05/09/2015 13:16

Ohh and cheap sweet treats I love are homemade meringues. Also frozen yogurt. Reall cheap, delicious and flavoured however you like!

Reubs15 · 05/09/2015 13:17

Bless him. What does he like?

JanetBlyton · 05/09/2015 13:17

Gosh what is the point of eating specially made gluten free food and at the cost of the NHS? Why not just eat normal foods like I do like eggs. I just had lunch. I had fish. Why would I need it coated either in real wheat or fake wheat? Just eat the fish without the bread on it. It's dead easy, quicker to cook and tastes better and does not require an NHS prescription.

Nongraindrain · 05/09/2015 13:20

Ds can't have dairy or egg. Luckily dd can she just can't have wheat or gluten. Both also severely allergic to shellfish

Ds loves pasta, any type of salad and chicken.

The dietician was very insistent about them needing a certain amount of carbs daily and we have to send in food diaries a lot

Both used to love casserole and dumplings. I'm yet to find a recipe or mix for dumplings that are gf if anyone has one ?

PrimalLass · 05/09/2015 13:27

DD has gf pasta and pesto every day for packed lunch, so not a huge bowl. At night she's more likely to have baked potato or rice as her carb. Birds Eye Potato waffles are also GF!

I tried to make gf dumplings and they were horrible, but my mum makes them so I'll get her recipe.