Calling all celiacs

[kaytee87]

We think our 15mo may have celiac disease. Been to the doctors and going back Friday then will be referred onto paediatrics. They’ve ruled a lot of other things out by stool test.
I hope he doesn’t have it obviously but I’m just planning (it helps me feel less anxious)

What would be an example of a days gluten free food for a toddler? He’s not particularly fussy and will eat ‘adult’ food. It just seems that lots of food have gluten in them and I’m starting to worry about what I would feed him if he’s diagnosed.

Thank you.

I just know there will be people that think it’s ‘just’ an intolerance or ‘one little bit won’t hurt’.

I’m still hoping for a diagnoses of toddler diarrhoea but the gp thinks his symptoms sound a bit extreme for that

My poor baby.

GF foods are much more expensive and generally not as nice.
Don't go for GF alternatives: just serve rice, potatoes, meat, eggs, cheese, veg as you normally would. Check all packet/preprepared food for gluten, thicken your own sauces with cornflour. In bought food there may be all sorts of hidden gluten..but it isn't hard to avoid it if you cook yourself.

Scrambled eggs, houmous, veg batons, omelette, baked beans and baked potatoes can all work too.
There are gf pittas, decent bread etc all easily available in supermarkets too.

You can get GF porridge and cereals for breakfast , GF wraps or sandwiches with salad etc for lunch and cooked tea just making sure you use gf sauces / gravy etc . GF food has massively improved in the last few years and although it is still a more costly option at least there is now variety . My dd (18) has been coeliac since she was 10/11 and it’s actually very easy once you get into it , we find Tesco and M&S very good and Morrison’s do nice GF curly fries and frozen pizzas . With M&S a lot of their ready meals are GF for a quick ping option . What I would say is don’t necessarily buy from the GF section in supermarkets as lots of sauces / gravy etc in the normal sections are gf and obviously do not carry the high cost . Gf pasta is great and we all eat it here . Do make sure that you load him with gluten prior to the test or you may get a false result .

If I can get a good bread and pasta alternative we will be ok at home.
We often eat lunch out which could be an issue.

And where your child is very young still he will adapt very well.
I found out at 29 and I have found it extremely hard.
Celiac uk have a booklet telling you what to avoid and what is safe, it will become second nature if that is what he has.
Also do not start him on any gf diet until he has had all the tests because the tests will not be accurate.

Luckily we live in 2017 and there’s lots & lots of gf options

Breakfast:
Rice Krispies/ gluten free toast/ omelette/ gluten free pancakes/ yoghurt & fruit
Lunch:
Gluten free sandwiches with gluten free ham/ chicken / egg
Rice noodle chicken salad
Gf ham, egg & potato salad
Chicken, veg & potato soup
Dinner
Homemade chicken curry & rice/
Pork chops & mash /
Roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg
Homemade meatballs & gf pasta
Risotto
Beef medallions sweet potato wedges
Salmon & baked sweet potato
I use garlic salt, onion salt & cracked black pepper (together) to season a lot of things.

Snacks
Fruit
Veg
Boiled eggs
Gf fruit bags
Some crisps
Yoghurts
Homemade cupcakes/ muffins
Homemade chocolate using raw Caocao & cocoa powder & sugar
Gf breadsticks

It’s actually quite easy tbh, Jamie Oliver has some really yummy gf recipes & most supermarkets have gf ready meals even.

Do make sure that you load him with gluten prior to the test or you may get a false result

Thanks for this, I wouldn’t have even thought.

Also a lot of restaurants have gf menus now :)

Lunch out is ok as well , lots of places are very onboard although obviously you risk a bit of cross contamination , we find it’s worth the risk to have a life although I’ve had disagreements on here about this before . We eat out at least 3/4 times a week usually .

Its not as difficult as it seems. Easy if you stick to basics, meat, fish, fruit and veg.
You can buy GF bread , or make following recipe on Dove's Farm GF bread flour pkt.
More complicated if you want to use ready meals/processed foods. Even if wheat/gluten isn't listed as an ingredient you can't assume its gluten free. Food can be contaminated during preparation process in the factory.

It needs to state "gluten free" which means it's made in a protected place that's regularly tested for gluten traces.

GF foods are much more expensive and generally not as nice

Actually, there are more and more GF options available now for all price ranges and most are delicious.

Aldi and Lidl do a good range. Schar white bread and ciabattas are great, especially toasted. There are wraps, bagels, muffins and cakes that are all not much different any more.
They now also make frozen GF food like fish fingers, scampi, nuggets, pizza, garlic bread etc. I know none of that is particularly healthy for a toddler, I'm just saying that most of the foods you can buy now have an alternative.

I'm a huge foodie and thought my life was over when I could no longer eat gluten but everything is changing and new recipes are being developed all the time. I've found it very easy and hardly ever not been able to eat something because it's "not nice".

If you cook, GF self raising flour makes things like cakes and yorkshire puds, pancakes etc and they are exactly the same as normal.

Except don't buy the crumpets. Avoid them like the plague. They haven't got them right yet.

If he is diagnosed then join coeliac UK. They have an app which scans barcodes and then you can find cheaper things that aren't in the 'free from' section. E.g. Tesco own brand Rice Krispies are ok for example. It is daunting at first but you soon get into the swing of it if you always have a selection of snacks in your bag (things like Pom bears, dried fruit, rice cakes etc) then you'll always have something to feed them if you're out and can't find anything. There's lots of food out there and with a bit of trial and error you will find the foods that work best for your family. My DS is 4 and been diagnosed for 18 months and it's so much better when they are well, healthy and thriving, he's grown so much in the last 6 months. Good luck.

This is making me feel a bit better. I don’t often give him pre made food anyway so that can be easily avoided he loves fresh fruit and veg and would live on banana and yoghurt if allowed so it’s good that they’re safe!

Once diagnosed you can get gluten-free foods and flours on prescription. Joining Coeliac UK is well worth it for the guide to safe foods, helpline and other support.

I've been GF for 20 years now. There are some great GF products now, and being able to eat out normally is so much better. People give it the 'don't buy gf alternatives, eat naturally gf' line - but when you could first get them, I found a youngish woman crying in the FreeFrom section in Sainsburys as she'd never had a fish finger before. I was 25 when I was diagnosed, and the simple thing of being able to have a pizza with friends is massive. And buying a nice cake - before I've always had to make one which drags after a bit

You shouldn't be excluding gluten prior to a diagnosis - consult your GP - you risk get a false negative.

Thanks @SpringTown46 I will just be feeding him his usual diet. It does go against the grain to feed him something that may be harming him but it seems to be the medical advice and they know best and as you say I want to make sure the tests are accurate.

Sorry!

If you ds is disgnosed, you will probably be told to avoid gluten free oats for the first year... ( normal oats are cross contaminated and are always a no no. Gluten free oats are fine for the vast majority of coeliacs but a small % can’t have them) you can get porridge made with rice flakes, but a lot of gluten free biscuits use gluten free oat flour, which we found a pain for the first year.