to ban DD from eating chicken

[GreatMintPeer]

I know this might sound extreme, but hear me out. My DD has been having some digestive issues lately. She's been complaining of stomach aches and feeling bloated after meals. After doing some research, I discovered that chicken can be a common trigger for digestive issues in some people.

I decided to do an experiment and cut chicken out of her diet for a week. Lo and behold, her stomach aches disappeared and she felt much better overall. I was thrilled that I had found a simple solution to her discomfort.

But now, DD is begging me to let her have chicken again. She misses her favorite meals and feels left out when her friends are eating chicken nuggets at school. I understand where she's coming from, but I can't ignore the fact that her health has improved since cutting out chicken.

I've tried to explain to her the reasons behind my decision, but she just doesn't seem to understand. She thinks I'm being unfair and depriving her of something she enjoys. I feel torn between wanting to make her happy and wanting to keep her healthy.

So, am I being unreasonable to ban my DD from eating chicken? I just want what's best for her, but I can't help feeling guilty for denying her something she loves. Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

My dd had a test at the doctor for intolerances, which showed up a couple of things so there definitely is.

Please do the responsible thing and actually get her checked out by a doctor rather than jumping to conclusions about what must be the cause - as others have said it could also be gluten or all manner of other things.

Another one wondering if she’d have the same reaction to plain roast chicken as nuggets. What’s she like with fish fingers?

When you say ‘eating chicken’ what do you mean? Is she eating fresh, plain chicken, cooked, or fresh chicken that has been coated in crumbs or seasoning and cooked, or processed shit masquerading as chicken such as chicken nuggets. It would be rare that plain, fresh chicken would be causing digestive issues, and otherwise it’s something else not the actual chicken.

As others have said, there is a world of difference between whole, plain chicken cooked at home and "chicken from a box" i.e. pre-prepared, pre-packaged, reconstituted, coved in breadcrumbs/batter and lord knows what other additives.

She may well have an intolerance of chicken, but unless you give her it again - and just plain chicken - you won't know. If the symptoms return then you can take further action.

She may be able to tolerate a small amount and join her friends in occasionally having nuggets.

I like pork, but if I have it too often I have an upset tummy, but an occasional sausage is fine.

I’m surprised to hear chicken, my children have CMPA and I’m on various allergy groups and lots get mentioned but not heard chicken. I’d have thought other things were far more likrly. Nonetheless before cutting I’d ensure it was chicken. So if she’s not had for a week, giving her chicken, ideally early in day day lunch time and monitoring the symptoms and then you can explain to her. Also I’d go with plain chicken, not processed nuggets, it could be some ingredient in these that is upsetting her rather than chicken so you can identify what is actually causing it.

More likely to be the crap in the nuggets than the chicken itself.
Cook her chicken at home, with normal kitchen ingredients, & see what happens.

Have you removed processed chicken from her diet and tried getting chicken breasts from.the butchers (not packed in chemicals). ?

I'd try that. If OK with that then you could try panko crumbs etc and see if there are triggers.

But it takes weeks/months for the trigger to get fully out of the body and you need to introduce each element of food separately

OP it may not be the chicken nuggets but an intolerance for one of the ingredients used in the production.
It would be best to to try an elimination diet and seek help via a GP but in the meantime you could try Birds eye Gluten free nuggets to see if she can tolerate these as there are less questionable ingredients.

You can order capsules that provide digestive support for a bunch of things people find difficult to digest nowadays. You sprinkle them over food, they are digestive enzymes

My son has stomach issues. allergies and intolerances but I’ve never heard of chicken being an issue.

Does she normally eat breaded chicken rather than plain roasted chicken ? If it’s breaded then I’d be looking into the coating or fillers which may have allergens like gluten and wheat rather than assume it’s the chicken. If you normally roast your chicken with some sort of spice rub then have a look at the ingredients too- some have allergens like mustard seeds. I’ve also had success switching from chicken nuggets/goujons to chicken mini fillets. I think that something must be added when processing.

I was told by an NHS GP that they test for allergies but tests for intolerances are not a thing and if you work out that you’re intolerant to something then avoid it.

As others have said, chicken would be an unusual thing to cause that, I’d be suspicious of gluten if it’s chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches etc, I’d talk to a dr before you just cut a food out, how old is dd?

I think there’s egg white in those. A former colleague of mine was sensitive to poultry and eggs, you’d see her inflate alarmingly quickly over an afternoon if she’d accidentally eaten something eggy!

Are you sure it wasn't allergy testing? RAST? Food intolerances cannot be effectively tested for, I wish they could be it would make my life much easier. My kid has very serious and extensive food intolerances and not one of the many consultants we have seen has known of any tests.

This.

At the very least do a controlled test of a plain, chicken breast with nothing added to see if it actually is the cause of the issues. My guess from lots of experience of intolerances would be it’s not. But that doesn’t mean you’re imagining it! Keep being a detective and involve the GP.

It's her decision.

How old is she though?

I agree but - chicken nuggets? I wouldn't call those 'chicken' in the sense of being a proper chicken based meal, they are processed food.

I'd let her have decent roast chicken or casserole occasionally, even curry if she likes it, and see how it goes. Chicken is extremely nutritious.

The OP cut out chicken, not gluten, and her DD improved so it's unlikely to be gluten, surely?

This absolutely!
After years of strange symptoms and ill health undiagnosed by GPs, my DD was found to be coeliac.

Definitely agree with the advice to take her to the doctors to try to find out what's causing the issues. Any chance she's at an age where it could be hormonal? I've had female friends who experienced bad bloating and stomach aches like clockwork at various points in their cycle.

I'm not sure how you'd ban her from eating chicken at school or when she's out with friends.

Yes, mine too. It showed dairy and soya which we already knew, and also tomato and strawberries which we didn't realise.

What were the tests? Blood? Skin?

Is it just plain chicken she eats? Or it it battered/breaded? This could be the issue

There are also a lot of meat free alternative which I actually sometimes think taste much better, she wouldn't need to know

I think also if you cut it out altogether this may cause more problems further down the road as she may not have any tolerance for it in the future

Get a DOCTOR. It could be so many other things. She needs proper testing. Stop fixating on the chicken and take professional advice.