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.

An intolerances would mean that you can eat some gluten but not lots. My ds can eat a slice a toast but the sort of gluten in processed goods like sausages make him sick. Similarly he can add cheese to his pasta because Parmesan is very low lactose but cow’s milk and dairy cream makes him sick. We’ve had to experiment with what works and what doesn’t because intolerances can’t be tested for but at age 18 we have a pretty good idea.

You are (probably) not a dietitian or other medical professional. Get her an appointment with the GP for allergy testing.

What is she eating instead of chicken?

You should speak to the GP to make an informed decision, so when she's older she can choose. Otherwise she will only end up going through that process anyway.

Plus you could be replacing the chicken with other food that is problematic or missing out on critical nutriants.

She is a child - if you eliminate anything from their diet it is wise to only do so with the advice of a doctor if its for medical reasons.

Is she the same with e.g. plain chicken roasted or baked at home? I’d suspect that the likes of school lunch nuggets contain sundry additives.

Nothing coated or with added junk to start with. Chicken fillets or diced from a butcher and vegetables. NOT processed.

There is no such thing as an intolerance test. Intolerance is the term for things that can't be determined through a test - if it's not an allergy or autoimmune reaction, it's an intolerance.

There are indicative tests for dairy intolerance (e.g. hydrogen breath test) but they are only indicative and not diagnostic.

The only way an intolerance can be diagnosed is through a elimination and reintroduction diet. Anyone selling you a blood prick, hair test, or anything involving bioresonance, as a test for intolerance is scamming you.

@GreatMintPeer

How old is she, OP?

I think that you should seek the advice of your GP, just in case she actually has Coeliac Disease. It's important to know for certain if she does, as proper management of her diet now will be important.

You do mention that she is experiencing discomfort after eating meals, which suggests that something else is causing the problem, not chicken.

You can't just cut something like chicken out of a child's diet

@Lostinbrum - you really can , you know! Chicken is not an essential part of a child’s diet; plenty of people don’t eat chicken and live perfectly healthy lives. I think we had it maybe twice a month when the children were young.

How old is your DD, OP? Keeping a food diary for a couple of months will help you get a better sense of what affects her than dropping chicken for a week or two. If she’s old enough to write down what she has at school, between you both, you can build up a picture of her symptoms and possible triggers.

Depending on her age you can always tell her you're going to test it and give her chicken and if she suddenly gets sick again then that will be proof that the chicken is to blame.

It’s probably not the chicken , but what goes in it , is it breaded? Seasoned?

Is the chicken coated with breadcrumbs or batter before it's served to her? It could just as easily be the coating that is causing her issues as the actual meat.

I'd let her try again, and if the symptoms return, bring her to your GP to get checked out.

Chicken (and turkey) is one of the rarer intolerances, to the point where many elimination diets don't eliminate it (it's in the baseline list to see if symptoms disappear). If the chicken was coated or processed in any way, it's more likely to be that. I don't think just banning chicken is a good method. You need to do a proper controlled diet under medical supervision.

Completely fine to cut out chicken, there are plenty of other meats and proteins. Many parents cut out foods they don’t like themselves and the children are perfectly healthy. How old is your DD, OP? I assume primary age as she isn’t making the decision for herself? I assume she reacts to chicken in all forms I.E. on the bone with no additives not just breaded chicken? In that case it’s completely reasonable to stop her eating one food that causes her pain and when she’s older can decide if she wants to put herself in pain or not. A dietician will put her on an elimination diet which seems pointless if you already know what she’s intolerant to

What I thought immediately. Give her chicken which is actual chicken, rather than ultra processed crap, and serif the effect is the same. If it is, bad luck kiddo, but if not, she can still enjoy chicken based meals cooked properly.

I would highly recommend getting her allergy tested via your GP. My eldest son kept vomiting after eating chicken. The doctors initially said allergy was unlikely but came through clearly as a poultry allergy on the tests.

He’s avoided for about 8 years now and had no problems, however we do sneak out for a KFC if he’s out with his friends 😁

Hope you get her sorted x

Although I do have IBS, chicken wrecks my stomach. I have no idea why as it is always listed as a 'safe' food for those with digestive issues. However, my dad and my nan also suffered from a bad tummy after eating chicken so maybe, for me, it's some weird family thing? We have the same issue with eggs.

It could be chicken from McDonalds or organic plain chicken and I still suffer the same gastric issues.

I have not touched chicken for 18 months now and eat lots of turkey instead.

Maybe your dd does have an intolerance to chicken, it is certainly not unheard of. Worth mentioning it to the GP though.

Seem to be a lot of doubters around that chicken allergy can exist. It can and it can start in young children with gastro symptoms and get worse with age. Certainly sounds a good idea to have a plain chicken meal and see if the symptoms return. If they do, see the GP for an allergy referral, don't waste money on over the counter "intolerance" tests
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40521-022-00309-2

I think this was in reference to nuggets which are coated in bred crumbs, possibly have flower to hold the chicken sludge together.
At the moment, it is not clear at all if Op means chicken when she says chicken.
I find it quite strange that chicken was the first port of call for the OP. There are multitude of things which can cause bloating and a lot of them are nuts, fruits, vegetables, dairy, gluten. So it is probably conceivable to assume that DD's diet is mostly devoid of fresh stuff for OP to arrive at the "chicken" conclusion.

Could you trial quorn “chicken” products? Obvs not 100% the same, but they can be used in the same way. E.g the frozen pieces are good to Chuck in a curry, you can get frozen “chicken” nuggets etc

Also to add lots of dogs have chicken allergies too!

If the chicken is genuinely the cause of her health issues then she just has to learn it as a not even that tough life lesson.

But it's worth checking it is indeed that.

You haven’t “researched” it. You’ve googled it. Thats not research. But probably all that so-called nutrition experts do too.

Banning your children from doing anything is a waste of time. Instead educate her and help her be her own advocate.

As you don't know for sure frame it is 'mummy thinks chicken makes you feel poorly. If you really want it, you can try, but remember it might give you a tummy ache'

Personally I’d speak to a medical professional.

Her age is pretty relevant here! 5? YANBU. 15? YABU.