DS has wheat allergy - need ideas for what else he can eat instead...

[mumtosp]

Hi all,

DS's allergy test results have just come back and he's tested positive for wheat :( Feeling really low as I was looking forward to introducing him to pasta, breads and someday even a biscuit ....
He is 8.5 mo and has only been on fruits, vegetables and lentils.... sometimes chicken (though not his favourite)

Any advice on what I can give him instead of wheat? Any recommendations for companies that make wheat free products...

Thanks in advance :)

My son is allergic to wheat also, he's 7 years old now. We get genius gluten free bread and rolls for sandwiches and wheat free pasta for him. I also get wheat free flour and make my own sauces and cakes/biscuits etc using that (just substitute wheat free flour for the normal flour in any recipe)
I get bread and pasta on prescription monthly for my ds, you may be able to as well when he's old enough to need lots of it for packed lunches etc. you can get that set up through a dietician (ask your paediatrician to refer you). Once you get into the swing of things it's not too hard to follow at all :-) (much easier than my daughters milk allergy!)

Also rice is a good carb instead of bread/pasta. Baked potatoes always a 'safe' meal if eating out.
And check all packaging very carefully, even if you don't think it would contain wheat, we've been caught out on things like frozen chips which have had wheat coating on them!

Hi there, I understand it's rather difficult when you first find out - my DSD has a wheat allergy (among others) and it took me a while for it to stop feeling like a Problem.

The good news is, his general health should improve now you've identified the problem.

My main concern is to ensure she gets enough carbs without having bread. So you could try:

Porridge for breakfast
Rice as a side dish
Risotto of all varieties as a main course
All kinds of spuds as side dishes (mash, jackets, roast etc)
Homemade cakes and biscuits made with wheat-free flour, which is easily found in the free-from aisle at the supermarket
Homemade crumble using wheat free flour and oats in the topping
Flapjacks are great, filling snacks

And all the egg dishes, veggie dishes and lentil based recipes which you're giving him at the moment.

I find picnics were hard to get used to, as I just automatically want to make sandwiches, but now I make big rice salads, full of veg and ham and plenty of dressing. Everyone tucks in with a fork from one big Tupperware dish!

Your 8 month old should be able to have any of these, with a bit of help from you mushing them up?

I've been gluten free for 15 years, and once you get the hang of it it is pretty easy.

If you go into Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons or Waitrose, you'll find a Free From aisle with pasta, cereals (note that normal oats are not going to be suitable as they are normally heavily contaminated with wheat, but ones lablelled gf are OK), biscuits, cakes and muffins.

Most chain restaurants now have gf/wf options, and theres gf cake in all the coffee chains.

The main thing to remember is all the things he can have - meat, eggs, dairy, veg, fruit, rice, potatos. And all packaged food has to disclose gluten, so its easy to find wheat/gluten.

At first it will feel very laborious reading all the labels, but it will become natural after a while.

For picnics I do sushi rolls (V easy to make and can have normal sandwich fillings) or the Warburtons gf flat wraps

Thanks everyone for the quick responses.... I am already starting to feel better about this :)

And I think it's high time I learned to bake !

Just a few more questions...

1. What is the difference between wheat allergy and gluten allergy ?

2. What about family meals?? Say you're making pasta for lunch for everyone... do you make separate free form pasta for your LOs or does the entire family eat free form?? Just trying to get a view on what everyone does....

3. Are Ready Brek oats suitable ??

4. In your experience, do children outgrow these allergies ??

5. Since DS is still breast feeding, should I be cutting out wheat from my diet ??

I'm still waiting to get back the test results for oats, eggs and fish... fingers crossed that he isn't allergic to anything else...

Thanks again :)

1. gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye - coeliacs aren't allergic as such, they have a different immune response to the gluten. There are therefore some foods that contain deglutenised wheat that are gf but not wf.
2. I cook separate pasta for me as gf is expensive. But often we will have something like rice noodles for everyone instead. Lasagna, everyone gets gf, yorkies will all be gf - so I try to minimise any separate stuff but its inevitable.
3. No, they are contaminated with wheat
4. Sorry, I don't know as I'm coeliac
5. You'll need to talk to your sons allergy specialist about that