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Children with special diets...

Erin - posted on 03/01/2010 ( 2 moms have responded )

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Hi all. My youngest son is having problems gaining weight. He's 10 months old. He has a cousin that has celiac (sp?). It's basically an allergic reaction to gluten that damages the vilia in the small intestine. There's a possibility that my son has that as well. The only treatment for it is to go on a gluten free diet. Are there any other moms out there that have children on special diets and are on a single income? I just need some advice in case this is what my son has.

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Heather - posted on 03/03/2010

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My daughter is on a dairy free diet. Its not easy and "gluten free" may be more difficult. Some WIC programs will work with food allergies, they can help you with food expenses. And you may have to do a lot more creative home cooking.

Aurora - posted on 03/02/2010

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We have two 4 year old boys. One is my step son and he has celiacs and eats gluten free. It is a challenge to do especially on a budget and with other kids who are not on gluten free diets but there are ways to do it. You will have to become a pro at reading labels and calling manufacturers . The FDA is starting to make tougher labeling requirements which is making it a lot easier to make correct choices. There are lists of safe foods on several web sites. I like www.celiac.org. Also the book Gluten Free for Dummies is a good over view to start with. A thing you do have to watch especially if your whole house is not going GF is cross contamination, even crumbs from using the toaster for regular bread and then gluten free is a worry. They can still have rice products, eggs, dairy, veggies, fruits, and meats. Annes offers a gluten free Mac n Cheese that is not horribly expensive. Since your son is as young and probably just starting solids I would suggest rice pastas and crackers.



Example of a daily meal plan. Breakfast Rice chex with milk and a fruit.. lunch.. deli meats, cheeses and rice crackers (get them in the thai food section of just about any super market). or Chicken chopped in cubes coated in rice flour and fried like nuggets with veggies with GF ranch dip (recipes are all over the web).. Dinner is normal pretty much. Meat, potatoes, veggies. I do buy some gluten free cereal bars for snacks and cookies for treats but getting the gluten free products like GF chicken nuggets from the health food stores are very expensive and not really needed when you can come up with regular foods that are GF and less expensive.



Ok I am rambling cause I am fairly passionate about making sure they get proper nutrition, still have foods they enjoy, and stay in budget. Feel free to message me here to talk about this further if you would like.



Once you get the hang of it having a child who is living GF is not as overwhelming I promise. :)

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