Kids Cuisine

I think I’d go bonkers if I couldn’t eat toast, couscous, pasta, cereal, or any food containing gluten. I’m so happy that my daughter loves whole grains, breads and crackers, toasted oat cereal, farina, and more.

Unfortunately, we’re reading more news these days about celiac disease—also called celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, gluten sensitive enteropathy, or gluten intolerance. Children—and adults—with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten in any form. What happens is the intestine, mainly the small intestine, is damaged when gluten is eaten, which makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients from the foods we eat.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, “1 out of 133 people in the United States is affected with celiac disease. The disease occurs in 5-15% of the offspring and siblings of a person with celiac disease. In 70% of identical twin pairs, both twins have the disease. It is strongly suggested that family members be tested, even if asymptomatic. Family members who have an autoimmune disease are at a 25% increased risk of having celiac disease.”

Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, and delayed growth/failure to thrive in infants and children. But on the other hand, there are some people with celiac disease who have no symptoms. Being an infant or a toddler only compounds the problem, particularly when no symptoms are present, since young kids not be able to communicate that they’re not feeling well.

The only treatment I’ve read about for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet for your lifetime. Following a gluten-free diet will stop the symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage. Lactose intolerance is usually normalized within weeks to months of beginning a gluten-free diet. It’s important to read all food labels to find hidden gluten-containing ingredients, such as malt, wheat starch, spelt, wheat gluten, bran, kamut, bulgur, soy sauce, durum, breading, graham flour, couscous, semolina, farina, wheat, rye, barley, or matzoh.

Also, it’s been noted to avoid modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), artificial color and flavoring, natural flavoring, maltodextrins, dextrins, mono and diglycerides, and MSG (foreign source). These items may or may not contain gluten, depending on where and how they are made. Also be aware of powdered sugar and ground spices, which may be mixed with another agent, such as wheat flour, to prevent clumping.

There may also be hidden sources of gluten in additives, preservatives, and stabilizers found in processed foods and medicines. Check with the manufacturer of the product to find out for sure.

It can be difficult to monitor children, since they may not be under your watchful eye 24/7, like when they’re at school, visiting a friend’s house or out with friends. This is why it’s important to talk with your child as soon as he or she is capable of understanding the condition.

But there is hope. Children can still enjoy breads, breakfasts, salads, main dishes, snacks and desserts that are gluten free, which are both nutritious and good tasting. There are many Web sites that have gluten-free recipe databases, such as the Celiac Sprue Association , Celiac.com , Recipe Zaar and others. And, if you visit Amazon, there are pages and pages of gluten-free recipe books.

Finally, there are many chefs who are aware of celiac disease and are preparing gluten-free food at their restaurants; be sure to ask next time you dine out.

Just because some kids can’t tolerate a food source, doesn’t mean they can’t still enjoy eating tasty, satisfying, healthy food. With a little research and experimentation in the kitchen, your child won’t miss out on snacking and eating meals.

But, most importantly, be sure to always check with your pediatrician if you suspect something is wrong before trying to correct the situation on your own.