Gluten Free Foods To Cope With Celiac Disease In Children

Children with Celiac Disease should follow a gluten-free diet to avoid any complications with their condition. Even if a child is only suspected of having Celiac Disease it is wise to avoid gluten as much as possible.

The symptoms of Celiac disease are displayed when the body is unable to process gluten as it is digested in ordinary foods. The symptoms can include stomach cramps, irritable bowel and weight loss among other things. They can be particularly distressing for small children who may not be able to be diagnosed as easily as adults or older children.

Gluten is most commonly found in ingredients such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and other similar grain products.

Such ingredients are normally in flour based or cereal products so it can appear particularly difficult to remove them from children's diets as so many of their favourite foods will contain these things in one form or another.

However, it is quite easy to follow a diet that is free from gluten wherever you encounter Celiac Disease in children.

Foods to generally avoid are bread and bread rolls, rye bread, pumpernickel, pretzels, muffins, biscuits, cookies, bulgar wheat, couscous, scones, bran, barley water drinks, malted drinks, sponge puddings, anything coated in breadcrumbs, pizza, pasta, pastry, cakes, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, pancakes, crispbreads, semolina, breakfast cereals and muesli.

They are all the obvious ones but we should also watch out for other foods which might contain gluten, but might not seem so obvious. We should also avoid sausages, luncheon meat, gravy powders and stock cubes, blue cheese, baked beans, pates, meat or fish pastes, wafers, instant coffee, cheap chocolate, drinking chocolate, soy sauce, salad dressings, chutneys and pickles and malt vinegar.

Also be aware that many soups and sauces are thickened with flour.

Foods that are generally safe to eat on a gluten free diet can be categorized as follows:

Vegetables

Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Green beans, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potatoes, Turnips, Watercress

Fruit

Apples, Apricot, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Carobs, Cherry, Cranberries, Currants, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Guavas, Honeydew melons, Kiwis, Kumquat, Lemons, Limes, Mandarin, Mangoes, Oranges, Papaya, Passion fruits, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plantains, Plums, Persimmons, Quince, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tamarind, Tangerines, Watermelons

Meat & Poultry

Beef, Buffalo, Chicken, Duck, Goat, Goose, Lamb, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Quail, Veal, Venison

Dairy/Eggs

Butter (check for gluten containing additives), Cheese (except for blue cheese), Eggs, Milk, Yogurt (plain, unflavored - most flavorings include some form of gluten)

Fish

Pretty much any fish as long as it's not prepared in gluten ingredients.

The bottom line is, avoid the obvious products that are based on or include gluten and always remember to read the labels on processed foods as it can sometimes be very surprising to find gluten in a product that you would not otherwise have thought would be on the list of foods to avoid.

But there are plenty of nutritious and tasty foods that can be used to avoid the symptoms of Celiac Disease in children.