Celiac disease: Teaching kids how to go gluten-free

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, which is mainly caused by intolerance to gluten.

Medically also known as celiac sprue, children who are sensitive to gluten can’t eat the protein, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley and other grains derived from them. In young children, who have celiac disease, gluten damages the villi – a projection that absorbs nutrients from the food and is found in the small intestine. And when the villi are damaged, a child can also become malnourished. Thus, in order to keep your child’s immune system healthy, today we have jotted down a few ways through which one can teach kids how to go gluten free.

Focus on what they CAN eat, and not on what they CAN’T eat: Discuss his/her options and limitations as far as eating possibilities are concerned. Several grains and starch sources are key components in gluten-free diets. The list includes corn, potatoes and rice, amaranth, arrowroot, millet and sorghum (jowar) and should be a part of the preferred choice in your child’s meal plans.

Make gluten free food a habit: Reinforce gluten-free choices by rewarding your child when he or she is able to form a new eating habit that involves gluten-free foods. Finishing a particular kind of food should be part of the parent’s encouragement initiative. Kids should never be punished for not liking foods. Please note that people who have a genetic history, i.e., an existing family member with gluten intolereance, are at greater risk for developing celiac disease. Thus, make sure that the child already enjoys gluten-free food before it becomes a forced choice should any such family medical history exist.

Allow kids to be part of the menu planning and cooking process: According to an American Heart Association report, overweight problems in kids can be dealt by involving children in meal planning, shopping, and healthy cooking. Teaching kids how to cook and appreciate healthy food also reduces the number of meals they eat outside, and when they do – they opt for healthier, low-calorie foods. Such kids also enjoy well-structured meal times at home. Planning their own gluten free meals and picking food items as per their own choice will help in inculcating gluten free habits in your child.

What about those who don’t have Celiac Disease? Is going gluten free healthy for your kid or family in general? Essentially, gluten-free diets limit meal choices to a great extent when it comes to variety of food intake.

If such a gluten-free meal plan is not planned carefully, then a person could suffer from many nutritional deficiencies. Thus, it is important to plan a gluten-free diet in such a way that the maximum number of variety enters one’s menu. For instance, one must make sure to eat a lot of fruits and salads as these keep the intestines healthy and functioning. And do remember that even after following such a diet one can live a healthy and carefree life and enjoy it to the fullest.

Arrange your kitchen so kids know what they can eat: Give your kids enough options in gluten free diets to eat whatever they want, right from crackers, breads to cereals and snacks. Stock your refrigerator well with fruits and vegetables so that the kitchen continues to be a welcoming and nutrition-friendly area in the house.

Delicious cereals based on rice, corn, cinnamon, honey nut and chocolate are available from gluten-free sources. Egg preparations are also a good bet with varieties like scrambled, fried, poached, omelettes with veggies, fresh fruit salads and corn salads.
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Gluten free Recipes with Bill & Sheila

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