Gluten-free diet for kids - what the ...?

Do your eyes start to glaze over when you hear other parents and the media start talking about diets? Well The Gluten Free Diet is perhaps one you should get a little understanding of. The reason is that most kids (and adults) eat far too much wheat and wheat products, and you will be amazed which foods contain wheat that perhaps you never thought of. A gluten overload in children can lead to one or more of the following symptoms:

For young children
• abdominal bloating and pain
• chronic diarrhoea
• vomiting
• constipation
• foul-smelling stools
• weight loss

What is Gluten anyway?
Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, oats, soybeans, and sunflower seeds. The protein found in gluten that seems to be the bad guy is called alpha-gliadin. In people with intolerance to gluten this causes a reaction to the mucous lining of the intestines. Symptoms vary depending on the age.

As humans we generally do better on a varied seasonal diet so when we feed on mostly the same products day after day it is no surprise that the digestive system gets overloaded and can sometimes just shut down.
If your child has been diagnosed intolerant to gluten (i.e. referred to as "celiac disease") you need to find out about gluten free diets and quick!

People with celiac disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Long-term complications include malnutrition—which can lead to anaemia, osteoporosis, and miscarriage, among other problems—liver diseases, and cancers of the intestine.

The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Health professionals may ask a newly diagnosed person to work with a dietician or a naturopath on a gluten-free diet plan. For most people, following this diet will stop symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage, and prevent further damage. Improvement begins within days of starting the diet.

So what can my children eat on a 'Gluten Free Diet'?
Well let's start with what they can't eat: any products that contain barley, oats, rye or wheat. Also watch out for hidden sources like in margarines, texture vegetable protein (TVP), some soy sauces, grain vinegars. You may also be surprised to hear there is gluten in most mass produced curry powders, sausages, luncheon meats, beer and tomato sauce. Avoid anything that is made with yeast. French fries from take away outlets also contain gluten (sadly). Other sneaky sources may include: stock cubes, brown rice syrup, candy, crisps/potato chips, cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage and even communion wafers.

The following flours are also off limits if you are into baking for your children: bromated flour, durum flour, enriched flour, farina, plain flour, graham flour, phosphate flour, semolina, white flour, and self-rising flour.

What you CAN use as part of a gluten-free diet is this: Amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, cassava, corn flax, legumes, millet, nuts, potatoes, quinoa, rice, sago, seeds , soy, tapioca, wild rice, and yucca. The list obviously only covers flours - your child can also eat all products that are not made using flour. Health food shops and most good supermarkets stock loads of gluten free foods.

You will be surprised when you actually start looking. There is a gluten free recipe section at theworldrecipebook.com. You may feel a little overwhelmed at first but it will soon become apparent which foods do or do not contain gluten. Good luck with it all - if your child or you start following a gluten free diet you will all be feeling a lot healthier than you ever felt.

Yours in health

Stephen Smith ND

Stephen is a qualified Naturopath, professional Chef and single father of two beautiful children.