Gluten Free: The Celiac Site | Category Archive

Gluten Free Children, Gluten Free Cooking

Kids Gluten Free Comfort Foods

1 Comment 06 October 2012

These gluten free recipes will will be welcomed by children who live gluten free. In each case, I have provided two choice. Let the kids decide for themselves which goodies they will enjoy.

gluten free chicken nuggets (or try this recipe)

gluten free corn dogs (or try this recipe.)

gluten free lasagna (or try this recipe)

gluten free macaroni and cheese (or try this recipe)

Gluten Free Children, Gluten Free Cooking

Halloween Recipes for Gluten Free Children

No Comments 11 September 2012

This article contains recipes for edible Halloween decorations, not food gluten free food in the usual sense of that term. Not all the recipes are gluten free, but the substitutions should be obvious and keep in mind that the important thing is not what the item tastes like but what it looks like.

Gluten Free Children

Does Your Gluten Free Child Need a “504 Plan”

No Comments 19 August 2012

A “504 Plan” protects children from discrimination because of a difficulty. Section 504 is the portion of the Americans With Disabilities Act that spells out the procedure and specifically includes celiac disease as a potential disability. Here are two articles that explain this more fully. (Click here for the second article). Finally, read this article by The Savvy Celiac, a gluten free author and blogger whose celiac daughter has a ’504 Plan’.

First of all, I should mention that I am a retired elementary school teacher who has worked with children who have these plans. As a school counselor, I wrote several. (We did not use the term ’504 plan’, but the meaning was the same.) Here are my personal reactions to this ‘hassle’:

I don’t think of celiac disease as a disability. A child might never know that has been labeled ‘disabled’ but that is not the entire point. Words like ‘disability’ affect people’s judgments. Celiac disease a serious condition but is it that serious? This plan could cause a teacher to overreact.

Ideally, every child should be fed a hot meal prepared in a dedicated facility daily. Ideally, a child who lives gluten free should never feel like an outsider . The only way to fully accomplish both of those goals would be to serve every child in the school a gluten free meal in a dedicated gluten free cafeteria. This is very unlikely to happen.

Children who live gluten free should be encouraged to ask lots of questions whenever they are serve a meal. This is not practical in a school lunch line.

On the other side of the coin,

It is always a good idea to get a plan down in writing.

It is always a good idea for parents to make people aware that they understand their rights and demonstrate their willingness to be assertive in pursuing those rights

I am not recommending that you attempt to establish a full-fledged ’504 Plan’ during the hectic weeks that precede the opening of school. It might be more realistic to mention this possibility now and make the full plan your objective for the year

Gluten Free Children, Gluten Free Food

At Least 150 Ideas for Gluten Free School Lunches

No Comments 17 August 2012

“Parents of gluten free children will have to pack at least 175 lunches (per child) this school year. Our goal is to make sure that the lunches we pack are envied (or at least not scorned) by other (wheat-eating) children, and will be eaten (not traded or thrown away) by the child.” I wish I knew the source of that quotation. I added the words in parentheses. This is no easy task but it can be done.

Here are 100 specific suggestions from Glutenfreeville (dot com). Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom (dot com) supplies 30 more ideas. If you need more food-for-thought, take a look at these 20 ideas from Wise Bread (dot.com).

We have 150 ideas now! These writers have also shared their insights with America’s Gluten Free Community — Suite 101 (dot com), Triumph Dining (dot com), and Kitchen Stewardship (dot com). Obviously, we don’t need to worry about running out of ideas before the end of the school year. I’ll write more about gluten free school lunches later this week.

<><><><><><><>

FOR YOUR INFORMATION. This article contains input from dozens of different writers each of whom has a different approach to gluten free living. Check to make sure that the foods you feed your children are safe for them. Older students should be encouraged to read these articles so they can assist you with your decision. I am experimenting with the idea of including a paragraph like this in every article. People who live gluten free must read defensively and decide carefully.

Gluten Free Children

Are Hand Sanitizers Gluten Free?

1 Comment 12 August 2012

Four questions come to mind when we think about gluten free hand sanitizers:

1. Do they remove gluten from the skin? No, hand sanitizers are designed to kill bacteria. Glutens are not bacteria or any other type of living thing.

2. Can hand sanitizers actually cause a gluten reaction? They are not designed for internal use. But, of course, children do put their hands in their mouths. More about that in the final paragraph.

3. What do children who live gluten free (and their teachers) need to know about hand sanitizers? All children should use hand sanitizers regularly to kill bacteria. Children who live gluten free should wash their hands immediately before eating to remove any gluten residue that may be present.

4. Is there any research about which (if any) hand sanitizers are totally gluten free? According to The Savvy Celiac: “I couldn’t find any research…”. That was my first reaction, but then I discovered that Cecilia’s Market Place stated that EO hand sanitizer was gluten free. The company’s website is silent on the topic. Hands2Go (dot com) and Hugo Naturals (dot com) claim that their products are free of gluten.

Parents, you will probably find hand sanitizer on your list of things to buy for school this year. Certainly, they will be in used in your child’s classroom. You need to plan ahead.

Gluten Free Children, Gluten Free Recipes

Gluten Free Smoothies

No Comments 12 July 2012

Drinking smoothies is a great summer activity. Kids love them, they help adults and children beat the heat, and are naturally gluten free foods that everyone can enjoy. I can’t image anyone making or drinking a smoothie containing wheat, barley, or rye.

Most of the smoothie recipes mentioned suggest (or is it their recommendation?) that coconut, soy, hemp, almond, or other types of milk be used. This makes convenient for vegans as well as for people who are lactose intolerant, of course, but that is not the only reason for looking at alternative milks. Each type od milk has its own taste and texture that imparts something very special to the finished product.

Start exploring by click on this recipe for a raspberry smoothie. Click on the pictures on the same page to see chocolate-strawberry and cranberry-banana smoothies.

This article includes six different recipes.

This smoothie recipe really intrigues me because spinach is one of the ingredients.

This article contains general tips for smoothie makers, and includes sweet potatoes and kale in its recipes.

Gluten Free Children, Gluten Free Diet

Lunches for Gluten Free Children

No Comments 14 June 2012

Summer is here, and most gluten free children are eating lunch at home rather than at school. The emphasis has shifted. There’s less need for lunches that can be packed and carried to school. A hot lunch is more easily available. The brown bag lunch usually involves bread — both parents and kids may enjoy a greater variety of hot and cold foods while avoiding the added cost of gluten free bread.

Here are five websites that may help with this transition. Check them out!

The Fit Foodista | About Gluten Free Cooking

Dr Gourmet.com | Real Food | Kettle Cuisine