*Flashback Friday*

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on May 20, 2019.

 

The Gluten-Free Diet — Is it Right for the Whole Family?

By Jennifer Yoon, RDN/LDN, Breastfeeding Educator, AHN Pediatrics St. Clair

 

 

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance have become much more common in the past ten years. Both conditions can damage the intestines and result in digestive issues and other symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and behavioral issues. 

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Oats can also contain gluten due to contamination. Gluten is present in many cereals, breads, pasta, baked goods, and other products such as soups, sauces, and breading. Gluten is a common food additive in many packaged and snack foods making label reading an essential part of following the gluten-free diet. The truly gluten-free diet necessary for the control of celiac disease can be very difficult to achieve and manage. 

Over the past several years, gluten-free products have become much more available, affordable, and palatable. With these advances in gluten-free product availability, some families of children on a gluten-free diet decide to make the entire household gluten-free. But should they? Well, yes and no. 

A very healthy way to be gluten-free is for the whole family to eat fewer processed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meat, poultry and seafood, dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, rice, and quinoa are gluten-free and all part of a healthy, balanced diet. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store is recommended by the Celiac Disease Foundation as a good place to start when shopping for natural, healthy, gluten-free foods the whole family can enjoy.

Back in the early days of gluten-free food options, I would not have recommended them for the whole family. Most products were made with rice flour or a similar substitute and were low in protein and fiber. The breads, pastas, crackers, and pizza crusts, to name a few, were sold in very small portions, expensive, difficult to cook, and definitely an acquired taste. Gluten-free products are now widely available and are made with a variety of gluten-free whole grains and usually contain similar protein and fiber. 

Diet awareness and self management are additional considerations for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. On one hand, a gluten-free child living in a gluten-free home is able to choose from all the foods in the home and have a break from the hassle of diet restriction faced outside the home. On the other hand, practicing with food selection at home can be good practice for learning diet self management skills with caregivers on hand to assist. Having a shelf or bin for the child’s ‘special foods’ can help him to see his restriction as separate but equal. And just like the gluten-free child cannot eat certain items, these ‘special foods’ may be off limits to other family members. 

As with most issues involving feeding a family, there is no clear cut one-size-fits-all answer. Your gluten-free child’s age, temperament, and needs should be considered, as well as the needs and behaviors of your other children. Educating your child and developing age-appropriate self management skills is most important in helping them navigate their diet. Developing a “Stop Light Book” with young children including food labels for red (“NO” foods), yellow (“Check with a grown-up”), and green (“YES” foods) can help young children learn diet basics. Readers can move on to label reading and knowing how to choose gluten-free menu options at restaurants. The more information and control your gluten-free child has over their diet, the better off they will be in the “real world”.

More information on celiac disease and gluten intolerance can be found at the Celiac Disease Foundation website.

 

*** Jennifer Yoon sees patients at the AHN Pediatrics St. Clair office. For an appointment, please call (412) 221-2121. Read more from Jennifer’s “Nutrition 4 Kids” column on The PediaBlog here.

 

source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/05/20/flashback-friday-207/