CELIACTODAY

Managing the celiac diet for children requires extra attention in three areas: nutrition, emotional health, and convenience.

Nutrition

Unless you pay attention, the gluten-free diet can be less nutritional than a conventional diet. That’s due to the way gluten-free breads and other baked goods are made.

Most conventional breads are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Some, but not all, makers of GF breads are beginning to fortify their wares.

So, you might want to supplement your child’s meals with vitamins. Check, of course, to make sure they are gluten-free.

To enhance the flavor of rice-based breads, many GF manufacturers add extra salt, sugar, or shortening. Kids (and many adults) love those kinds of flavors, of course.

You might, therefore, need to take extra care to make sure they don’t over-indulge in baked goods at the expense of proteins, fruits and vegetables.

Emotional Health

The emotional issues can be the toughest ones. You don’t want your child to feel the “odd man out” because he or she can't eat what everyone else is eating.

Yet, every time your child gets a new teacher, makes a new friend, or joins a club or team, the issue of diet will arise. It will come up at birthday parties, classroom parties, sleepovers, outings, and so on.

What to do:

• Be clear and consistent in explaining to your child the need for the special diet. As early as possible, teach him or her how to read labels, and to recognize safe from unsafe foods.

• Explain the diet to teachers, coaches, club leaders, and so forth. Keep it simple. Ask them to give you advance notice whenever a party or meal is planned.

• Don't expect everyone to "get it," however. Some people will understand, some people won't, and--perhaps the hardest of all--some people will insist they understand but in reality will have little or no idea of how to help manage your child's dietary needs.

• Be prepared for parties and meals to pop up frequently without notice. The fact is, most people, while well-intentioned, often forget the dietary needs of one individual.

• At home, keep GF cupcakes in the freezer for your child to bring to school when a classmate is celebrating a party.

• Ask your child’s teacher, coach, etc., to keep a special stash of tasty GF items on hand for your child, for times when a party or other celebration arises unannounced.

• Many schools reserve special tables for children with food sensitivities, particularly peanut allergies. Whether you have your child sit at such a table is your call. It could raise as many issues, practical as well as emotional, as it might resolve.

Convenience

Because children are often picky eaters, the GF diet can make traveling and dining out more complicated.

For example, five kids’ favorites—pasta, pizza, chicken fingers, hamburgers and hot dogs—become more difficult, if not impossible, to order in a restaurant.

The first three of those items are absolutely out, unless the restaurant knows how to cook gluten-free.

Hamburgers and hot dogs are possible, but you’ll have to bring GF rolls. (You’ll also have to ask the wait staff to give the kitchen strict instructions that the meat must not touch a conventional roll.)

Also, be careful when ordering French fries:

• Are they cooked in a dedicated fryer (which is safe)? Or, are breaded foods, such as chicken fingers, fried in the same oil (which isn't safe)?

• Also, are the fries made from fresh potatoes (safe)? Or, are they prepacked and frozen? If the latter, they might be coated with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Ask to see the package label.

Never assume something in a restaurant is GF; always ask. 

Here are some additional tips for traveling with children who have celiac:

• Bring plenty of GF snacks, cereals, breads and other baked items.

• If you don’t want to lug a toaster, bring toaster bags. You can locate these bags via a web search.

• When traveling, rent rooms with kitchenettes. They’re more expensive, but the money you save by eating in often will cover the extra hotel cost.

• At a minimum, request a refrigerator for your room. Some hotels also can provide a toaster or microwave oven.

• Some airlines offer gluten-free meals on longer flights. There are two caveats, however: You need to order at least several days in advance, and children don't always find airline food palatable. (Well, who does?) It's always safest to carry GF foods with you.

The key thing to keep in mind always is that you are working to keep your child healthy and happy, and to teach him or her how to master the GF diet.

School Meals and Snacks

Some schools are pro-active about managing meals and snacks for children with food allergies and sensitivities; many schools aren't.

At the beginning of each school year, inform your child's teacher, school nurse and principal about your child's dietary needs. Do so in person, and also in a politely written letter.

Some parents handle special food needs by putting their child on a "504 plan." This refers to section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This law specifies that no one with a disability can be excluded from
participating in federally funded programs or activities. That includes meals at school.

It's a big step that may put your child at the center of attention that he or she might not be comfortable with. Essentially, all classroom food decisions will require your approval. Some parents report that this creates resentment among school administrators and parents of other children.

An approach that often can work more smoothly is to develop a good working relationship with your child's teacher.

Becoming a "room parent" is an excellent way to stay informed about classroom parties that involve food. Offer to bring in baked items so that your child can eat at least one item that everyone else is eating.

Always keep GF cupcakes and a GF pizza in your freezer for school parties that come up without notice. They always do!

Suggested Resources: Two books, both written by mothers of children with celiac, focus specifically on children with the disease:

Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Gluten-Free Children by Danna Korn is an excellent and comprehensive book on the subject.

Bagels, Buddy, and Me by Melanie Krumrey is told from the viewpoint of a child who is diagnosed with celiac disease.