Re: Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

[Guest guest]

Hi Libby,

Congratulations on your daughter's diagnosis, since that means she will start

feeling better really soon.

There are so many delicious GF treats that children do like. I have three GF

children (as well as my celiac self) and for treats we eat:

cashews

peanuts

apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, etc.

dried cranberries

GF crackers (rice thins; Nut Thins; corn things from Real Foods--which are great

for sandwiches, too)

Food Should Taste Good multigrain crackers/chips*** these are so good! and

better for you than most chips

Kettle Korn

Popcorn

Cheese Popcorn

all of the " Pirate's Booty " products

potato chips

frozen vegetables (my daughters like frozen corn and peas right out of the bag)

ice cream (most are GF except for the obvious cookie dough, etc. flavors)

Also, when my daughter was first diagnosed (at 2 years), she devoured dehydrated

corn, peas, and other vegetables that come in the plastic containers at various

health food stores.

If I can figure out how, I'll post a really helpful list that came out several

years ago of many of the widely available GF products.

Take care--

--lp

From: [ ] On Behalf Of

Libby [libbykranz@...]

Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 1:47 PM

Subject: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was just dxed through blood

and biopsy with celiacs. So I am looking for some advice on where/how to start.

Especially of familes with multiple kids all went gluten free. (I have a 11

month old as well).

And how do you explain to them that they cant have their buddies goldfish at a

playdate? I am really worried about going to parties and just friends houses in

general.

Thanks

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----

From: Palmer, <palmer@...>

< >

Sent: Wed, Aug 18, 2010 5:16 pm

Subject: RE: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

Hi Libby,

Congratulations on your daughter's diagnosis, since that means she will start

feeling better really soon.

There are so many delicious GF treats that children do like. I have three GF

children (as well as my celiac self) and for treats we eat:

cashews

peanuts

apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, etc.

dried cranberries

GF crackers (rice thins; Nut Thins; corn things from Real Foods--which are great

for sandwiches, too)

Food Should Taste Good multigrain crackers/chips*** these are so good! and

better for you than most chips

Kettle Korn

Popcorn

Cheese Popcorn

all of the "Pirate's Booty" products

potato chips

frozen vegetables (my daughters like frozen corn and peas right out of the bag)

ice cream (most are GF except for the obvious cookie dough, etc. flavors)

Also, when my daughter was first diagnosed (at 2 years), she devoured dehydrated

corn, peas, and other vegetables that come in the plastic containers at various

health food stores.

If I can figure out how, I'll post a really helpful list that came out several

years ago of many of the widely available GF products.

Take care--

--lp

From: [ ] On Behalf Of

Libby [libbykranz@...]

Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 1:47 PM

Subject: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was just dxed through blood

and biopsy with celiacs. So I am looking for some advice on where/how to start.

Especially of familes with multiple kids all went gluten free. (I have a 11

month old as well).

And how do you explain to them that they cant have their buddies goldfish at a

playdate? I am really worried about going to parties and just friends houses in

general.

Thanks

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi Libby,

Your location caught my eye! For places to buy GF, check out

http://www.peopleandplanetstore.com/

and Trader Joe's, both in Hill. People and Planet store is

all gluten free. VERY difficult to find, though. Call first to get

directions and bring the phone number in case you get lost! Also,

for fast food, both Gilroy and Hill have In & Out. The

fries are GF and you can order all their burgers "protein" style.

The "spread" as they call it, is GF, but can be cross contaminated

so we just use add mustard (we don't like catchup with corn syrup).

As for play dates, when mine were younger, I just sent them with

their own snacks and enough to share. Usually their snacks ended up

being more popular than the usual Goldfish! I would made GF cup

cakes for birthday parties and again, they were often more popular

than the birthday kid's cake!

And it was easier for us to go all GF at home. Gluten eaters could

have their wheat fix when they were out of the house. This whole

process is trial and error - you will have to see what works best

for your family.

As Pam mentioned, Udi's bread is great! But the only place I know to

purchase it is Whole Foods. I don't know if Mike at People and

Planet has the freezer space to store it but I will ask the next

time we visit.

Penny

On 8/18/2010 1:47 PM, Libby wrote:

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was

just dxed through blood and biopsy with celiacs. So I am

looking for some advice on where/how to start. Especially

of familes with multiple kids all went gluten free. (I

have a 11 month old as well).

And how do you explain to them that they cant have their

buddies goldfish at a playdate? I am really worried about

going to parties and just friends houses in general.

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Great suggestions Pam! The only thing I would add is to try having friends over to your house, so you are in control of the menu, and to plan playdates right after a meal or snack, so there isn't a snacktime expected. My son started a GF diet when he was 7, and is a pro at reading labels to see if he can eat something. There is hope!

Debbie in Santa Cruz

From: Pam Newbury <pknewbury@...>Subject: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 11:12 PM

Hi Libby,

This is a challenging time. My older son was 2 when he started eating gluten-free (he is 19 now). I would suggest starting gradually and not focusing on the small stuff right away. It is overwhelming to try to be perfect with every little thing all at once. Take a top down approach with the major items first (obvious gluten), working gradually to the finer points (new pans, toaster, hidden gluten, cross contamination, etc.). That’s to keep your stress level down and you sane. Don’t try to be perfect on the first day or even the first month. Think of this as a process.

Is everyone in the family eating gluten-free or will some continue to eat gluten? If there is no gluten in the house, that means less concern over cross contamination. If there is gluten, that means more care must be taken to separate ingredients and prevent cross contamination. Some families continue to have some gluten products in the house but no actual baking or cooking (such as making cookies, cakes, or bread) with gluten. The reason for this is that airborne gluten is hard to control.

The 11-month-old will be easy, as they will not have lots of favorite food to miss. Is that child going GF because of the whole household being GF or is there suspicion of CD there as well?

You will need to find substitutes for her favorite foods that your child likes. You will need to start thinking out of the box and trying lots of different things until you find foods that match her tastes. The good thing is that there is now a huge variety of GF foods out there that you can find by searching the internet. You may need to try several different kinds of crackers to find one she likes. If you can’t find a commercial type she likes, you might consider baking a substitute cracker, bread, or cookie to suit her tastes.

If your daughter is old enough to understand that gluten makes her sick, you need to make that connection when she asks for her favorites. Tell her that the fishy crackers are what is making her sick (be specific about whatever symptoms she has so she connects the particular symptoms with the food). For instance, “The fishy crackers are what is making your skin itchy, so we are going to try some different crackers that won’t make you sick.†Make sure she knows that if she doesn’t like something you will keep trying until you find foods she likes to eat. When Bryce was little, we made a list called “Bryce’s menu†that listed his favorite foods. That helped him (and us) to remember that he had tried and liked a particular food, and also helped him feel a measure of control over the process. Foods often went on and off the

list.

Here are a few suggestions for kid-friendly foods:

The first thing you will notice about the GF diet is that most of the GF bread out there is unpalatable unless it is heated or toasted or freshly made. Happily, there is one exception, which is Udie’s bread. It actually makes sandwiches people want to eat without having to have the bread be warm.

Ian’s chicken Fingers dinners (frozen)

Snikiddy Snacks might substitute for the fishy crackers (I haven’t tried them, but they sound similar to the Fish crackers).

There are several varieties of kid-friendly pasta out there, including several varieties of mac and cheese, frozen and boxed.

Just the cheese snacks are baked cheese bits that are very good.

We like Nut thins, San-J, and and sons crackers (don’t get Sesmark; they have cross-contamination problems).

Mrs May’s makes several kinds of nut snacks.

Make sure to have on hand plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (sugar snaps and baby carrots are great kid favorites) to offer.

Try to find a food bar that she likes so that you can have some handy for emergencies. (This is also a good thing to have for the school’s emergency supply as well.)

Make sure to find a pizza crust or crust recipe that she likes; pizza is a universal favorite for most kids. There are many pre-made crust out there these days, as well as packaged mixes; I have a recipe for pizza crust if you need one (anyone who wants it can e-mail me off-list and I will send it). If you want specific suggestions for GF substitutes, recipes, or more information about what is GF, feel free to ask.

When you are away from home, you will need to make arrangements depending on the situation. On a play date, if you know the family well, you might want to ask them to hold off on the fishy crackers for a while until your daughter finds substitutes she likes. Maybe you can bring a variety of snacks to share that are gluten-free. If you have no way to control the food available, you will need to watch closely until your daughter understands what she can and can’t eat (always reminder her in a calm way why she can’t eat the fishy crackers). For birthday parties, I generally supply my kids with their own GF cake and make sure the ice cream is GF (watch out for cake crumbs on the ice cream scoop); I usually contact the host ahead of time and let them know the situation. I ask what they will be serving and let them know that I will bring GF substitutes for my

kids.

Remember, gluten-free doesn’t happen in a day; it’s a process. As upset as you may feel when your daughter is frustrated, give her sympathy and understanding and try not to show her your own distress. Now is the time to keep stress to a minimum (if there’s anything in your life that you don’t really need that causes stress, consider taking a break from it; it’s also not the time to get a new puppy). Keeping stress down will help your daughter heal and will reserve your strength for maintaining calm when helping her learn this new lifestyle. Enlist any friends and family that give you support to help with this project. You may even discover others you know who also eat gluten-free that can help. Remember that this is a transition, and as hard as it may be right

now, you’ll get through it.

Pam Newbury

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of LibbySent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 1:47 PM Subject: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was just dxed through blood and biopsy with celiacs. So I am looking for some advice on where/how to start. Especially of familes with multiple kids all went gluten free. (I have a 11 month old as well).And how do you explain to them that they cant have their buddies goldfish at a playdate? I am really worried about going to parties and just friends houses in general.Thanks

[Guest guest]

What about the organizations I hear about for kids with CD? Would they be suitable for a 3-year-old, or her family?

H.

-----Original Message-----

From: Walt and Penny <wjbigtrain@...>

< >

Sent: Thu, Aug 19, 2010 10:05 am

Subject: Re: [ ] Mom of child with celiacs looking for support

Hi Libby,

Your location caught my eye! For places to buy GF, check out

http://www.peopleandplanetstore.com/

and Trader Joe's, both in Hill. People and Planet store is

all gluten free. VERY difficult to find, though. Call first to get

directions and bring the phone number in case you get lost! Also,

for fast food, both Gilroy and Hill have In & Out. The

fries are GF and you can order all their burgers "protein" style.

The "spread" as they call it, is GF, but can be cross contaminated

so we just use add mustard (we don't like catchup with corn syrup).

As for play dates, when mine were younger, I just sent them with

their own snacks and enough to share. Usually their snacks ended up

being more popular than the usual Goldfish! I would made GF cup

cakes for birthday parties and again, they were often more popular

than the birthday kid's cake!

And it was easier for us to go all GF at home. Gluten eaters could

have their wheat fix when they were out of the house. This whole

process is trial and error - you will have to see what works best

for your family.

As Pam mentioned, Udi's bread is great! But the only place I know to

purchase it is Whole Foods. I don't know if Mike at People and

Planet has the freezer space to store it but I will ask the next

time we visit.

Penny

On 8/18/2010 1:47 PM, Libby wrote:

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was

just dxed through blood and biopsy with celiacs. So I am

looking for some advice on where/how to start. Especially

of familes with multiple kids all went gluten free. (I

have a 11 month old as well).

And how do you explain to them that they cant have their

buddies goldfish at a playdate? I am really worried about

going to parties and just friends houses in general.

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for all the info I will have to have my husband print this out to

go in my celiacs folder!!

I dont know of any childrens groups but I would LOVE to find one. I am going to

try and find that local store that does gluten free and maybe see if I can post

a flyer and try to get something going...

>

>

> Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my almost 3 year old was just dxed

through blood and biopsy with celiacs. So I am looking for some

advice on where/how to start. Especially of familes with multiple

kids all went gluten free. (I have a 11 month old as well).

>

> And how do you explain to them that they cant have their

buddies goldfish at a playdate? I am really worried about going to

parties and just friends houses in general.

>

> Thanks

>

[Guest guest]

Check out this group - they are local also:

bayareaceliacROCK/

R.O.C.K. stands for Raising Our Celiac Kids. Penny

On 8/19/2010 10:43 AM, Harper wrote:

 

What

about the organizations I hear about for kids with

CD? Would they be suitable for a 3-year-old, or

her family?

H.

-----Original Message-----

From: Walt and Penny

<wjbigtrain@...>

< >

Sent: Thu, Aug 19, 2010 10:05 am

Subject: Re: [ ] Mom of child with

celiacs looking for support

 

Hi Libby,

Your location caught my eye! For places to

buy GF, check out http://www.peopleandplanetstore.com/

and Trader Joe's, both in Hill.

People and Planet store is all gluten

free. VERY difficult to find, though. Call

first to get directions and bring the

phone number in case you get lost! Also,

for fast food, both Gilroy and Hill

have In & Out. The fries are GF and

you can order all their burgers "protein"

style. The "spread" as they call it, is

GF, but can be cross contaminated so we

just use add mustard (we don't like

catchup with corn syrup).

As for play dates, when mine were younger,

I just sent them with their own snacks and

enough to share. Usually their snacks

ended up being more popular than the usual

Goldfish! I would made GF cup cakes for

birthday parties and again, they were

often more popular than the birthday kid's

cake!      

And it was easier for us to go all GF at

home. Gluten eaters could have their wheat

fix when they were out of the house. This

whole process is trial and error - you

will have to see what works best for your

family.

As Pam mentioned, Udi's bread is great!

But the only place I know to purchase it

is Whole Foods. I don't know if Mike at

People and Planet has the freezer space to

store it but I will ask the next time we

visit.

Penny

On 8/18/2010 1:47 PM, Libby wrote:

 

Hi I am Libby from Gilroy and my

almost 3 year old was just dxed

through blood and biopsy with celiacs.

So I am looking for some advice on

where/how to start. Especially of

familes with multiple kids all went

gluten free. (I have a 11 month old as

well).

And how do you explain to them that

they cant have their buddies goldfish

at a playdate? I am really worried

about going to parties and just

friends houses in general.

Thanks