Chava_Raizel Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 After much research, I think I need to go gluten free. I'm fairly certain that my stomach issues I've had for years are most likely a gluten intolerance. I'm also starting to think that Regina's stomach issues could be the same thing. So, how can I do this with a picky two year old? She currently lives on graham crackers, cheerios, crackers of all kinds (especially goldfish), whole wheat bread and fruit. She'll occasionally eat meat, rice, lentils, beans, and some veggies. How do I make this change without spending a fortune on processed "gluten-free" treats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Don't buy the gluten free products. Try just eating meat, vegetables, fruits, rice and legumes. There are so many combos of the above that it really doesn't get boring. The other thing is that your child may get a better appetite once you completely eliminate the gluten/wheat containing products. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 We tested negative for celiac but positive for allergies. We cut out all gluten for a year, then just whole grains. Now we can tolerate wheat again. But while we were gluten free, we had a picky toddler on our hands. If you are into baking, I think I had a book a graham cracker recipe. It was by Elizabeth Barbone. And when we were GF, we at a lot of rice. We didn't do well with rice pasta, but the corn pasta at the grocery store didn't cost much and was fine. If I can think of snacks (besides fruit, yogurt, etc.), I'll come back, but that was when I started from-scratch baking. (You probably know this, but if you are ever going to get tested for celiac, don't go GF until tested first.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makagrin Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 (edited) I have both my girls and myself are all now gluten free. My youngest is 3yo. Here is what we do: Yes, lots of fruits and vegies, meats, cheese, yogurt, nuts/almonds/cashews. But they have their favorite snacks, and we do have some "processed" favorites, although they are much healthier than other "processed" foods... (treat) cereals: koala crisp, gorilla munch, panda puffs (all Enviro brand, Trader Joe's has the last two. This brand also makes great rice krispy style bars. Glutino is a good brand. Great pretzels, add with raisins and you have a to go to snack in your purse anytime. Pamela's is my hands down favorite for pancakes, breads, muffins, and desserts. You can do amazon and get it for less. They also have great cake, and other bread mixes. I love their biscuits too. My girls LOVE them more. If you do anything made from scratch it is better. Trader Joe's has three kinds of bread (ALWAYS toast GF bread) most helpful. I don't have a bread maker yet so we do have to buy, but their bread is about $2/loaf less. Trader Joe's also has gf pancakes and gf waffles and gf mac and cheese, as well as gf pastas. Popcorn and kettle corn work. Snap Peas (dried) are a favorite snack, not too expensive. There are gluten free graham crackers by mi-del (I think) but pricey. But my then 2yo, had fish crackers and graham crackers as her favorite and now she is much better. I do a lot of shopping at Sprouts and Trader Joe's and Costco. It gets easier, and they are both so much better now. As am I. So despite the higher food bill, that I'm ALWAYS trying to cut, we are healthier. It is a much easier time to be gf than ever before. Oh, and when we go out we do hamburger no bun, or tacos with a corn tortilla, etc. They are used to it, and quite happy about it now. I don't buy most things, and the things I listed are at the best price points I can find near me. Hope that helps!! Edited September 16, 2011 by makagrin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 If your daughter seems "addicted" to gluten, then that's a good sign that she shouldn't be eating it. My 8ry old was completely addicted to both gluten and dairy. When I found out she couldn't have either one, it seemed like mission impossible to remove them. That was ALL SHE ATE! I think we lived off of french fries and GF cookies for those first two weeks.:D Then she started to eat other things (eventually.. slowly).. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. After you get past those first two months, it becomes your new normal and eating GF is automatic. You don't even have to think about it. Two years later and dd8 is doing FANTASTIC! Still a picky eater, but doing very well on a gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free diet. We are all gluten free in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.