Coeliac Disease and toddlers.....

[~WalkieTalkieHarry~]

So looks like Annabelle may have coeliacs disease.

can anyone tell me anything about it or how to deal with it in a toddler?

Do we all need to go gluten free or just her? If it's just her, how do I get her to accept different snacks to what DS is eating?

Any useful tips AT ALL or any suggestions for snacks/recipes? She is a massive food lover at the moment so she is eating a huge amount of food!

[ProgrammingPanda]

she needs to be tested before going gluten free to get an accurate result (ie if she is coeliac or gluten intolerant)

I love this recipe for "bread" (works great as a pizza base) - GF Wrap Sandwich Success am going to try some of her other recipes too esp the variations on this wrap.

Will post more tonight

[~WalkieTalkieHarry~]

Tests have been conducted today, but she has a few tell tale signs apparently.

They are testing for quite a few things, but the specialists are expecting coeliacs..

[jayde84]

Become a member of the Coeliac society. They sell books for toddlers to learn about the disease. It will also become a wealth of knowledge for you.

Go back to basics - fresh fruit, veg, meat with no marinade and sauces until you work out what is what. When I get on the laptop (I'm on phone) I'll pm you a list of gluten free products in my pantry to get you started!

[ProgrammingPanda]

oh just while I remember - black and gold (IGA cheap brand) has corn flakes and 'cocoa bombs' as gluten free cereals which are much cheaper than the gluten free brands (and I find taste better too)

the things I was surprised to find gluten in - cornflour (most are wheat flour) and soy sauces.

[~WalkieTalkieHarry~]

Thanks for that. She loves coco pops.......

MIL had an idea tonight......Annabelle has been refusing to eat pasta lately (which she used to love and would eat literally every single day) and sandwiches. Even her daycarer asked me not to pack them as she just wouldn't eat them. We thought, maybe she is associating them foods with a sore tummy or feeling bloated???? Not sure if that is possible from someone so little, but I reckon it sounds possible.

[jayde84]

Thanks for that. She loves coco pops.......

MIL had an idea tonight......Annabelle has been refusing to eat pasta lately (which she used to love and would eat literally every single day) and sandwiches. Even her daycarer asked me not to pack them as she just wouldn't eat them. We thought, maybe she is associating them foods with a sore tummy or feeling bloated???? Not sure if that is possible from someone so little, but I reckon it sounds possible.

You're on the money. I hated sandwiches all my life, gave them away and went hungry, and I couldn't stand spaghetti - now I LOVE spaghetti (gf of course) & make wraps or rice cake sandwiches. I can't get on the laptop tonight, but as soon as I can, I'll PM you

[Loula]

hey kylie
sorry to hear Miss A may have coeliacs.

Don't make any radical gluten-free diet changes until there is a definite diagnosis. Has she only had blood tests so far? Or has she had a gastroscopy with biopsies? If she hasn't had the scope yet, they usually want you to stay on the 'usual' diet that you have until she has had the test, otherwise if you change her diet now, and then they do the scope, there won't be a definitive answer as to whether she has coeliacs. Unless of course the Dr's have told you to make immediate changes to her food intake?

All the best

L x

[Starfish]

oh no Sorry to hear Coeliacs is a distinct possiblilty. I have no advice but big hugs to you all - I hope they are wrong.

[JanelleC]

I love baking and I've made all sorts of things that are gluten free. I have made this flourless chocolate cake but it does have almonds in it Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe - Taste.com.au. Not sure if your OK with giving Miss A nuts, but you can easily make muffins, cakes etc with almond meal. Almond meal or any other type of meal is easy to use. I do prefer working with almonds because almonds don't really give it a really nutty flavour. Just substitute 1 cup of almond meal for 1 cup of flour (I've read 100g is roughly 1 cup, which is what I usually go buy). If you need self raising flour just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup. Blueberry and coconut muffins with almond meal is absolutely fantastic!! I have a doughnut maker and I simply put in almond meal for flour and it turned out the same, and it tasted quite nice too. Breadcrumbs you can simply use the almond meal as it is. Anyway just an option if your ok with cooking with nuts.
Also PJ loves his cheerios but he has recently come across a new cereal (he see's all this stuff when we go shopping)
http://www.orgran.com/products/298, they are quite good, and lovely for a snack on their own. I found it in Bilo health food section
http://www.orgran.com/products/99/ - same sort of one except different flavour
http://healtheries.com.au/kidscare/products/rice-wheels - These are so yummy even I love them! They come in a few flavours and they come in a 12 individual packs.

You'd be surprised on the range of foods these days, go down to your local woolies or coles and have a look in the health food isle. You can buy gluten free flour you can use for everyday baking.
Hope you get some answers soon!