Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Should the Whole Family Go Gluten Free?

Last day to enter the modest swimsuit giveaway at Lessons From Ivy.

Is it fair when one family member has an allergy or a food intolerance to expect everyone else in the family to follow the same diet? You may have a different philosophy when eating at a restaurant or going to a party, but consider the following:

If you have to make separate meals for everyone, will it cost your family more money?  Is your family willing to sacrifice other things, say cable TV or internet, just so they can have the treats that they are used to because they want their own meals?  The fairest thing for the family as a whole is financially stability which in my book trumps individual fairness any day.

Is it fair not to teach all your children self-control not just the allergic one?  Yes, a chocolate cake made with real flour tastes good, but teaching your kids how to say no to their desires now isn't unhealthy.  In fact it will pay huge dividends as they get older.  If they can't say no to a brownie now how are they going to learn how to say no when it really matters?

Is it fair not to teach your children how to show love and compassion on the family member with a food intolerance?  My cravings for gluten have gone away, however when I had to be dairy free because of nursing I would have traded my soul for a glass of milk or a piece of cheese.  Before our bodies develop an apathy to the foods we can no longer eat, it is hard to sit and watch someone eat a real plate of spaghetti, or real pizza, or real cookies when we might not be able to eat them ourselves.  It is kind and compassionate not to parade these foods in front of someone's nose when they are still tempted by them (which will be for awhile) Take this as an opportunity to allow your family to be kind and compassionate on someone they should care for and love.

Is it fair not to provide your family with the best nutrition?  A gluten free diet can be very healthy if done right, in fact everyone may notice a difference in their waist lines after beginning one.  Giving your family healthy options as often as possible is the right thing to do and you shouldn't feel like you're depriving your children because you're giving your family a healthy diet.

So is it fair?  I think so, most importantly it lets whoever has the food restrictions know that they have a family in the "fight" with them, and it also sends the message that "hey, this isn't so bad" which can be immensely helpful especially to a child with special dietary needs.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Naturally Gluten Free Foods

Be sure to join my giveaway at Lessons from Ivy for a Modest Swimsuit

If your child's doctor, or yours has said those fatal word's "I think she's allergic to gluten" your first reaction may have been relief that there was finally a diagnosis to their mystery ailments, but then the first grocery trip comes and you became overwhelmed at how many foods your family used to eat contain this mysterious little binding agent.

I completely understand getting overwhelmed, in my house one or more persons can not eat the following: Gluten, Bananas, Avacados, Kiwi, Dairy, any Mold Carrying Food (aged cheeses like Parmesan or cottage chesse are out), Peanut Butter, and Almonds.  Trying to make a dinner that everyone likes, and everyone can eat can be a daunting challange indeed.  However, I am a huge proponent of only making one meal for everyone in the home, it really is cheaper if you're making everything from scratch, convience foods are a different story.

So what foods are gluten free?

  • If it doesn't come in a box or bag, it's probably gluten free. Most unprocessed foods just don't have gluten in them 
  • Unprocessed meats are gluten free, don't get anything with a marinade without first reading the label. (Check your spice rack to make sure none of your spice blends contain suspicious fillers)
  • Unprocessed fish, be sure to read labels carefully however if you're buying fish from a box, can, or bag.
  • Unprocessed fruits and veggies are gluten free.
  • Eggs
  • Milk, and most forms of dairy.  Cottage cheese, hard cheeses, sour cream, plain and flavored yogurts, and best of all most ice creams : ) (check labels!)
  • Potato Flakes (check the label)
  • Rice, be wary of rice mixes but plain rice is fine.
  • Cornmeal, just make sure it isn't mixed with flour
  • Specialty Convience foods that are labeled gluten free. There is even a banquet dinner or two that's gluten free.  My recommendation however is to skip the convience foods as much as possible because they tend to make this diet more expensive.  I'll buy pasta and bread but that's about it.
You can do this! Gluten free grocery trips aren't that hard once you learn what you can eat.  Yes, you or your child may have to give up some of the premade processed foods you once loved, but almost anything can be duplicated with the right recipe.  Patience and experimentation (not to mention a lot of prayer) will pay off and before you know it you won't even miss gluten, seriously there will come a point when cravings stop and you embrace the new normal, because really it's not that bad.

Feel free to send any questions about living gluten free or recipes to joyfulkasey at gmail dot com.  I'm not a licensed nutritionist just experienced in this diet.