When Young Children Eat Gluten-Free – Challenges and Solutions

Coeliaque Quebec February 15, 2018 Eat Well, gluten, Health, Kids

Vitamin and mineral supplements?

The celiac child is at higher risk of nutritional deficiencies. Indeed, his/her intestinal wall may be less efficient in the absorption of vitamins and minerals, particularly at the beginning of the diagnosis. In addition, flours used in the production of breads, pasta and other gluten-free bakery products are not always enriched, as it is in the case of wheat flour, for example. In some cases, a vitamin and mineral supplement may be suggested at the beginning of the illness or at specific times, such as when the child has a weak appetite that persists over time. The doctor or nutritionist of the child can assess the need for this supplement.

“I want to eat that too! “

In early childhood, social bonds are formed. Eating is no longer just a vital act, but also becomes a social act. The celiac child is used to eating differently. He is reasonable, he understands, but … he loves to eat foods like everyone else! The day the daycare adapted their regular menu to offer my daughter the gluten-free version, she no longer told me what she had eaten, but that she had eaten the same thing as her friends. This is an important aspect, even for little ones!

A growing offering of food

The gluten-free food offered is often more consistent with the taste of adults. The crackers contain a lot of grains that are visible, the flours used sometimes give a pronounced taste, the nuts are present, etc. It does not appeal to children. They usually prefer the little fish-shaped orange cracker that the friend beside them has. Over the years, the gluten-free food industry has diversified its offerings so that we find more and more products specially designed to please our little celiacs. It is true that these foods are not usually the most nutritious. However, as the children’s diet does not have to be perfect, they can be given occasionally. They have their place in a healthy diet provided you do not find them every day on the menu.

1,2,3, in the oven!

It is possible for your child’s diet to be similar to that of his friends. The key is: cooking! Although the options are growing, many products are not always available in a gluten-free version, especially the more specialized ones. So you have to be creative to find substitutes. Often, one can even manage to make a version more fitting for appetites and small hands. For example, an English muffin can be used as a mini-pizza crust and a hamburger bun can be cut with a small cylindrical cookie cutter to create mini-burgers. Even better, the substitute will probably be more nutritious, since it is often less fatty, less salty or less sweet. A slice of bread baked in a muffin pan will replace the commercial puff pastry and a molasses cookie recipe and a bear paw-shaped cookie cutter will replace the commercial version, among other examples.

“Mom, when does school start? “

Last May, my daughter celebrated her fifth birthday. It was a big step that leads to another: the beginning of school. Since our diagnosis, we have had to overcome several challenges, including the biggest, which was acceptance. I realize, over time, it is easier to find solutions, probably as we begin to see the situation more positively. I also know that going to school will bring other new challenges. However, the experience you’ve gained since the diagnosis and the growing independence of your child are encouraging aspects for parents. Also, in elementary school, as most students bring their own lunch, the “I don’t eat like my friends” aspect will be easier to manage because everyone will be eating differently. It is also important to take advantage of the available resources, such as the magazine ‘Info Coeliaque’ (in French), which published an article on starting a new school year in the fall of 2016. It includes several tips, including a memo for teachers. A must read!

The final word

Despite the challenges that gluten-free eating represents for the celiac child and their parents, not everything is negative. We have to enjoy the beautiful discoveries, the success of a new recipe, the interest of friends and family in our gluten-free favorites, the advances of the food industry in the development of gluten-free products, among others. Before you succeed, you have to give yourself the chance to experiment, sometimes to fail, to be a little discouraged and to start again. Every success, even the smallest, is an accomplishment and gives us reassurance and confidence. Then, after a few years, we find ourselves in front of the pantry knowing perfectly where to start, nutritionist or not!

By Mélissa Dion-Tremblay R.D.

References

• ELLYN SATTER INSTITUTE. The picky eater, [Online], 2016. [www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/htf/thepickyeater.php]
• FONDATION QUÉBÉCOISE DE LA MALADIE COELIAQUE. Chroniques nutritionnelles – Implication nutritionnelle d’une alimentation sans gluten à long terme, [Online], 2014. [www.fqmc.org/chroniques/chroniques-nutritionnelles-2/implications-nutritionnelles-d-unealimentation-sans-gluten-a-long-terme]
• FONDATION QUÉBÉCOISE DE LA MALADIE COELIAQUE. Chroniques nutritionnelles – Les vitamines du complexe, [Online], consulté le 25 mai 2017. [https://www.fqmc.org/chroniques/chroniquesnutritionnelles-2/les-vitamines-du-complexe-b]
• INSTITUT DE LA STATISTIQUE DU QUÉBEC. Enquête de nutrition auprès des enfants québécois de 4 ans, Québec, Les Publications du Québec, octobre 2005, 152 p.
• NOS PETITS MANGEURS. Reconnaître les signaux de faim et de satiété, [Online], 2013. [www.nospetitsmangeurs.org/reconnaitreles-signaux-de-faim-et-de-satiete]
• SATTER, E. Your child’s weight : helping without harming. Madison, Wisconsin, Kelcy Press, 2005, 472 p.
• SATTER, E. Child of Mine : Feeding with Love and Good Sense. Boulder, Colorado, Bull Publishing Company, 2000, 536 p.
• SOCIÉTÉ CANADIENNE DE PÉDIATRIE. Le « mangeur difficile » : le tout-petit ou l’enfant d’âge préscolaire qui ne mange pas, [En ligne], 2017. [www.cps.ca/fr/documents/position/tout-petitprescolaire-qui-ne-mange-pas]

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Author

Coeliaque Quebec

Coeliaque Quebec is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in regard to diseases induced by gluten. Its mission is to ensure that a gluten-free life is simpler and safer. Marie-Eve Deschênes, RD, has been a dietitian at Coeliaque Quebec since 2008 and member of the College of Dieticians of Quebec.