Gluten-free cooking is a challenge that must be met by a mother of a child suffering from celiac disease or who is intolerant to this protein due to allergies. What can he eat and what should be avoided?
Some children react badly to gluten, i.e.vegetable proteinfound in grains of wheat and its varieties (e.g. spelled), rye, oats, barley. Sometimes it isallergy , which wears off after a few years. Sometimes, however, we deal with celiac disease - a celiac disease, when the body is permanently intolerant to gluten. In both cases - to avoid serious he alth complications, the child must be on a gluten-free diet.
Gluten-free diet - the rule of the five U
A he althy gluten-free cuisine should be age-appropriate, and it must meet all the needs of a growing organism. The problem, however, is that gluten-free flour mixtures contain many times less protein and vitamins (mainly from group B), as well as some minerals, especially magnesium, iron and zinc, than wheat and rye flour. It is therefore important to enrich your diet with nuts, grains and groats (buckwheat, millet), paddy rice, soybeans, sunflower seeds and sesame. You should also remember that this is a low-fiber diet, so your child may become constipated.
It will help to increase the portions of vegetables and fruits or pureed juices. When planning a menu, it is also worth using the five U rule developed by prof. Stanisław Berger:
- Diet must beVaried- eat all food groups at every meal.
- It should also beModerate , which is determined by a correct body weight;
- Regulated- you must try to keep the number and frequency of meals fairly constant during the day.
- We avoidexcess s alt, sugar and fat.
- The child should alsoPlay sportsor walk every day, because all movement has a positive effect on intestinal peristalsis.
Gluten-free, tasty and nutritious diet
For parents, the most difficult thing seems to be composing a menu and preparing meals. A child should eat five meals a day containing: 5 servings of gluten-free grain products, 3-5 servings of vegetables and fruit, 3-4 servings of dairy products, 2 servings of fat.they were varied and tasty. You can experiment, but it is worth using the recipes posted on specialized websites (www.celiakia.pl, www.kuchniabezglutenowa.pl). It is worth knowing that the necessity to follow such a diet does not exclude visits to restaurants - look for places marked with the Gluten-Free Menu logo. Their addresses can be found at www.menubezglutenu.pl.
This will be useful to youHow to get your child to follow the diet
It is easier if the problem is detected early, when the child has not yet learned many flavors, because then he is not tempted by products that contain gluten. In the case of a preschooler or school-age toddler, a conversation is necessary, during which it should be explained to him that diet is a medicine for him and that eating foods containing gluten can be dangerous. You need to require your child to follow a diet and teach them how to prepare safe meals. A gluten-free diet does not require social restrictions. However, when allowing your child to visit friends, you need to agree on a diet with their parents - especially so that they do not give your child anything without consulting you first.
Gluten-free diet - important rules
Like any other diet, this one requires a change in culinary habits. The difference is that it is not a diet of choice but of necessity. The baby must be protected against gluten and there are no exceptions to this rule. It is not only used in dishes prepared with the use of flour - it is also used in some technological processes that improve the taste or texture of dishes. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is get into the habit of reading labels. The regulations oblige producers to mention all allergenic ingredients - including gluten - on them. If you are unsure whether a product contains this protein, only buy products that have the crossed out ear mark or are labeled gluten-free. Speci alty products such as gluten-free bread, pasta and flour can be purchased at he alth food stores, online stores, and even in supermarkets. Be sure to also read the list of allowed and prohibited products. On a gluten-free diet, meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, fats, nuts, groats, as well as gluten-free finished products - e.g. kissels, jellies, puddings, gluten-free meats or dairy products are allowed. The child can eat bread, pies, cakes and pasta made of gluten-free flour obtained from gluten-free wheat starch, as well as, inter alia, from corn, amaranth, buckwheat, soybeans, rice, millet, tapioca, cassava and sorghum. However, they are forbiddenproducts containing wheat, rye, barley, oats, triticale and spelled, as well as any products with their addition: breads, rolls, confectionery, gluten flakes, groats, grain coffee, oat cocoa, low-quality sausages, pate, sausages, breaded semi-finished products, black pudding, luncheon meat, pates, instant soups and sauces, mustards and mayonnaise, delicatessen products, ready-made desserts, products containing m alt and m alt extract.
ImportantSafe kitchen
To prevent gluten contamination of dishes or products intended for a child, it is best to keep them in a separate cupboard and prepare them using only dishes intended for this purpose. For your baby's comfort and safety, consider giving up wheat and rye flour altogether, replacing it with gluten-free. Gluten-free and gluten-free dishes (for the rest of the household) are prepared separately, for safety reasons, first cooking a gluten-free dish.
Gluten in the diet
Gluten is a protein found in foods made from wheat, rye, oats, and barley. Unfortunately, in recent years there are more and more people who have problems digesting gluten. How is gluten intolerance manifested? Listen to our expert - dietitian Agnieszka Piskała.
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