Parents are often at a loss when they find out their child has a gluten allergy. It’s hard enough for an adult to change up their eating habits to fit a gluten free diet, but helping a child do it is that much harder. Luckily, there are many resources for both kids and their parents.
There are books and whole websites dedicated to recipes for kids with a gluten allergy. Involving children with gluten intolerance in the cooking and preparation of their food not only helps them feel empowered over their allergy, but will also prepare them to take care of themselves when they become adults. Meals such as homemade hummus, smoothies and soups are easy for kids to make either on their own or with the help of an adult if they are young and these meals are easy to make fit into a gluten free diet.
It’s important for parents to feel capable of feeding their kids tasty, nutritious food so that their children with gluten intolerance don’t feel they are a burden or that they have a disorder that makes it impossible for them to enjoy food. It’s up to parents to role model the possibilities within a gluten free diet and to help their children understand how to stay healthy with their gluten allergy.