Do you have a child who needs to go gluten-free? These blogs have excellent recipes, information and support from moms who have been there and done that.
Fun ways to go gluten-free
A celiac disease diagnosis can be overwhelming — you have been told that when your child consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and sometimes oats, her body reacts by destroying the microvilli in the lining of her stomach and intestines, which leads to stomach pain, malnutrition and a whole spectrum of terrible symptoms. Other children have non-celiac gluten intolerance which can be just as painful and devastating. As an autoimmune disease, this one is easily treated — total elimination of gluten will restore your child to full health.
Your child’s physician or dietitian may have provided you with information on foods your child needs to avoid to recover and be healthy, but when you set out to the grocery store the first time post-diagnosis, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we love these blogs — they are from moms whose families, for one reason or another, have gone gluten-free. They know what it’s like to face a world full of gluten and how to make the best nutritional choices when gluten isn’t easily recognized on a food ingredient label.
Karina’s Kitchen
Karina’s Kitchen is a beautifully put-together blog of gluten-free deliciousness. Karina, diagnosed with celiac disease in 2001, not only features beautifully-photographed recipes, she has loads of information on how to go gluten-free as well as info for vegans and vegetarians. She shares essential baking tips and how to get the most out of your gluten-free baking — perfect for moms of kids who love baked goods and miss their old favorites.
Angela’s Kitchen
Angela’s Kitchen not only provides recipes, but menu plans and a comprehensive list of gluten-free resources, including information specific to the Minneapolis area. Her cooking goals after diagnosis were to “develop recipes and menu plans to not just taste as good at the ‘pre-gluten-free’ days, but ones that would fit the needs of a growing, busy family who loves to eat,” her blog says. Angela also promotes gluten-free awareness and has spoken at local and national organizations.
Whole Foods for Whole Families
Whole Foods for Whole Families started out as a simple whole food blog for Amber and her family, until her youngest daughter developed health problems and thrived on a gluten-free diet. The whole family has converted, and she reports that the entire family is the picture of health — and her own chronic fatigue has been replaced with a life full of energy. “Did I mention that I love food?” she wrote. “’Cause I do — a lot — and I love to cook, so this blog allows me to share my recipes and my journey and myself.”
Raising Jack with Celiac
Raising Jack with Celiac is a super-cute blog that talks about one mom’s journey after her son was diagnosed with celiac disease. We love that his name rhymes, too! Kelly noticed that Jack was suffering with diarrhea, irritability and lack of energy when he was around age 2. He also had a distended belly and a small bum — both signs of celiac disease. Their pediatrician tested him for celiac disease, and he has been on a gluten-free diet ever since. She shares kid-friendly recipes and information just for parents.
Gluten-Free Mom
Gluten-Free Mom is the blog of a mom who had to learn about being gluten-free when her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. “No one ever forgets the day you find out your child has a genetic, life-long, life-changing autoimmune disorder,” she wrote. She features recipes, how her family goes about buying food, and what she keeps stocked in her pantry. If you’re going through a diagnosis, she has too, so she knows what you’re going through.
Tips for going to school gluten-free >>
What Contains Gluten?
What Contains Gluten? is an excellent resource for eating gluten-free. Misty, a homeschooling mom, started the blog after her oldest daughter Hanan was diagnosed with gluten intolerance when she was around 8 years old. “What Contains Gluten? was born out of a mother’s need to understand exactly what foods contain gluten and which ones don’t, so her gluten-sensitive child could eat all her favorite ‘regular’ foods and avoid getting sick,” wrote Misty. It is an invaluable resource for moms who are looking to navigate the grocery aisles and peppered with a lot of personal anecdotes and information.
More on celiac disease
Help your gluten-free child fit in
Do you have celiac disease?
Do kids with food allergies inconvenience “normal” kids?
Leave a Comment