Going Gluten-free (for kids)

So we are making a big dietary change in our house. Gus has had some digestive issues (since he was born, really) and when looking into potential causes I noticed he has a few other minor issues that could potentially be gluten related. So, we thought to give it a try. And even though we didn't go whole hog, we immediately noticed a difference.

We let his doctor know - and she ordered a blood test to make sure it was just an intolerance and not something more serious - like Celiac Disease. And those tests came back clear. So for now it is just an intolerance... and hopefully he grows out of it.

This means we will probably all start eating less gluten -- because lord knows I can barely manage keeping everyone fed as it is... And I am trying not to have to make 2 types of everything ... (pancakes, pasta, etc...)

This article from Bon Appétit is a great read if you've been thinking about giving up gluten... because to be honest I barely knew the difference between gluten and carbs and I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Here are a few things that we've had success with so far:

Udi's Gluten-free bread is my favorite so far. Everyone in my family will eat it and I actually think Gus eats more of it than he did regular bread before hand. So that is a win. It freezes well and they sell it at Costco... all added bonuses. We go for the whole grain.

Gus was obsessed with graham crackers before we figured this out-- so we tried a handful of different gluten free graham cracker brands. The only one he liked (as well as the rest of us) was Pamela's. These cinnamon ones are AMAZINGLY good. I think they taste better than normal graham crackers. Pamela's also makes great gluten-free fig bars.

Obviously since rice is naturally "gluten-free" - rice products are a favorite of ours too. Lundberg Farms which is an amazing local, Sacramento Valley company makes some great stuff. My favorites are their chips and their rice cakes dipped in chocolate. Yum.

We had some trouble with pasta... he just wouldn't eat any of the gluten-free brands that we got - but finally we found one. The Ancient Harvest Red Lentil and Quinoa Mac and Cheese tastes good. I liked it, Gus liked it, Lucille said she liked it - but didn't eat much. That counts as a win for me.

Any other mamas with gluten-free toddlers - I'd love recommendations! Kids are so picky to begin with... limiting the diet is not fun.