My Top Gluten Free Kid Friendly Products

Here is my handy dandy list of kid friendly gluten free products. Want to know how to replace Kraft dinner? How about pancakes? All those favourite foods that you think your child will have to give up are actually replaceable with gluten free options. So here are my favourites, and where in Vancouver to buy them!

1. Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix. My all time favourite product. I use this for everything. It makes gorgeous gravy, banana bread, cookies, and of course, pancakes. It does contain butter milk powder so it is not suitable for dairy free diets. The cookie recipe on the back of the package is fool proof. I have found this product at Choices in the pancake section. It is expensive so I often buy it in bulk from Amazon for a few dollars cheaper.

2. Gluten Free Pantry Favourite Sandwich Bread Mix. I make most of Matthew's bread from this mix. It is as easy as making cake from a box. However you will need a high powered mixer, like a Kitchen Aid, because the doe is very thick and sticky. I add extra flax seed meal to this for an Omega 3 punch. It yields a nice big loaf and is fractionally cheaper then buying GF bread. It tastes far better then the frozen varieties. It is worth the little bit of effort. I buy mine at Famous Foods. Some times I buy it in bulk from Amazon.

3. Pamela's Brownie Mix. Great brownies! No one will know the difference! Buy it at Choices.

4. Glutino crackers. These are a great replacement for Ritz crackers. They don't taste the same, but they are the closest to a regular cracker that is out there. I buy them from Price Smart, and sometimes London Drugs has them.

5. Slim Down Rice Crackers from Want Want. These are the best rice crackers. They are super tasty! I buy them from London Drugs, Choices, Famous Foods and Whole Foods.

6. Mi-Del Arrowroot Animal Cookies. These cookies replace animal crackers. They are pretty tasty. They do contain butter so they are not dairy free. I buy these at Choices, Price Smart and Wholefoods.

7. Waffles. There are Natures Path frozen waffles in several varieties and Vans waffles. I recommend trying them out until you find the ones your child likes. I go for the Mesa Sunrise ones from Natures Path because they are a little healthier. But they can be a little dry. You can buy them from Price Smart, Whole Foods, Choices, and Famous Foods.

8. Mrs, Leepers pastas. This pasta is made from corn so it is yellow in colour. It cooks up with out getting mushy. It tastes like tortilla chips. It is high in fibre and protein. The elbow macaroni closely resembles Kraft dinner. You can buy the Kraft dinner packets for the sauce and throw away the pasta. Your child will hardly notice the difference. I buy this at Price Smart.
Just a side note; Annies makes a GF mac and cheese product. I am not a huge fan of it. It is expensive, the pasta is made from white rice which makes it void of any fibre or taste.

9. EnviroKids Crispy Rice bars. My kid loves these! They are a good replacement for rice crispy bars.
You will find these at Price Smart, Whole Foods, and Choices.

10. Natures Path Whole O's are a great replacement for Cheerio's. They are the healthier choice as many gluten free kids cereals are packed with sugar. You will find them at Price Smart, Whole Foods, London Drugs, and Choices.

11. Kinnikinik makes a wide variety of products including breads, English muffins, bagels, and mixes. You can find ready made frozen products in the freezer of the bakery at Safeway. They can also be found in the frozen foods of Price Smart, Whole Foods, Choices and Famous Foods. I keep these breads on hand for convenience, in case I don't get around to making bread. The bagels are tasty and kids love them with jam.

12. Panne Rizzo on Cornwall in Kits makes the nicest rice buns. If I am in the area I always pick some up to keep in the freezer. They make great hamburger buns or garlic bread. I cut them in half because they are pretty big. You can call Panne Rizzo and order these in advance.

13. Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix. I use this to make cupcakes for special occasions. One packet can make about 24 small cupcakes, so it is good value compared to other mixes. GF cake mixes are tricky. It is hard to get good cake. This is by far the best one I have tried. I always add an extra egg and I add a half cup of vegetable puree, like spinach or sweet potato to add fibre and improve the texture. I always get compliments! In fact, I have made a cake that looks like McQueen out of it!

You could spend a lot of money and time, like I did, trying to find the right products. I hope this list helps to make it a little easier!

10 Steps to going Gluten Free

If there was one thing I wish I had when I set out to switch Matthew's diet to gluten free it would be the following lists that I will post over the next week. There is so much information out there on the internet, but despite that, I still didn't know what I needed to know to get the job done without a whole lot of trial and error, and not to mention, money!
It can sometimes be weeks or months before one can get in to see the dietician and acquire the correct information. Even then you may not get the insider info that can be so helpful when changing the diet for a child. Being gluten free for an adult can be challenging, but when you are doing if for a child who is a picky eater, it can be daunting.

 The following advise is NOT for a child with a Celiac Disease diagnosis. In this case you must eliminate gluten from your child's diet entirely and immediately. If your child has autism, ADHD, FAS, or other developmental disabilities, and you do not have a celiac diagnosis or testing for celiac disease pending,  then you must begin your journey with an investigation.

1. Talk with your child's paediatrician. You might be surprised by the response you get! The paediatrician has a list in your child's file of different issues that may improve with a diet change. If you do not get a favourable response to your inquiry then you have a choice to make. You can go it alone and work to change the doc's mind, or you can look for a new doc. It does help to have the support of the paediatrician to make these changes. He can help you collect the appropriate information to assess whether the diet is making a difference.

2. Start keeping a food journal. If you have not already started a journal for your child, start now. I started keeping journals on and off since Matthew was a baby. Feeding charts, sleep charts and behaviour issues. I admit that I am not the best a keeping this practice up. I have numerous note books around the house with little notes jotted down about various issues we were having. They can be a great resource for you and your child's health care team. Make notes about what your child eats, how much, when, and any behaviours you notice associated with the foods. Personally I think it is important to start keeping this journal about one month before eliminating wheat entirely.

3. Start making a list of your child's favourite wheat foods. This list will be handy to keep in on hand when you go to the grocery store looking for replacements for those foods.

4. Start introducing your child to new gluten free foods. If your child is really picky about food you may want to start with foods that are easy for him to accept, like crackers. Once your child accepts a new GF food, eliminate its wheaty counterpart entirely. You don't want your child remembering how good the old stuff was!

5. Start reading food labels. Next time you go shopping read the labels on your favourite foods. You may be surprised what is in there! If you can find a GF alternative then try it. Watch out for malt, MSG, barley, and barley malt colouring. All these ingredients are wheat based.

6. Start collecting recipes. There are a number of great GF web sites and cook books that offer great child friendly recipes. One of my favourites is the Kid Friendly Autism ADHD Cook Book. This is a great resource for information and some wonderful easy recipes.

7. Do a trial period. Now that you have a number of GF foods your child is eating under your belt you can begin a trial of the diet. A trial period can be anywhere from two weeks to a month. I do not recommend going longer then a month with out making a solid decision. During this time it is really important that you make sure your child is completely gluten free. By the end of two weeks you should have a good idea of any changes that have occurred with your child.

8. Reintroduce the offender. After about two weeks reintroduce wheat for a day. Give your child a wheat serving at every meal. Take notes on your child's reaction. Your child might have a large reaction, or no reaction at all. You may feel you do not need to do this if you have already noticed a reduction in your child's symptoms. We did not do this for Matthew, as we suspected he may have celiac. We noticed his language increased and he was a much happier child. Again I stress, do NOT do this if your child has a Celiac diagnosis!

9. Get educated. If you have decided that you want to continue with a gluten free diet for your child after a trial it is time to really educate yourself about the gluten free lifestyle. It is a lifestyle for sure! Visit www.celiac.ca and www.talkaboutcuringautism.org for advice on what foods to avoid and other food options. You will need to make some changes in your kitchen too. You will need a new GF toaster, baking tins, cutting boards, bread knife, etc., and learn how to keep your child safe from contamination. The TACA site is full of great information on the GFCF diet and how to work it. It also has a great section on picky eaters. Personally,  I don't believe autism is curable. I do believe that it can be managed and diet is just one way to make things better for a suffering child.

10. Get your favourite grocery store on board! We are very lucky here in Vancouver to have a great selection of GF options. However not every store will carry every thing you need. I found myself shopping from 5 different stores to get all the little bits! It was a full time job just shopping for Matthew's food, not to mention, expensive. Now I have it down to one main store, and I occasionally visit alternatives if I need some one off item. Save on Foods and Price Smart are the big name chain stores that carry the best selection of GF items. They are very good at bringing in requested items too! I am so pleased with how responsive they have been to my requests.

Here are a few hints for GF grocery shopping:
1. Most GF baked products, including bread, are kept in the frozen foods sections. Ask a manager, rather then a staffer, where you can find these items.
2. Check you labels!
3. Cheerio's, Rice Crispies and Corn Flakes are all coloured and flavoured with barley malt. They are not GF.
4. Watch out for soy sauce,jar sauces, and vinegar's. These often contain wheat.


In a later post I will get more detailed about what items can be found at what stores.

The above advice also can apply to eliminating dairy or any other food that may be causing a problem.

Ahhh! The farmer’s market! A place brimming with hope and vitality! I just love the idea of sustainable, organic, locally grown food. The sights and sounds of the market are a soothing balm for my overly crowded mind. A place full of possibility, interesting people and interesting food.

However, a farmer’s market can be an absolute nightmere for an autistic child, and his parents. Today was our third attempt in a year to take Matty and Simon to the Trout Lake Farmer’s Market. The last two attempts ended in screaming fits, tears and frustration for all. The only reason today was any different from the other attempts was that we did not take Matty into the market at all. Paul, my dutiful husband,  and the boys spent their time in the adjacent playground. After fetching a steaming organic latte for my hubby, I peacefully strolled thru the market soaking up the atmosphere and picked up some organic apples to make a gluten free apple crumble for dessert. All so blissfully domestic and old worldly.

So, what is it about a farmer’s market that is so scary? Well, the dogs for one. Matthew can barely pass a dog with out trying to climb up to the top of one’s body to sit on one’s head to get as far away from the dog as possible.

The unpredicabilty of people weaving from one stall to another, baby strollers breaking from the crowd unexpectedly, loud guitar music from the busker, and the busy energy of the place is all just too much for a child suffering from sensory disorders.

For typical families a morning at the farmer’s market is just par for the course. Nibbling on fresh baked organic cookies, and sipping organic lattes while picking up fresh produce for the evening meal while their sweet young babies snooze in their prams is an experience I have never been able to enjoy.

Any time we have tried to do anything remotely similar is usually ended abruptly by a temper tantrum so intense that people start looking at us wondering if they need to call Child Protective Services!  Ok, I am being overly dramatic again, but certainly our first market experience was much like this!

We have made huge progress though! We now know better then to take Matty into the market at all and we head straight for the play ground first. This way he doesn’t have to get overwhelmed. Last year Matthew was not able to visit an unfamiliar playground. He would get worried, cry and want to go home. Now he sees the swings and practically jumps the fence to get in there!

So there is hope that one day he will be able to enter the market and fully enjoy an  organic family outing! Can you imagine taking him to the PNE??

So I offer you here a recipe for gluten free apple crumble. This recipe is modified from my mother-inlaw’s version made with wheat flour. I have simply swapped the wheat flour for the gluten free pancake mix. This is NOT a dairy free recipe. To make it dairy free simply replace the butter with dairy free margerine, and use a dairy free gluten free flour mix.

Ruth’s Apple Crumble

Topping

6 tablespoons butter or margerine

6 tablespoons shredded coconut

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2/3 cup gluten free pancake mix (Pamela’s)

Place all above ingredients in a small mixing bowl and with clean hands rub the butter into the mix until it is evenly distributed and crumbly.

Stewed apples

Peel 5-6 med apples

½ cup water

Cook until soft in a small saucepan aprx. 5 to 10 min. Most of the water should be boiled off.

Tip: if using very tart apples add a tablespoon of sugar while cooking apples

Grease an 8X8 baking pan. Pour stewed apples into baking pan. Make sure they are evenly distributed.

Top the apples with the topping mixture making sure to completely cover apples evenly. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30-45 min, or until the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla icecream, or dairy free frozen dessert.

Serves 6.

 What is in a name?

A little side bar to this post...I heard somewhere that giving food fun names makes eating that food more enticing for children. So, just to prove this point I placed slices of black bell peppers, that I had purchased at the market, on the boy's dinner plates and told them it was 'chocolate peppers'. Simon examined his and decided to feed them to me. Matthew gobbled his up like they were cookies!!

I have made this apple crumble for the boys many times only to have them eat the ice cream off the top and leave the dessert at the bottom of the dish, looking at it like it was a slimey blob of spinach or something. Last night I told them it was 'apple cookie crumble', and with out hesitation, they gobbled it up! The high light of my day!!