List Of Safe Foods To Share With Daycare?

[lamood]

Hi everyone, does anyone have a list or a link or something to a list of gluten free foods. It doesn't have to be comphrehensive. I would like to give my daughter's daycare and grandparents a list of things that they can have available for her or things to have on hand that they don't have to worry about.

Thanks,

Heather

[VydorScope]

Hi everyone, does anyone have a list or a link or something to a list of gluten free foods. It doesn't have to be comphrehensive. I would like to give my daughter's daycare and grandparents a list of things that they can have available for her or things to have on hand that they don't have to worry about.

Thanks,

Heather

We do not do it htat way. We pack all of our sons foods and jsut tell them he can only eat from his own bag. I do not expect nor think a daycare can keep up with the ever changing gluten-free lists.

[lamood]

I pack her lunches too and send special snacks, but it would be nice if she could have what other kids bring sometimes too, and a list for the daycare to check.

[VydorScope]

I pack her lunches too and send special snacks, but it would be nice if she could have what other kids bring sometimes too, and a list for the daycare to check.

I would strongly advise against that you have no idea what has happened to that food at thier house. Even 100% normal safe food could be easily contimanated.

[Guest nini]

with my daughter's daycare, they provided me with space in the freezer, and the pantry and once a month or more I would stock them up with gluten free food for them to prepare for her. I gave them a baking pan and a sauce pan to cook anything that required cooking so that they didn't have to worry about cleaning their pans... I gave them explicit instructions about cross contamination and to not give her anything that I did not provide for her. Because I gave them a wide selection of things they were able to closely match her meal to whatever the other kids were having OR give her a choice of what she was in the mood for. I lucked out with her daycare. The ladies were VERY helpful, but they also saw her BEFORE the dx and before the diet, and they then saw the very major improvements that she made in a very short amount of time so because they saw this, they were extremely vigilant about making sure she didn't get exposed to any gluten while in their care. One day (the ONLY incident that happened) my daughter grabbed an oreo from a friend and ate a bite before the teacher could get across the room and get it from her. I guess she just wanted it so bad she didn't think about what would happen. They called me immediately at work and said that within MINUTES she was in the bathroom with D and a bloated belly... she was ill for a good two or three days after that and has NOT ONCE cheated on her diet since. She is in Kindergarten now and I pack her lunch everyday and keep her teacher stocked with snacks for her at snack time. They have a snack calendar and take turns bringing in snacks, I told them to put her on the list to bring in snacks so that she could share her gluten-free treats with her friends and show them that she eats normal food.

[kyleceliac]

My son is now 8, dx when he was 4.

He attends public school and I understand what you are saying about wanting them to be able to have the same or close to the same foods as everyone else.

What we did this year for snacks is several things: 1) we take up a collection from the parents and the teacher or I purchase snacks for everyone that is gluten free. 2) through the weekly news letter we ask for specific snacks --brand and all. It is amazing how willing everyone is to accomodate. Posting a long list is really hard to do since things change constantly. The thing you can do is post fresh food snacks like apples, oranges....

As far as lunches, thats a hard one. I ALWAYS send my childs lunch. No one at the school as EVER perpared his food. What I have done is the school follows a posted menu. I send my son's food prepared (just might need to be heated up) and that way if it is a day that the school is serving something that my child might like-- he's got it --just in a healthier form.

[Smunkeemom]

I personally wouldn't trust anyone else to feed my kid. I pack all thier food and they can only eat whats in the bag, at church it's different because they have made the whole nursery area gluten free. I still have to check up on the 4 year old, but the basic rule is "Do not feed Joey's kids ANYTHING" that way I am always the ones to feed them.

[happygirl]

That is funny, Smunkeemom, about "Do not let Joey's kids eat anything"

I feel like that is my motto-don't feed me! I can't eat it unless I made it!

(Or, it is a very, very trusted friend who "gets" the cross contamination issue or my wonderful parents!)

There are maybe 5 people in the whole world that I would eat anything from. Not worth the risk!

[kempy99]

with my daughter's daycare, they provided me with space in the freezer, and the pantry and once a month or more I would stock them up with gluten free food for them to prepare for her. I gave them a baking pan and a sauce pan to cook anything that required cooking so that they didn't have to worry about cleaning their pans... I gave them explicit instructions about cross contamination and to not give her anything that I did not provide for her. Because I gave them a wide selection of things they were able to closely match her meal to whatever the other kids were having OR give her a choice of what she was in the mood for. I lucked out with her daycare. The ladies were VERY helpful, but they also saw her BEFORE the dx and before the diet, and they then saw the very major improvements that she made in a very short amount of time so because they saw this, they were extremely vigilant about making sure she didn't get exposed to any gluten while in their care. One day (the ONLY incident that happened) my daughter grabbed an oreo from a friend and ate a bite before the teacher could get across the room and get it from her. I guess she just wanted it so bad she didn't think about what would happen. They called me immediately at work and said that within MINUTES she was in the bathroom with D and a bloated belly... she was ill for a good two or three days after that and has NOT ONCE cheated on her diet since. She is in Kindergarten now and I pack her lunch everyday and keep her teacher stocked with snacks for her at snack time. They have a snack calendar and take turns bringing in snacks, I told them to put her on the list to bring in snacks so that she could share her gluten-free treats with her friends and show them that she eats normal food.

Again, I'm new to this whole thing, so please bare with my ignorance.....

How serious is the cross-contamination issue? My son is also in daycare (a daycare center) and they provide me with a menu for the month and I cross off things he cannot have (breads, pastas, etc...) and I'll bring in an alternative for the day. I'm just learning now that there are probablly even more things that he cannot have that I previously thought were ok. What about serving/cooking food with dishes/pans that were used to serve/cook the other kids' food. Please tell me more about the cross-contamination issues and the seriousness of it all.

Thank you!

[VydorScope]

Again, I'm new to this whole thing, so please bare with my ignorance.....

How serious is the cross-contamination issue? My son is also in daycare (a daycare center) and they provide me with a menu for the month and I cross off things he cannot have (breads, pastas, etc...) and I'll bring in an alternative for the day. I'm just learning now that there are probablly even more things that he cannot have that I previously thought were ok. What about serving/cooking food with dishes/pans that were used to serve/cook the other kids' food. Please tell me more about the cross-contamination issues and the seriousness of it all.

Thank you!

Well CC can be as bad as eating the thing its self.. or not. Thats the problem with CC, it removes all assurances.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Your son has a wonderuly gluten-free treat to eat. Your son decides to dunk it in his milk, and your sons's frend thinks thats a good idea, and dunks his gluten full cookie in your sons milk to, then yoru son drinks said milk. BAMO your son just got glutend.

There a zillion ways stuff like that could happen, playdough on the table, finger paints, etc. CC is the worst part of this cause its so hard to deal with, IMO.

In our situation we did our best to train our toddlers teachers about CC, and we send all the food/drinks he will need in a given day and hope for the best. Thats about the best you can do in reality.

[Smunkeemom]

Again, I'm new to this whole thing, so please bare with my ignorance.....

How serious is the cross-contamination issue? My son is also in daycare (a daycare center) and they provide me with a menu for the month and I cross off things he cannot have (breads, pastas, etc...) and I'll bring in an alternative for the day. I'm just learning now that there are probablly even more things that he cannot have that I previously thought were ok. What about serving/cooking food with dishes/pans that were used to serve/cook the other kids' food. Please tell me more about the cross-contamination issues and the seriousness of it all.

Thank you!

cross contamination scares the crap out of me. (sorry for the language, but it's true)

My girls have thier own pasta pan, pasta spoon, bread pan, mixing bowls, ect. We are going to get them thier own toaster soon. I am scared that crumbs, or like microscopic gluten will get stuck inside the plastic spoons, and even bleach won't help because you can't kill it, you have to wash it, so they have thier own stuff. I don't trust other people to be as tedious with it as I am. My kids are really really sensitive, cross contamination is enough to make them sick for a few days, so I try to avoid it at all costs.

[lamood]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess the feeling is don't give a list of ideas for people and just pack things for her. I will however try to come up with a list of things for her grandparents.

Heather

[VydorScope]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess the feeling is don't give a list of ideas for people and just pack things for her. I will however try to come up with a list of things for her grandparents.

Heather

Grandparents can be a dif story all together. Some ppl here have prolems with grandparents not takeing celiac disease seriously, but I am aussiming thats not the normal case.

You might list them what she currently eats and likes. That would be a good place ot start. Beyond that any fruit, veggie, meat or dariy that is 100% pure with nothing added should be safe (assueming gluten is your only issue). Next after that is the safe brands list. I do not have that here, but search this board its posted often. Those would be the places to start at least.

[elfkin]

My toddler son is very sensitive to cc. We do not even take him to church nursery anymore because he kept getting sick from goldfish cracker crumbs in the kitchen set and things like that. I really needed to work and even took a management team position at an "upscale" much-touted day care chain nearby to see if it was possible for us if I was there. It didn't work out. Too many glutened hands, etc. He also has anaphalactic food allergies, so the risk was just too great. Instead, I turned our home into a very small private childcare business. We are an entirely gluten/wheat & peanut/nut free home with safe art supplies, etc. The local gluten-free health food store keeps my notice up for other celiac and food allergic Mom's in need of safe childcare. I realize that for many of you, this would not be something you would want to try, but it is a solution that has worked for us. I thought I would share it with you! I wish that educationally sound and food-safe childcare was something that everyone who needed it could have access to. I hope you find a great solution that is perfect for your situation! This has really changed my life, as well. It is very fulfilling to minister to children and families in this way.

[Guest nini]

Again, I'm new to this whole thing, so please bare with my ignorance.....

How serious is the cross-contamination issue? My son is also in daycare (a daycare center) and they provide me with a menu for the month and I cross off things he cannot have (breads, pastas, etc...) and I'll bring in an alternative for the day. I'm just learning now that there are probablly even more things that he cannot have that I previously thought were ok. What about serving/cooking food with dishes/pans that were used to serve/cook the other kids' food. Please tell me more about the cross-contamination issues and the seriousness of it all.

Thank you!

very serious. since it only takes a molecule of gluten to cause damage people who are taking care of your child need to be aware of cc issues. In the home it is important to have uncontaminated condiments (I buy squeeze bottles) or have separate condiments with your childs name on them... the food needs to be prepared on a clean surface (or a plate), stainless steel pans are best if you are sharing a kitchen with gluten foods... if there are old non stick pans that are scratched, replace them or use them only for gluten foods... Yes it's important.

As long as the utensils, dishes and such are thoroughly cleaned before you use them for his food, they should be ok. Most trips through the dishwasher are sufficient.

At my daughter's daycare, they would prepare her food FIRST then put it in a safe place to stay warm while the other food was being prepared, Her teacher would wear clean plastic gloves and feed her first before serving the other children. They knew that before my daughter could sit down at a table that it had to be thoroughly cleaned, no food allowed off the tables, and immediately after snack the kids all had to wash hands, and the tables were all cleaned again. They had a lot of these policies already in place and it was also a "peanut free zone" because of a child they had the year before with severe peanut allergies. He had no problems and went on to a different elementary school than the one my daughter goes to. I know in the kitchen they had a list of ALL the children with food or contact allergies and all the employees were required to be familiar with this list and to ask the parent before offering ANYTHING that the parent didn't provide.

ALSO, parents had to get special permission to bring in treats for parties, we were sometimes assigned specific things to bring. I was allowed to bring homemade gluten free cupcakes ONLY because there was not a store made option available. Most treats were required to be in original store packaging with all pertinant information on them, ingredients and such...

[lovemyboy]

My toddler son is very sensitive to cc. We do not even take him to church nursery anymore because he kept getting sick from goldfish cracker crumbs in the kitchen set and things like that. I really needed to work and even took a management team position at an "upscale" much-touted day care chain nearby to see if it was possible for us if I was there. It didn't work out. Too many glutened hands, etc. He also has anaphalactic food allergies, so the risk was just too great. Instead, I turned our home into a very small private childcare business. We are an entirely gluten/wheat & peanut/nut free home with safe art supplies, etc. The local gluten-free health food store keeps my notice up for other celiac and food allergic Mom's in need of safe childcare. I realize that for many of you, this would not be something you would want to try, but it is a solution that has worked for us. I thought I would share it with you! I wish that educationally sound and food-safe childcare was something that everyone who needed it could have access to. I hope you find a great solution that is perfect for your situation! This has really changed my life, as well. It is very fulfilling to minister to children and families in this way.

HI

I'm curious about gluten free art supplies and such, I also have a home dayhome that I just put an ad out in our newsletter offering gluten free food. My ds is the only one that has celiac in my dayhome so I still serve the others regular bread and some regular cereals but all other foods are gluten free, but want to know about art supplies and such.

[Electra375]

I just came across this brochure on GIG

Open Original Shared Link

Also, as a newbi myself, I found Danna Korn's book Kids with Celiac Disease to be a must have. I borrowed it from the library first, then ordered a copy once our dx was firm.

[lamood]

Thanks so much for the link. That is good information to share.

[Nic]

I follow pretty much the same policy. As far as at home, my son does have his own toaster because the risk of cc is so great due to all the crumbs that gather at the bottom of a toast. Even if you dump it, you really don't scrub it out. Pots and pans I do use the same but I cook his food first and put it aside. Then I cook the rest.

As far as school is concerned. My son is in pre school. The school happens to provide snack. I periodically go in with a large supply of gluten free snacks to be kept for him at school. the teacher alerted the parents that we need to know in advance it they will be bringing a special treat and then I usually send in homemade gluten free cookies, brownies, or cupcakes to match what the others will be having. I usually send enough for everyone so that he can share with the others. Just in case a parent forgets to let us know first, I keep gluten-free donuts or brownies frozen in the schools freezer so he is never left out.

I also provided the teacher with a list of puddings, chips, icecreams, etc. that he is aloud to eat. I researched all of these companies. For example, I called lays and asked which of their products are gluten free and they in turn sent me a list of everything they make that is gluten free. If you take the time to make some calls, most companies are happy to help you and they have a whole gluten free statement ready. I also provide my teachers with a list of forbidden foods and ingredients just in case they are baking or cooks and they know they have to double check with me first.