New To Celiac

[ckmom]

I have a 6 year old daughter who just got diagnosed officially today that she has celiac. Her father & I are happy for a dx. but are overwhelmed. We understand what to do, but are still just floored ( I don't know how else to describe the feeling). She also has an allergy to peanuts/tree nuts, so alot of the prepared foods are cross-contaminated for us and that is very frustrating. We are very positive about this to her and even to ourselves but at times it is very sad to think about birthday parties and the future events.

This is my first chat so thanks for listening and any positive advice would be greatly appreciated!

[2Boys4Me]

Welcome to the board.

I have a 7 year old son who has celiac and as far as birthdays go, he usually packs his own pizza and cupcake. Almost all the parties seem to have pizza, so we call ahead to the parents or the venue to make sure there is somewhere for him to heat it up. No problems so far, and it's been a year and a half.

[Kibbie]

I have a 6 year old daughter who just got diagnosed officially today that she has celiac. Her father & I are happy for a dx. but are overwhelmed. We understand what to do, but are still just floored ( I don't know how else to describe the feeling). She also has an allergy to peanuts/tree nuts, so alot of the prepared foods are cross-contaminated for us and that is very frustrating. We are very positive about this to her and even to ourselves but at times it is very sad to think about birthday parties and the future events.

This is my first chat so thanks for listening and any positive advice would be greatly appreciated!

Oh boy do I remember how you feel! It was an up and down roller coaster for a few months for me. One minute I was glad we knew what was going on with my daughter and happy that all we had to do was change her diet, the next minute I was sad because of all the things she would be "missing" I can tell you know I've noticed a lot of positives:

1. My daughter actually likes healthy foods and will go to the fruits and veggies before junk food (compared to other kids her age)

2. I have only found 1 thing that I can't substitute for gluten free so far... and thats phyllo dough (sp?)

3. I can make gluten free treats and meals that taste as good (but I think better) than the full of gluten counterpart!

4. My daughter is so much better now (that should be the #1 reason)

5. My daughter may eat different things from other people but its just part of what makes her a unique person and I'm beginning to like the idea that she will be reading labels for things that are "bad" for her for the rest of her life! I WISH I learned how to do that earlier... maybe then I wouldn't have had to loose 50 lbs 6 years ago

My daughter is younger but we just celebrated her 2nd birthday party and it was completely gluten free. Not a single person knew and a few even asked for my recipe for her Birthday Cake

We have also successfully gone to a few other birthday parties and I just bake cupcakes ahead of time and bring one along so she can eat cake too

I can tell you that with in a few weeks you will have the hang (for the most part) of this and be starting to give advice to others on this website!

Hope those positives help!

[ckmom]

Thank You so much for responding! It really feels good to know that others felt the same way at first. The roller coaster is definately the best way to describe this feeling right now. I cannot wait to feel all of those positives that you wrote - it helps to talk about it. Thank You!

Oh boy do I remember how you feel! It was an up and down roller coaster for a few months for me. One minute I was glad we knew what was going on with my daughter and happy that all we had to do was change her diet, the next minute I was sad because of all the things she would be "missing" I can tell you know I've noticed a lot of positives:

1. My daughter actually likes healthy foods and will go to the fruits and veggies before junk food (compared to other kids her age)

2. I have only found 1 thing that I can't substitute for gluten free so far... and thats phyllo dough (sp?)

3. I can make gluten free treats and meals that taste as good (but I think better) than the full of gluten counterpart!

4. My daughter is so much better now (that should be the #1 reason)

5. My daughter may eat different things from other people but its just part of what makes her a unique person and I'm beginning to like the idea that she will be reading labels for things that are "bad" for her for the rest of her life! I WISH I learned how to do that earlier... maybe then I wouldn't have had to loose 50 lbs 6 years ago

My daughter is younger but we just celebrated her 2nd birthday party and it was completely gluten free. Not a single person knew and a few even asked for my recipe for her Birthday Cake

We have also successfully gone to a few other birthday parties and I just bake cupcakes ahead of time and bring one along so she can eat cake too

I can tell you that with in a few weeks you will have the hang (for the most part) of this and be starting to give advice to others on this website!

Hope those positives help!

[NoGluGirl]

I have a 6 year old daughter who just got diagnosed officially today that she has celiac. Her father & I are happy for a dx. but are overwhelmed. We understand what to do, but are still just floored ( I don't know how else to describe the feeling). She also has an allergy to peanuts/tree nuts, so alot of the prepared foods are cross-contaminated for us and that is very frustrating. We are very positive about this to her and even to ourselves but at times it is very sad to think about birthday parties and the future events.

This is my first chat so thanks for listening and any positive advice would be greatly appreciated!

Dear ckmom,

You may want to try the diet or your hubby considering one of you (or even both of you) may have it. This is genetic, after all! So, I decided to give you a list of some stuff that is readily available. I know some of this stuff your daughter cannot have, but maybe you guys could if neither of you are allergic to nuts. Also, a great place to get your daughter some safe candy is at www.choclat.com where they have great nut-free, gluten-free, casein-free candies and cake mixes. They are also more affordable than many other places.

I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)

Snack Foods:

Fritos

Tostitos

Lay's Original Potato Chips

Cool Ranch Doritos (Nacho cheese has gluten)

Act II Microwave Popcorn

Cheetos

3 Musketeers candy bars

Butterfinger candy bars

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Meat and Protein :

Eggs

Great Value Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Extra Lean ground beef

Carl Buddig lunchmeats all are safe

Johnsonville Original Bratwursts

Kraft Cheese Shredded or sliced (Kraft is a great company, they never hide gluten in their labels. If it does not say wheat, barley, oats or rye, then it is not in there!)

Cereals:

Cocoa Pebbles

Fruity Pebbles

Dora The Explorer Cinnamon Stars

Seasonings:

Durkee Cinnamon-ground

Durkee Ginger-ground

Durkee Chili powder

Durkee Vanilla Extract (in fact, all of their liquid flavorings, food colorings, and extracts are g.f.)

Emeril's Essence - Asian, Italian

Ortega Taco Seasoning (In fact, since they are under a very strict labeling policy, all of their products are gluten free at this time)

Miscellaneous:

Ortega Taco Shells

Starkist or Great Value Tuna

Butter Buds

Great Value Soy Milk

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Apples

Pears

Carrots

Great Value Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Del Monte Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Ore Ida Tater Tots

Ore Ida French Fries

Hormel Chili

Hormel Spam

Hormel Turkey Spam (Oven Roasted and Smoked)

Hormel Beef Au Jus Entree

Hormel Pork Au Jus Entree

Jimmy Dean Fresh Taste Fast Sausage (links, rolls, and patties)

Plumrose Bacon

PAM Non-Stick Cooking Spray (all except for PAM for baking; it has flour)

Beverages:

Coca-Cola (Diet, Regular, Vanilla, Caffeine Free)

Diet Rite

Folgers Coffees (all including Cappuccinos)

Luzianne Tea (We get decaf)

Arizona Teas

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice

Some Household Items that are safe include:

Cascade Dishwashing Detergent

All Laundry Detergent

Wisk Laundry Detergent

Dawn Dish Soap (all including the Power Disolver)

SoftSoap Hand Soaps

Murphy's Oil Soap

Hygiene, Cosmetics, and Beauty Items:

Dove Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)

Crest Whitening Expressions Toothpastes

Colgate Toothpastes

Suave Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)

Maybelline (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)

CoverGirl (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)

Wet'n Wild (All except for one of the mascaras)

Olay Quench Body Lotion

Crest WhiteStrips

Colgate Simply White

I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Nic]

Just want to add in that I can also relate to the roller coaster ride. My son went gluten free 2 years ago at the age of 4. It was very hard at first but he really did develop new favorites very quickly. For breakfast he now loves the Vann's waffles. We have them in Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, and original. I just checked them for nuts and it doesn't seem to be a problem. He also loves Kinnickinicks blueberry muffins. And for lunch ideas check out Ian's Natural Foods. They make chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corndog nuggets, and fries. They are labeled as Allergen Free so I would have to assume that includes nuts. As far as the rollercoaster is concerned, we have hopped back on as we are now investigating the possibility of a dairy intolerance. As much as I want this to be it so he can finally be healthy, I am almost praying it is not because many of his new favorites contain dairy. It is a double edged sword, but if it makes them better it is worth it. Good Luck!

Nicole

[Heidilane]

I too am a new mom to Celiac - my son was just diagnosed last week only days before his third birthday. I have discovered that eating gluten free is a change, but it is not as difficult as I first thought. There are a lot of good products out there. I have a question about soy - some things I have read say that it is okay and some say it is not. Thank everyone for their posts and ideas; I have been looking through everything for about an hour and there are a lot of helpful ideas.

[taweavmo3]

Just wanted to say welcome, this is a great place to be. I could not have survived without the great people on this board.

I totally understand where you are coming from, and it will get easier with time. My kids are great eaters now, and half the time, my son's classmates want his gluten free treat instead of the cupcakes or whatever else they are eating. Most kids are very understanding, and quite smart when it comes to food restrictions. It's the adults you have to worry about, lol.

I also wanted to reassure you about future birthday parties, it's much easier than I thought. We just bring a cupcake, and sometimes some gluten-free pizza, or my kids just skip that part. I have noticed that at most parties, the kids could pretty much careless about the food anyway, it's always a chore to drag them away from playing to get them to eat! I just had birthday parties for my kids, and they went very smoothly. My 8 year old had a bowling party, we brought pizza for him, and ordered pizza for the rest of the kids. We had a gluten-free cake from a special bakery, and all the kids loved it. None of them noticed a thing.

For me, learning about Celiac has really been a huge blessing. We are all eating healthier, other family members are being diagnosed....and my kids are learning from an early age that it is okay to be different. It is really hard at first, no doubt about that.....but it can be a good thing. Take care!!!!!!

[NoGluGirl]

Dear ckmom,

I need to correct something from my list. Other members just told me there are cross contamination issues with the Hormel Beef Au Jus. Tostitos recently made me ill. Lay's are not made on dedicated lines except for the Stax. They are your safest bet. Some companies besides that having cross contamination issues include Bob's Red Mill, Amy's Kitchen, and Quaker.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[ckmom]

I wanted to thank you so much for the info. My husband and I truly appreciate it. I feel that there are others who really understand. Thanks again.

Dear ckmom,

You may want to try the diet or your hubby considering one of you (or even both of you) may have it. This is genetic, after all! So, I decided to give you a list of some stuff that is readily available. I know some of this stuff your daughter cannot have, but maybe you guys could if neither of you are allergic to nuts. Also, a great place to get your daughter some safe candy is at www.choclat.com where they have great nut-free, gluten-free, casein-free candies and cake mixes. They are also more affordable than many other places.

I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)

Snack Foods:

Fritos

Tostitos

Lay's Original Potato Chips

Cool Ranch Doritos (Nacho cheese has gluten)

Act II Microwave Popcorn

Cheetos

3 Musketeers candy bars

Butterfinger candy bars

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Meat and Protein :

Eggs

Great Value Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Extra Lean ground beef

Carl Buddig lunchmeats all are safe

Johnsonville Original Bratwursts

Kraft Cheese Shredded or sliced (Kraft is a great company, they never hide gluten in their labels. If it does not say wheat, barley, oats or rye, then it is not in there!)

Cereals:

Cocoa Pebbles

Fruity Pebbles

Dora The Explorer Cinnamon Stars

Seasonings:

Durkee Cinnamon-ground

Durkee Ginger-ground

Durkee Chili powder

Durkee Vanilla Extract (in fact, all of their liquid flavorings, food colorings, and extracts are g.f.)

Emeril's Essence - Asian, Italian

Ortega Taco Seasoning (In fact, since they are under a very strict labeling policy, all of their products are gluten free at this time)

Miscellaneous:

Ortega Taco Shells

Starkist or Great Value Tuna

Butter Buds

Great Value Soy Milk

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Apples

Pears

Carrots

Great Value Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Del Monte Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Ore Ida Tater Tots

Ore Ida French Fries

Hormel Chili

Hormel Spam

Hormel Turkey Spam (Oven Roasted and Smoked)

Hormel Beef Au Jus Entree

Hormel Pork Au Jus Entree

Jimmy Dean Fresh Taste Fast Sausage (links, rolls, and patties)

Plumrose Bacon

PAM Non-Stick Cooking Spray (all except for PAM for baking; it has flour)

Beverages:

Coca-Cola (Diet, Regular, Vanilla, Caffeine Free)

Diet Rite

Folgers Coffees (all including Cappuccinos)

Luzianne Tea (We get decaf)

Arizona Teas

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice

Some Household Items that are safe include:

Cascade Dishwashing Detergent

All Laundry Detergent

Wisk Laundry Detergent

Dawn Dish Soap (all including the Power Disolver)

SoftSoap Hand Soaps

Murphy's Oil Soap

Hygiene, Cosmetics, and Beauty Items:

Dove Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)

Crest Whitening Expressions Toothpastes

Colgate Toothpastes

Suave Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)

Maybelline (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)

CoverGirl (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)

Wet'n Wild (All except for one of the mascaras)

Olay Quench Body Lotion

Crest WhiteStrips

Colgate Simply White

I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Guest lorlyn]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome. You will learn alot on this board. It is overwhelming at first and it does get easier the longer you do it but always read the labels carefully because they can change very often as I found out the hard way. Six months ago a candy my daughter likes did not contain wheat and she got some for Easter and she noticed on the label it contains wheat. I am pretty sure we checked the label months ago and it did not contain wheat then and now it does, just like trix cereal did contain wheat six months ago and now it does not. Just be careful and read everything. Good luck to you and daughter.

[NoGluGirl]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome. You will learn alot on this board. It is overwhelming at first and it does get easier the longer you do it but always read the labels carefully because they can change very often as I found out the hard way. Six months ago a candy my daughter likes did not contain wheat and she got some for Easter and she noticed on the label it contains wheat. I am pretty sure we checked the label months ago and it did not contain wheat then and now it does, just like trix cereal did contain wheat six months ago and now it does not. Just be careful and read everything. Good luck to you and daughter.

Dear lorlyn,

Trix is safe now? I heard something about it, but was not sure. That is so weird. They should put consumer warnings out on candies and stuff. I hate having to worry constantly about being poisoned from gluten!

Dear ckmom,

You are welcome! I want this to be as little stress as I can make it for others. We all know what it is like to feel overwhelmed and confused about this! Just remember to avoid the Hormel Beef Au Jus and Lay's unless they are the Stax. Tostitos ended up nearly killing me this past week. I am trying to warn others since they do not know!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl