Need Snack/meal Ideas For gluten-free/cf Diet

[Momof2cuties]

My daughter is a suspected Celiac and now possibly has dairy/casein issues, too. Can anyone help give ideas for snacks and meals? It seems like everything gluten-free that I had found for her that she'd actually eat isn't CF. Please help!! We're going to see a nutritionist next week, but I just want to be sure she's getting what she needs. She's so tiny and lost weight again this last week!

[Cherry Tart]

Hello! There's actually quite a few options. Here are some suggestions for gluten-free/CF:

Fresh Fruits/Veggies/Meats/Eggs, Food for Life Breads, EnerG Breads/Buns, Shelton's Bologna/Turkey Sausage/Breakfast Links, Follow Your Heart Vegan Soy Cheese, Bob's Creamy Rice Cereal, EnerG Granola, Tinkyada or Deboles pasta, Mrs. Leeper's Rice Vegetable Twists, Soymage Soy Cheese, Lifestream Sunrise Toaster Waffles, gluten-free Pantry Puffed Rice Cereal, Health Valley Rice Crunch 'ems, Sylvan Farms Lemon Cake Mix, Glutano cookies, corn tortillas, natural rice, Mr. Crispers Rice Chips, EnerG mixes

With the items above, you could make: grilled "cheese", plain chicken breast w/ rice and veggies, quesadillas, pasta w/ fresh tomato, hearty breakfast - eggs/waffles/french toast/sausage, etc....

Hope this helps!

[tarnalberry]

I have a thread in the recipes section: Open Original Shared Link with a bunch of Gluten-free Casein-free recipes.

[tiffjake]

As far as snack options go, I really like EnerG crackers (taste like a saltine! Really!) with peanut butter. And I get the small, individual sized packages of peanuts (Planters, I get them from Sams). Or apple slices with peanut butter, or celery! Grapes, strawberries, hm...I know their are gluten-free/cf cookies out there, one is Nana's No Gluten Chocolate Munch cookies, those are good. Hope that helps

[tiffjake]

Oops, sorry, I didn't see how young your little ones were! Perhaps gluten-free cereal, like Perky-o's, for finger food snacks....

[taweavmo3]

I wouldn't put alot of stock in the nutritionist....most do not have a clue about what is allowed on gluten/casein free diet and give innacurate information. There are some that are educated about Celiac, but it is not the norm. This board is one of the best out there to become informed, it saved me SO much time in learning the ins and outs of this diet. In six months time, you'll be a pro.

That being said, I have four gluten/casein and soy free little ones, so I can give you some ideas. Kinnikinnick is a great company that has very kid friendly food, and many of their products are casein free as well. We use their white or brown sandwhich bread, and they also have Ktoos, which are like Oreo's. They have great donuts too, but we don't use much of those anymore.

Dried Fruit (Fruit Abu is a hit)

Trail mix with pretzels (Glutino is best, but since it has soy we use EnerG), marshmallows & Craisins

Pancakes and muffins make good snacks, I batch cook so I always have some on hand

Homemade peanut butter cookies: 1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg...350 for 10 minutes

Apples w/peanut butter and honey

Rice cakes (stay away from Quaker...cc issues) with peanut butter

Carrot sticks or corn chips with Hummus

Popcorn, we use Kettle Corn, but your little girl may be too young for this one

Homeade sweet potato fries....my kids love these! Just toss sliced sweet potatoes w/olive oil, garlic and rosemary and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or so.

Bananas w/chocolate syrup and whipped coconut milk (my daughter's "ice cream sundae"!)

I can't think of anymore at the moment...but I hope that helps some! Your picture reminds me SO much of my daughter at that age. She was so painfully skinny, she was 3 years old and weighed 20 pounds. I think you will find that she will gain weight pretty quickly on this diet, it is a truly miraculous thing to watch. To put on weight, coconut milk is a good sub with lots of good fat. And pile on the olive oil whenever you can too. I also just discovered Hemp milk by Living Harvest. It has more calcium than cows milk, plus loads of Omega 3 and 6's..plus protein. The vanilla flavor tastes VERY good!

Sorry for the novel of a post! Welcome to the board, it is a wealth of information and I couldn't have done this diet without all the great people here. Ask any question, anytime, and there is almost always someone who knows the answer. Good luck!

[Emily Elizabeth]

Here's a great recipe for cereal/granola that I just posted that may be helpful. It's great for snacking and you can add some olive oil and more nuts and honey for added calories. it would probably be good with raisens or other dried fruit, but I have yet to try it.

(Now, i'm guessing on the measurements since I never measure - but it's a pretty forgiving recipe. I have yet to make a bad batch)

Emily's Heart Healthy Granola Cereal

1 Cup - Any mixture of the following to make 1 cup - Rice Flakes, Quinoa Flakes, Flax Meal, Polenta (Corn Grits), Ground Rice (You can grind regular uncooked rice in a blender or food processor)

1/4 Cup - Flax Seeds

1/4 Cup - Quinoa (uncooked)

1/4 Cup - Nuts (I use flaked Almonds and chopped walnuts)

1 tbsp - Cinnamon

2 tbsp - Honey

1 - egg white (1 whole egg is fine too)

Optional:

1 tsp - Vanilla Extract (gluten-free of course)

2 tbsp - Rice Bran (for added fiber!)

Preheat the over to 350. Get out a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and lightly grease the bottom unless it is non-stick (I use an olive oil spray). Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed. If the mixture is not sticking together so it could be formed into a ball then add another egg white and possibly more honey. Dump out the mixture onto the cookie sheet and spread around so that it is no more than an inch high in any one spot. You don't really need to make sure it is in separate pieces as it will break apart during baking/flipping. Bake 10 mins. Flip the cereal over so that both sides get cooked. Put it back in the over for another 10-15 minutes. Take out when it is golden brown and slightly crispy. It will harden all the way after cooling. It will resemble granola.

Good luck! I hope your daughter starts feeling better soon!

My daughter is a suspected Celiac and now possibly has dairy/casein issues, too. Can anyone help give ideas for snacks and meals? It seems like everything gluten-free that I had found for her that she'd actually eat isn't CF. Please help!! We're going to see a nutritionist next week, but I just want to be sure she's getting what she needs. She's so tiny and lost weight again this last week!

[GFhopeful]

My kids don't have allergy issues (that I know of) but I have a 15 month old and I recently was diagnosed Celiac so am learing the ropes formyself and trying to feed my kids more healthy options too. I know that when we want to get some high-calorie healthy food into him, he likes avocados, sliced up like finger-food. Also, beans are another fun and favorite finger-food that is OK for Celiac and dairy-free I believe. Even just white rice clumped up in balls is alot of fun for self-feeding. I'm sure the weight will come now that you know what to feed your little one.

[EmmaQ]

I also would not put much hope in the nutritionist visit, I have been disappointed with many. One who happened to be Celiac and Dairy free herself told me not to buy anything with more than 5 ingredients!!! Okay, that might be fine for an adult, but we're talking kids here, kids who need to feel as normal as possible.

I never bought a Fruit Snack in my life until my son was dx w Celiacs. He loves them (I think they are gluten-free/CF at least 1 brand, read the label carefully). These we use as a treat, dessert, or when we are out and others have something sweet like cookies and I forgot gluten-free cookies. Chips can be Gluten-free Casein-free, but then again they are not nutritionally sound, but fine for a treat or if out in the car on the way home sort of thing.

I also found that I must think outside the box for snacks. I find friends' kids always want snacks and at our house it's fruit&nuts, a mini-meal, or even a salad array - they are not happy, but my kids are. I'm not sure what parents feed for snacks, but I think a snack should be solid nutrition with substance that will hold the child over until meal time without spiking their sugar levels and having them plummet and behavior problems later.

I found my Celiac was hungry eventually and really wanted more food, so he will have a bowl of cereal for a snack many times or a sandwich.

Dinner is my easiest meal - meat, veggie, rice or potato all plain. I don't do cassaroles, kids don't usually like those anyway. On occassion I'll do a gluten-free pasta dish, but the kids turn their noses up at it. I have found it very easy to turn most recipes into Gluten-free Casein-free. Rachal Ray's mini meatloaves are fabulous w gluten-free bread crumbs and the gravy is cornstarch.

Lunch is difficult for me - gluten-free sandwiches, carrots, chips, fruit, sometimes gluten-free mac&ch (not cf), Ian's chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and other items they are good.

Breakfast is going to get old fast gluten-free cereal, Kinninckinck Choco Chip muffins (these are Gluten-free Casein-free), sometimes I make muffins, Van's waffles (Gluten-free Casein-free) although they need a protein to go with them like bacon so that is a treat sort of breakfast, Tracy's Treats cinnimon rolls (not sure on CF), fruit, soy yogurt, I've been known to give my kids chicken nuggets and hotdogs for breakfast if that is what they asked for!!! So there is not reason not to think outside the box and if your little one is hungry give them a solid meal - eggs, potatos, bacon, fruit, veggies in the eggs.

Making me hungry, it's time to start dinner anyway - baked chicken, rice, steamed veggie, and fruit cut up.

[taweavmo3]

I agree, lunch is definately the hardest for me too. During the school year, the kids are happy with sandwhiches five days a week. I've tried putting variety in their school lunch, but it was always a flop. They just want sandwhiches! I'm going to have to come up with something else when child #3 enters school.....I will end up going through one loaf of bread a day, and at $5 each (kinnikinnick) that's going to be TOO expensive, lol.

Lately, since it's summer, I've been doing more dinner type meals for lunch. I also make my own chicken nuggets with corn flake crumbs (I dip them in egg first) then I fry in olive or coconut oil. Coconut oil gives them a nice flavor I think. We also do alot of whole roasted chickens, hamburger patties, salmon patties, or fried fish. Casseroles are never a hit here either, my kids do not like their food mixed together. Spaghetti is the only thing they like that is mixed, lol.

Breakfast, it's almost always buckwheat pancakes, Namaste muffins, or eggs and turkey bacon. That is one of my easiest meals, thank goodness!