Where Do I Start?

[Mama T]

My 9 year old was just tested/diagnosed with a wheat allergy. That being said, his doctor wants him to go on a 30-day gluten-free diet and for me to monitor is overall well being and health. After the 30 days we are going to put him back on wheat and and again monitor his overall well being and health; he'll then get blood drawn to test for Celiac.

I have heard that Whole Foods has a good gluten-free section with a variety of foods so I think I'm pretty good there - it's everything else. What restaurants can he eat at? Spices/sauces for food? What vitamins are gluten-free? Oils food can be cooked with? How do ensure no cross-contamination? The list goes on for forever.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Mama T

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Hello! I think you'll find a lot of your answers in this forum. Just take a glance at the restaurants section and the shopping one, too. Regular oil is fine, regular spices like salt and peper will be fine. Always read the ingredients. No wheat, barley, gluten, rye, nor oats!

It is hard becoming gluten-free, so, try sticking to naturally gluten-free items: fresh fruit, veggies, and meat. Whole Foods is great, but other super markets like Kroger and Ingles offer some gluten-free items, too.

Cross contamination is BIG. If you have a pizza, do not touch it! Eating the cheese off is still like eating the wheat. Have a different area and do not used wooden cutting boards or spoons. Have a separate toaster or use tin foil in an existing toaster oven. If something touches gluten then throw it away.

Also, being a kid can be hard, so, try to make this whole gluten-free thing seem special and great. After all, this should make your kid feel much better. You can still send him (gluten-free) treats and have friends over for (gluten-free) dinners.

Good luck!