New To gluten-free Diet

[MaddieGsMom]

My DD was Dx in April and we have been gluten-free for a little over a month. She has been diagnosed with Failure to thrive, she seems very healthy, never complains about anything but is significantly smaller than her peers. We were using boost kids essentials which is gluten free, but expensive. Our celiac nutritionist told us to switch to Carnation instant breakfast. Just noticed that it is processed on equipment that processes wheat. It seems a little off. There are differing opinions on what is safe, and to go on to carnations site, they claim that their powder is gluten-free and their liquid only has 1ppm of barley gluten. Is it good enough to eat things with small chance of Cross contamination and see how it goes?? One of the things that my nutritionist said was that no one can be sure of cross contamination unless the government takes a stand and that if my DD blood tests were good I shouldn't worry. But I do. Any suggestions on topic of Cross Contamination would be great.

Thanks

[taweavmo3]

Hi! Welcome to the board, this is a great place to be. Personally, we stay away from products that are made in the same facility as wheat. I've tried them, but my dd reacts every time. The nutritionist is correct that you never know 100% of the time if a processed products has contamination, but if it made in the same facility as wheat....that definately increases the chances. And since your dd is just now starting the diet and trying to heal, I would try to avoid those products.

My dd is super sensitive, so most of the time I just stick to a plain, whole foods diet with as little processed food as possible. We eat meat, veggies, rice, fruit and tinkyada pasta. I make my own salad dressings, hummus, dips and sauces, etc. You can trust the gluten free companies that are made in dedicated facilities, and we use those for a quick treat if I don't have time to make something ahead of time. Kraft is another great company that will clearly list any gluten in their products, we love Kraft!

Also, now that she is on the diet and retaining nutrients, she may not need calorie boosters anymore. My dd was failure to thrive too, she was the same weight at age 3 that she was at 12 months old. But 3 months into the diet, she had gained 10 pounds. There are other ways to add in healthy fat and calories too.....olive oil, avacados, coconut milk ( I use this in baking or mix with other milk) coconut oil, nut butters, and almond meal to bake with if nuts aren't a problem.

Hope that helps some! The first few months are hard and frustrating, but it does get easier. This is a great site for info, it was a lifesaver for me in beginning. Good luck!