Small Children with Food Sensitivities

It can be very intimidating to find out that your child has a food sensitivity, whether it is a serious condition or something that merely makes him or her feel uncomfortable for a short time. Full-fledged panic can set in. You may find yourself asking, What will my child eat now? When my two-year-old daughter developed hives on her face, stomach pains, wheezing and coughing, as any loving parent I became very concerned. After some trial and error, as well as taking her to two different pediatricians, we learned that the culprit was wheat.

While the correct course of action in most food sensitivity cases is eliminating the food in question from the child's diet, it can be a challenging matter to do so for a very small child, especially if he or she is a picky eater. However, I found that taking certain steps can lead the parents in the right direction toward making the transition to a different diet not so painful.

1. Explain to your child that eating a particular food will make him or her sick. 

Persuading a toddler that her beloved Goldfish crackers make her sick is difficult, but not impossible. I have found that my two-year-old understands cause and effect relationships rather well, so I decided to use that to my advantage. "Remember how you got sick and had to leave your playgroup because you ate a cracker? Your tummy hurt so much, and your face was all itchy. The same will happen if you eat that piece of bread." Sometimes you have to repeat the explanation more than once, but it is worth it.

2. Avoid the temptation. 

My husband and I still eat wheat, but we try not to do it in front of our daughter. Having a nice Italian dinner with spaghetti and garlic bread is now reserved for date nights. I eat bread or cookies when my daughter is asleep, and I am careful to hide those items. And, of course, I try my best not to cross-contaminate our wheat-free food by washing my hands and the dishes very carefully. However, I did get rid of wheat flour: we no longer bake with wheat, plus flour can cross-contaminate other foods very easily.

3. Go out of your comfort zone and try new recipes. 

It is not a secret that processed food contains more allergens and other ingredients that can cause food sensitivities. Cooking at home is a good solution to guarantee the safety of the food. I make my own rice flour now with a help of a flour mill, and I know that it will definitely be safe for my daughter. 

There are various cooking blogs, cookbooks, and websites that can help a parent find recipes that the child will actually eat. Instead of eating sandwiches, my daughter now has healthy oven-baked "fries" for lunch. I also learned that my daughter loves hummus. 

I recommend that you keep the recipes in a folder or notebook, or you can create a handy Microsoft Word document like one of my friends with a wheat allergy had done. The recipes can be sorted based on different criteria. I have "child will eat" and "child will not eat" categories. The latter recipes end up not being used nearly as much; I usually create a meal plan for the week from the "child will eat" list. 

Another important source of recipes is international cuisine. I speak Russian, so I was able to go to Russian culinary websites and scout for recipes that would not be commonplace in the United States. However, knowing another language is not required at all: plenty of international recipes have been translated into English and are already loved in America. We have had success with Asian foods. Mexican cuisine is another great option.

4. Eating out. 

I found that many restaurants serve foods that seem wheat-free but are actually not. For example, French fries can often be cross-contaminated from the oil in which they are fried, because other wheat-containing foods were fried in the same oil. Sometimes seemingly harmless rice can have seasonings that contain wheat. 

Many restaurants offer gluten-free menus, and some are very helpful in accommodating customers with food sensitivities even if they don't have a special menu. Calling ahead to ask is always a good idea, or you can use a website such as findmeglutenfree.com for dining options in your area. Again, it is probably wise not to order something that your child will desperately want to eat but is not able to.

5. Reach out and talk to people! 

This is something that is difficult for me sometimes, but I found it extremely helpful in this case. I chose social media as a way to reach out, and I was touched with the amount of responses I received from concerned friends. Some shared wonderful ideas for possible meals. Another friend shared her very practical menu plans and recipes that her family likes. We are also relatively new to New England, and we were able to get good advice on where to buy wheat-free foods in our area. It was also surprising for me to find out how many individuals and families struggle with food sensitivities.

While having a small child with a food sensitivity can be somewhat disorienting, I found that, as a result, we ourselves eat healthier and better. I am more aware of what I serve my family for all of our meals throughout the day. And the amount of resources that is out there is outstanding. Good luck!