Gluten and wheat free diet for 18 month old - advice

[Taurean]

So I've decided to give it a go, a gluten and wheat free diet for my 18 month old DD. She's had ongoing constipation (on and off) for 4 months or so and we are now seeing a chiro who strongly believes she has both a dairy and gluten/wheat intollerance. I've already changed her milk to A2 and now I need to give gluten free a shot to see if it helps.

Besides buying the 'toddler' friendly foods from the gluten free section at the supermarket, has anyone else got any suggestions to make the transition as easy as possible?

TIA

[starangelk]

We do this with my DD We are doing Baby Led Solids and I am also ceoliac so it is easier because I am used to the diet. I guess DD gets lots of dairy. Her dinners for the last week have been:

Lasagne made on GF lasagne sheets
Spagetti Bolognese on GF spagetti
Homemade pizzas on homemade flat bread - just rice flour, egg and water, thick consistency kneaded and rolled out until thin
Omelette with left over pizza toppings
Savoury crepes - I used GF flour but rice flour is fine, egg, water, a bit of sugar - just made it watery
Asian pork with rice noodles and vegies

My hot top is to buy cornflour for thickening things (make sure you get the wheat free one) and rice flour too as it's cheap. Also go to the asian grocer to buy rice noodles and rice pasta as it is seriously 50% of the price from Woolworths/Coles.

For daycare - I just usually send a salad, potato and egg is her fave plus fruit/cheese/rice cracker biscuits and then some left overs from the night before. Roast vegies go down a treat.

I know wheat and gluten makes up a big part of most peoples diet but once you get used to the idea of no bread or most packaged foods, it does get easier. Plus - you will get to know the GF things. Eg - most tomato soups are gluten free but that's about the only type!

GL

[starangelk]

Sorry Taurean, just realised you might have meant snacks etc. Maybe my post is not so helpful!! We just do raw vegies, rice pu*** (from health food shop) and rice crackers with various toppings for snacks.

[onthefly]

What kind of things do you normally eat? It's uite easy to be gluten free if you change eating habits rather than trying to switch everything for gluten free alternatives (which nine times out of ten taste like crap).
We eat a lot of rice, for eg. Even if I do pasta, DS and I have it and DH usually just has rice with his (gf paste isn't very nice and quite exxy).
It's getting better, but you really have to be careful with processed foods as a lot contain gluten and/or dairy.

[Taurean]

Thanks for all your thoughts girls but I found the REAL reason DD has poo issues! She has a fissure just outside her her anus - any wonder she's scared to poo!!!

DH and I had decided we weren't going to adjust her diet until we'd got a second opinion from our paed. We had to go back to out GP for a referral (yesterday) and I mentioned that I was worried she may have a tear or a fissure so she examined her and voila, the culprit was right there!!

I'm taking her to my Physio next week who specialise in women's health and we are going to try laser therapy on it - the same technique they use on cracked nipples from BF! Cross your fingers for me that it works!

[onthefly]

oh good. well, not good, but at least you have a reason. Hope she's healed up soon

[Taurean]

Thanks