Febe's Foods

I don’t actually know anyone who is both gluten and peanut free, but I’m sure they exist out there.  Because my daughter is gluten free, we run into trying to her accommodate peanut free friends and classmates.  This is a real challenge, but with some new options out now, we’ve been fairly successful.
First, Betty Crocker’s new gluten free cake, brownie and chocolate chip cookie mixes.  While this is not the easiest option, if I have the time, these work well.  They all taste pretty good.  Everything gluten free tastes better when it just comes out of the oven anyway.  But it does require ½ hour of time.  But it is also a good activity for play dates.  Kids generally love to help make treats.  So even if you are short on time, you can have the kids help.
Another option is checking Peanut Free Planet which has a lot of snacks that are both peanut and nut free, and even kosher, if you need that option.  One of the great things about this site is that you can search by allergen. 
And the Ener-G Wylde pretzels are also both gluten and peanut free, and kosher.

Posted by margie at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (805) | TrackBacks (0)

Halloween is supposed to be fun.  But for celiac children and children with other allergies and dietary restrictions, Halloween can be stressful for kids and parents alike.  Here are a couple of suggestions to make the day a little easier.

Trick or Treating?

1. Keep trick or treating to a minimum. 

2. Check the nfca website to get a list of gluten free Halloween candy.

3. Buy gluten free candy or small Halloween theme toys (i.e. pencils, erasers, etc.) so that you can trade with your child. (I also do this with birthday party goody bags).

4. Throw out the gluten candy as quickly as possible, and also when your child is not around.

Other Halloween Ideas

1. Host a party for your child's friends or even get the neighbors together to help.  Do a craft, set up a scavenger hunt mystery (hide clues for solving the mystery/crime).

3. Set up a neighborhood parade.

4. Look in local papers for other fun Halloween events that do not focus on candy.

 

Posted by margie at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1024) | TrackBacks (0)

We all know that gluten is hidden in ingredients lists.  But did you know that gluten can be found in the fluoride treatments in your dentist's office?  I didn't, until I found out the hard way.  This was a couple of years ago, but it is still worth mentioning. 

I had taken my daughter to the dentist for a checkup, at which time, she received a fluoride treatment.  Two days later she is on the floor moaning, running to the bathroom with diarrhea.  This lasted for 6 days. 

I could not think of any food she had eaten, so I thought she might have a virus.  I took her to the pediatrician who did not think she had a virus at all.  He thought it was a gluten reaction.  Her other gluten reactions did not last more than 3 days.  So this was odd. 

Later on that day, I remembered that we had been to the dentist.  So I called the dentist, got the names and numbers of the brands of toothpaste and fluoride that he had used.  The toothpaste company was confident that there was no gluten in their product.  But the fluoride company said that while they did not use any gluten ingredients, the equipment and process they utilized may have contaminated the product.

I'm guessing that I was not the only one who called with this problem, because a year later, they guaranteed that their product was gluten free.  My daughter hasn't had a problem since.  But I always ask the dentist before he does anything to confirm that he hasn't changed brands, etc. 

 

Posted by margie at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1592) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't know how I got so lucky, but this year, my daughter's school decided to provide a gluten free menu at the cafeteria. In our very small district, there aren't more than 10 gluten free children divided among 4 schools.  Pretty amazing, I know.

If you want this to happen in your school district, talk to the lunch director and superintendent.  Check out the website for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.  It provides a lot of easy to understand information regarding the requirements schools must adhere to.  According to the website, celiac children (in a public school) are entitled to a 504 plan to give them an appropriate education.  Here’s an excerpt, but go to the site for more details before going to your school administrators.

Section 504 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and applies to all institutions receiving federal financial assistance, such as public schools. Under this law, public schools must provide a free appropriate public education and not discriminate against disabled students. This law acknowledges that the disability may not require special education services but a plan is needed to ensure the student receives an appropriate education accommodating the disability within the classroom. This law must accommodate a special diet, including the gluten-free diet which is the only known treatment for celiac disease.

Good luck!

Posted by margie at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4526) | TrackBacks (0)