Up Monkey is taking on The Gluten Free Family! This week’s posting is about kids.
Not all adults have a gluten intolerance, but did you think about the kids? Well, what about the kids? From the Up Monkey perspective, it's great to be home with them by being a work at home parent, but what if they are gluten intolerant also?
It might be a little easier to deal with that if you are at home and can schedule time in your day to look in the fridge and see what you have and don't have. But what about if you work full time outside of the home? You do not have that luxury to walk upstairs from your office and look. Here are some basic tips to let you know what you have and what you need.
Keep a white board in the kitchen. Make two columns; one with what you have put in the fridge and the other with your shopping list. This lets others see and add or subtract to the lists. That way you can make a sticky note on your smart phone, take a picture of it on your phone or do it the old fashioned way and write it in your planner!
One of the other ideas is when you have leftovers, take out a gallon sized plastic baggy or use your vacuum sealer, put one portion in each bag, seal and freeze. This is a great tool because you can take one portion out for lunches and 4 for dinner when you are in a rush.
Ok, let's get back to the contents of these dinners for the youngsters. "Experts" are telling us to get back to the basics. Get back to eating raw vegetables and colorful foods. I agree, you agree, but the kiddos may not.
There are many ways to let them eat what they want and make it healthy for them.
Amy's Kitchen makes a great rice mac n' cheese for when you are in a hurry. If not, make a roux with some rice or tapioca flour, melt some cheese in there with a little milk, boil some rice macaroni noodles, put it all together, bake it and wha la! You have a great mac n' cheese. (See my FB page The Gluten Free Family for more info).
How about if your kids want chicken tenders? Take chicken breasts and push on them a little with your thumb. This helps release the muscle fibers and makes it a little more tender. Cut breasts into strips. Tip: it's easier to cut them when they are still a little frozen. Dredge the strips in seasoned (add your kids favorite seasonings like garlic powder, parsley, paprika, etc) rice flour, then dredge in an egg wash and then dredge again in come corn meal for a little texture. Fry it up in some vegetable oil and you have a great finger food that anyone would want to eat (Great for football Sundays too).
Pizza's are great finger foods for kids too...what kid doesn't like a pizza? Get a frozen GF pizza crust from the store and you will have it on hand. Let them make their own individual pizza's with the toppings they like most. I use GF spaghetti sauce, which is not at all hard to find, and let them do their own toppings. This is also great for sleep overs where you have a bunch of picky eaters. Just don't tell them it's gluten free!!
Make it fun for them. Get them in the kitchen with you and let them help. Let them experiment with the types of flavors that they might like. Chicken soup is always a good way to go, and less expensive. Get a couple of cans of the low sodium, gluten free chicken stock (or make your own) and let them experiment with a little at a time adding spices and whatnot. Kids love to experiment!
It's hard enough to get them to eat right, let alone having another obstacle in your way. Join support groups, blogs, groups on Facebook like Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and get the support and ideas you need to make your life easier and their childhood fun!
If you have comments or would like to contribute a story or recipe for your gluten free child, go to FB and search for "The Gluten Free Family". Like us and get weekly updates on things that matter most to YOUR Gluten Free Family!
Happy Eating Everyone!!
