Nephew with celiac - what is fair/appropriate when visiting grandma?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kids won't starve for a week on GF food. My kids adore their cousins and know they will eat kosher and nut free when they visit each other.

Speak for your kids. Mine would. He will choose not to eat for days vs. eat something he does not want to (yes, we've tested it). Kosher and nut free is no big deal as you can still have pasta, bread and lots of other stuff.

If everything your child eats in a week must contain gluten, you have a bigger problem. Fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, nuts, and milk are naturally gf. Your kid's diet is a travesty.

My kid does not eat meat so most mains contain gluten. A child cannot live off fruits, veggies and milk for a week.

What are you serving for "mains"?

Black bean or lentil tacos in a corn shell

Scrambled eggs and hash browns

Lentil soup

Bean chili

Pizza on a gluten free crust

Apples and peanut butter

Stir fry with tofu

Spaghetti squash with marinara

My child is allergic to a few of the things listed and will not eat the others. . We've tried and tried and its slowly getting better but we cannot force it or bribe despite trying. The parents need to allow OP one kitchen and they take another. Child can be kept out of main kitchen and dining room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - interesting how split the responses are. A few more details: the place is VERY remote - 4 hour drive from major airport, and we are flying/driving. So no hotels nearby, and no Whole Foods or Wegmans either - the GF substitutes will be the ones available at the Super Target 1.5 hours away. My kids eat lots of fruit and veggies, but aren't big meat eaters, meat being the obvious meal that doesn't normally come with something with gluten (bun, crust, breading, etc). I would suck it up for a weekend without even thinking about it and let them be hungry or eat junk (although even that often has gluten = no ice cream cones!) but 5 days seems like a lot.

I was intentionally vague about whose family this was because I didn't want this to devolve into an in-law issue, but the child belongs to DH's brother, so it isn't that easy to have a 'mom to mom' conversation, and DH just doesn't want to deal.

Whether or not the kid is that sensitive to gluten is not a question for me to ask - the parents had an awful time getting him diagnosed and before they figured it out he wasn't eating and they were worried about failure to thrive, so I certainly don't want to take their concerns about contamination lightly; it is just that they are also monopolizing both kitchens (TBC, the guest cabin just has a kitchenette with a microwave, but we could live with that just to make sandwiches, cereal, nuggets, etc).

I think my takeaway is most people don't think I'm unreasonable in asking, or having DH ask, whether the parents would prefer we keep gluten products in the main house but in our rooms and away from their child, or whether they would like to give us the cabin. Interested in more opinions, though. Thanks all!

You don't need to have a mom to mom conversation. You need to have a mom to dad conversation. Call your brother, FFS.

[Anonymous]

This would be easier if YOUR kids weren't picky eaters, OP. My 3yo would eat any of the meals suggested earlier in this thread.

Chicken, corn on the cob, salad. Done.

[Anonymous]

Nephew's parents should bring separate food for him. They can't expect everyone to eat like him. Start getting used to that now, than later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grilled chicken, corn in the cob, salad, ice cream

Grilled cheese on GF bread, tomato soup, fruit salad

Burgers on GF buns, chips, cole slaw

Yogurt, GF cereal

Fajitas on corn tortillas

Life is easy.

Other ideas:

-Scrambled eggs (with or without cheese) or omelettes (made with cheese, veggies &/or meat). Serve with fruit salad & either breakfast potatoes (http://minimalistbaker.com/best-ever-vegan-breakfast-potatoes/) or gluten free toast.

-Cheesy risotto (the vast majority of store brand risottos are gf but check the box before buying just to make sure). There are plenty of gf cheesy risotto recipes online & you can add chicken, mushrooms, peas, broccoli, spinach or even shrimp. You -- or whoever is cooking-- could also separate it into 2 different pots & add more "kid friendly" things to one (or keep one plain for the kids) & add whatever the adults like to other. Serve with salad.

-Rice & beans (with or without cheese). Serve with salsa & corn tortilla chips w/ salsa &/or guacamole.

-Loaded baked potatoes -- some possible gf toppings include sour cream, cheese, Bac-Os, & broccoli. Serve with one of these gf soups: http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-soups/

-Grilled shrimp, steak, or chicken -- either plain or with gluten free bbq sauce (many store brands, including Kraft Original & Annie's, are gf ). Grill some veggies, corn-on-the-cob &/or potatoes ( http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-baked-potatoes-176525) for sides & have watermelon for dessert.



Easy, kid-friendly GF snacks include:

-Fruit

-Cheese sticks

-Applesauce

-Yogurt (most kinds are gf but check this list to make sure: https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-yogurt-562459)

-Plain gf yogurt mixed w/ berries or applesauce or sweetened with a little bit of honey

-Go Go Squeeze pouches

-Rice cakes w/ peanut butter

-Apples or bananas w/ peanut butter

-Tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole

-Raisins

-Cottage cheese w/ fruit or applesauce

-Popcorn (only for the kids 4 & older, though, as it is a choking hazard for younger kids)

-Lara bars

-Hard boiled eggs

-Cheerios

-GF "trail mix" made with Cheerios or Corn Chex, raisins ,& nuts (also only for the older kids due to the nuts being chocking hazards)



If you google "Kid-friendly gluten free recipes", you should find plenty of other relatively easy meals your kids might like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grilled chicken, corn in the cob, salad, ice cream

Grilled cheese on GF bread, tomato soup, fruit salad

Burgers on GF buns, chips, cole slaw

Yogurt, GF cereal

Fajitas on corn tortillas

Life is easy.

Other ideas:

-Scrambled eggs (with or without cheese) or omelettes (made with cheese, veggies &/or meat). Serve with fruit salad & either breakfast potatoes (http://minimalistbaker.com/best-ever-vegan-breakfast-potatoes/) or gluten free toast.

-Cheesy risotto (the vast majority of store brand risottos are gf but check the box before buying just to make sure). There are plenty of gf cheesy risotto recipes online & you can add chicken, mushrooms, peas, broccoli, spinach or even shrimp. You -- or whoever is cooking-- could also separate it into 2 different pots & add more "kid friendly" things to one (or keep one plain for the kids) & add whatever the adults like to other. Serve with salad.

-Rice & beans (with or without cheese). Serve with salsa & corn tortilla chips w/ salsa &/or guacamole.

-Loaded baked potatoes -- some possible gf toppings include sour cream, cheese, Bac-Os, & broccoli. Serve with one of these gf soups: http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-soups/

-Grilled shrimp, steak, or chicken -- either plain or with gluten free bbq sauce (many store brands, including Kraft Original & Annie's, are gf ). Grill some veggies, corn-on-the-cob &/or potatoes ( http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-baked-potatoes-176525) for sides & have watermelon for dessert.



Easy, kid-friendly GF snacks include:

-Fruit

-Cheese sticks

-Applesauce

-Yogurt (most kinds are gf but check this list to make sure: https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-yogurt-562459)

-Plain gf yogurt mixed w/ berries or applesauce or sweetened with a little bit of honey

-Go Go Squeeze pouches

-Rice cakes w/ peanut butter

-Apples or bananas w/ peanut butter

-Tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole

-Raisins

-Cottage cheese w/ fruit or applesauce

-Popcorn (only for the kids 4 & older, though, as it is a choking hazard for younger kids)

-Lara bars

-Hard boiled eggs

-Cheerios

-GF "trail mix" made with Cheerios or Corn Chex, raisins ,& nuts (also only for the older kids due to the nuts being chocking hazards)



If you google "Kid-friendly gluten free recipes", you should find plenty of other relatively easy meals your kids might like.

OP has a picky kid. I know if it were my kid while those are great suggestions, my kid would starve (or have an allergic reaction). There are two kitchens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nephew's parents should bring separate food for him. They can't expect everyone to eat like him. Start getting used to that now, than later.

They can't expect everyone to eat like him, but it's a reasonable expectation that if they're visiting Grandma, and Grandma wants to provide food, she will be able to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This would be easier if YOUR kids weren't picky eaters, OP. My 3yo would eat any of the meals suggested earlier in this thread.

Chicken, corn on the cob, salad. Done.

For three meals a day, for days?

OP has already said her kids could do it for a few days... 5 is getting long and kids tend to get overtired on vacation and want familiar foods. I think it's normal to expect that they are going to be off already and may prefer at least a few meals with their preferred foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would be easier if YOUR kids weren't picky eaters, OP. My 3yo would eat any of the meals suggested earlier in this thread.

Chicken, corn on the cob, salad. Done.

For three meals a day, for days?

OP has already said her kids could do it for a few days... 5 is getting long and kids tend to get overtired on vacation and want familiar foods. I think it's normal to expect that they are going to be off already and may prefer at least a few meals with their preferred foods.

Read the thread. There are at least a week's worth of meals. Snacks are likewise easy. It's actually all more healthy stuff! Fruit and cheese. Veggies. Starchy vegetables for sides. Meats. Even popcorn and chips! Ice cream, Popsicles. NBD

[Anonymous]

Not the OP, but I'm sorry but I'm not completely changing my kids' diet for a week just to keep one of TWO available kitchens gluten free. OP's kids can eat whatever they want -- on paper plates and, if necessary, outside. OP cleans up and the SIL can feed her kid.

This is OP's vacation FFS!

[Anonymous]

NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is your vacation too.
Now, I am sensitive to food issues as a mom of an allergy child myself, but it seems like your relatives are used to being parents of just 1 child, and all the "control" they can exert over their own child and home, and are just not thinking rationally about asking an entire extended family to eat their child's limited diet for an entire week.
Have they never eaten out? No preschool or daycare? No birthday parties? They never go to anyone else's home to visit?
I'm having a hard time seeing how an entire home, 2 kitchens, has to be wiped of any trace of gluten. It's not an airborne allergy.
They need to be parents and protect their child, and if that means part of their vacation is spent taking turns eating alone with him in he cabin, or playing outside with him while your kids eat, then that's parenting!
You can do your part as family by being meticulous in cleaning up the food, making your kids participating in storing food up and away, hand cleaning the floors and checking for particles, but you can't expect your kids on their vacation to not enjoy their normal foods as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grilled chicken, corn in the cob, salad, ice cream

Grilled cheese on GF bread, tomato soup, fruit salad

Burgers on GF buns, chips, cole slaw

Yogurt, GF cereal

Fajitas on corn tortillas

Life is easy.

Other ideas:

-Scrambled eggs (with or without cheese) or omelettes (made with cheese, veggies &/or meat). Serve with fruit salad & either breakfast potatoes (http://minimalistbaker.com/best-ever-vegan-breakfast-potatoes/) or gluten free toast.

-Cheesy risotto (the vast majority of store brand risottos are gf but check the box before buying just to make sure). There are plenty of gf cheesy risotto recipes online & you can add chicken, mushrooms, peas, broccoli, spinach or even shrimp. You -- or whoever is cooking-- could also separate it into 2 different pots & add more "kid friendly" things to one (or keep one plain for the kids) & add whatever the adults like to other. Serve with salad.

-Rice & beans (with or without cheese). Serve with salsa & corn tortilla chips w/ salsa &/or guacamole.

-Loaded baked potatoes -- some possible gf toppings include sour cream, cheese, Bac-Os, & broccoli. Serve with one of these gf soups: http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-soups/

-Grilled shrimp, steak, or chicken -- either plain or with gluten free bbq sauce (many store brands, including Kraft Original & Annie's, are gf ). Grill some veggies, corn-on-the-cob &/or potatoes ( http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-baked-potatoes-176525) for sides & have watermelon for dessert.



Easy, kid-friendly GF snacks include:

-Fruit

-Cheese sticks

-Applesauce

-Yogurt (most kinds are gf but check this list to make sure: https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-yogurt-562459)

-Plain gf yogurt mixed w/ berries or applesauce or sweetened with a little bit of honey

-Go Go Squeeze pouches

-Rice cakes w/ peanut butter

-Apples or bananas w/ peanut butter

-Tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole

-Raisins

-Cottage cheese w/ fruit or applesauce

-Popcorn (only for the kids 4 & older, though, as it is a choking hazard for younger kids)

-Lara bars

-Hard boiled eggs

-Cheerios

-GF "trail mix" made with Cheerios or Corn Chex, raisins ,& nuts (also only for the older kids due to the nuts being chocking hazards)



If you google "Kid-friendly gluten free recipes", you should find plenty of other relatively easy meals your kids might like.

OP has a picky kid. I know if it were my kid while those are great suggestions, my kid would starve (or have an allergic reaction). There are two kitchens.

I'm guessing the fact that your DC has multiple food allergies has --understandably!-- caused his diet to be even more limited than those of most picky eaters.

The suggestions given by the PPs above you include plenty of items that even many picky kids will eat (yogurt, cheese, fruit, potatoes, rice, tortilla chips, tacos, Cheerios, milk, peanut butter...). I know several kids, including my own DD, who are/were very picky eaters. While all of them would go hungry rather than eat some of the things suggested, none of them would actually starve if all pf their meals & snacks for 5 days were taken from the above lists. They would all eat at least a couple of the entrees, a few of the sides & several of the snacks. So while I absolutely believe you when you say your kid would starve, I'm guessing that, even among picky kids, he is an outlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.