Adventures in Bennionland

One of the hardest things about being a parent, for me at least, is feeding my kids.

When Will was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, now almost two years ago, I felt overwhelmed. Here was a kid who, at the time, would hardly touch most of what I put in front of him.

As infants both he and Walker were undiscriminating eaters. Any smooshed up fruit we put before them was gobbled. Most veggies went down with minimal face contortions (squash usually produced the funniest looks!). As a toddler though both boys had moved into the ‘No’ phase. I think it’s a pretty natural reaction of a parent to offer food a kid will eat rather than continually hoping they do pick up that broccoli without the fuss. And that is what we did. Which I now know is the wrong thing to do. But that is beside my point.

At the time of Will’s diagnosis we had a pretty routine (read: boring, bland & unhealthy) food habits. Starch. And lots of it. Pasta, potatoes, bread. So imagine receiving the news that not only are all those things no longer an option (what will I feed my kid!!) but also making him sick (what have I been doing to my kid!).

The last two years have been a maze – or like the Labyrinth! Full of twists and turns. Learning the difference between potato flour and white rice flour. Which teriyaki sauce is wheat based? Does that vanilla ice cream have gluten? What about that vegetable soup? What flour is the best for muffins versus cakes? Is Will having a gluten reaction or is he just being a four year-old?

Our latest twist happened a couple of weeks ago. Like anyone else we crave the normal. The chicken nuggets and boxed cereals we see on the shelves. Fortunately there are companies that cater to the allergen communities (even though Celiac is not an allergy it gets included in that group). They make it easy to grab a bag of pasta and know that you can have your noodles and eat them too. You can then, after all of the above, understand my utmost dismay at learning that one of the “normal” items that we have given to Will – while labeled as gluten free – clearly is not. You can read all about it here.

So even though I thought we are at the end of our Labyrinth – I realize I’m still in it. And I’m spitting mad. I’ll be writing the company and my local officials to pursue change.

But…on the other hand. Just like that awesome Davie Bowie dance-the-magic-dance scene we have turned a corner into this wonderful spot full of good food and growth spurts. I mean, do you realize all the wonderful food that is naturally gluten-free?

Well let me tell you:

Apple, pear, banana, grape, kiwi, pineapple, guava, avocado, gooseberry, cashews, peanuts, plums, melon, figs, kumquats, limes, lemons, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, butterhead lettuce, spinach, squash, peppers, broccoli, green beans, edemame, endive, cabbage, bok choy, radicchio, mustard, eggplant, pumpkins, tomatillo, tomatoes, zucchini, artichoke, peas, soybeans, black beans, pinto beans, asparagus, celery, leeks, onion, shallots, bamboo shoots, cumin, ginger, radish, carrots, sweet potatoes, popcorn, chicken, beef, pork, fish, milk, water, fruit juice…and on and on…

So I’m taking Mrs. G.F’s advice: I’m so thankful. In being faced with wheat darkness we’ve found light in good food. Real, good food. Food we might have missed if not for this dilemma. The beauty shows both in his size 4T pants and in his choice to always eat his fruit and vegetables first. Ahhhhh….

Not to mention the friends we’ve made and resources we’ve found via the internet:
Gluten Free Girl
Kill.The.Gluten
Celiac Chicks (who’ve been following the Wellshire Farms debacle)
Karina The Gluten-Free Goddess
The Book of Yum
R.O.C.K
The Sensitive Baker
…bulk GF shopping on Amazon

And of course, all the fun GF food we’ve had fun making in our own kitchen.