We Way We Eat Now…..
Making the most of what you have is the philosophy I try to follow. The old adage is true, you come out of the tough times stronger and wiser so I try to make sure I take away something positive from situations and experiences that are upsetting or testing. Easier said than done sometimes. The most recent thing we have faced is the identification of Coeliac Disease running in the family. This is a condition where the body cannot tolerate gluten and is lifelong, with the only treatment being exclusion of Gluten from diet. The symptoms are varied and range from bloating, severe tummy pain, sickness, fatigue, joint ache and weight loss but there are many others. The condition is actually fairly common but diagnosis can be difficult and take many years.
Excluding Gluten from the diet is not easy as it is present in most grains and cereals and a hidden ingredient in many processed foods. The western diet is heavily focused on bread, cereal, pasta etc, and this was the case in our house. As I ran through the average days meals in my head I was panicked by the fact that nearly every one contained gluten in some form. The task that lay ahead seemed huge and slightly overwhelming but not one to be put off by a challenge I set about overhauling our diet.
I went a little crazy and over the top at first…… having read all the information I could lay my hands on… I threw out all flour, bread, breakfast cereals containing wheat, barley etc, soya sauce, fish fingers, sausages, the toaster…. The list is endless. Then I cleaned the cupboards, bought new chopping boards and ran the pans through a hot cycle in the dishwasher. Exhausted, I realised I needed to restock but with what!!! Arghhhhh.
So it’s ok for me to go ‘Gluten Free’, I eat salad, pulses, grains and vegetables but for my 6 year old son it was not going to be so easy. I fight to get any fruit past his lips and his vegetable consumption consists of broccoli, carrots and corn on the cob. First loves are pizza, spaghetti bolognaise, apple crumble and he is more than partial to a slice of cake! I was going to have to be clever, inventive and become a good cook!
This was nearly a year ago. We have come a long way. But hey, I am a busy Mum with 3 kids and want to enjoy life. I don’t have time to soak pulses, prepare meals that take 3 hours and my kids are still relatively fussy. I like to keep meals simple, fun and tasty. My confidence in cooking Gluten free meals, cakes, deserts and snacks has grown but eating out can be a challenge, particularly for my son. Birthday parties, going to tea at friends’ houses, holidays etc. I now have strategies to make these situations as hassle free as possible and more importantly ensure that my son has fun, does not feel different or excluded and eats yummy food. Educating him about Coeliac Disease has been important so he can make gluten free choices for himself!
