Our Foray Into Gluten-Free Eating

I promised a while back to write about the new diet we are trying with Bubba. We've heard from SO MANY parents of autistic children that removing gluten and casein from their child's menu helped them tremendously. His doctor didn't put much stock in it, which is why we haven't tried it up until now. But we needed to do this to see if there is anything we can do to help him and make our life as a family more manageable. I planned to start with a polished, perfect menu that covered all of the appropriate food groups for both him and the rest of the family.

Fail.

Why is it so stinkin' hard? At a friend's recommendation, we bought the Food For Life brand millet bread, because he eats a lot of sandwiches. First attempt: I made a pb & j, and he licked all the peanut butter off and left the bread sitting there. Second attempt: pb & j; he nibbled the sandwich. We also bought Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, which must have tasted like crud because he wouldn't eat a single one (although he fed several to his sisters). We bought gluten-free breakfast bars, which were so hard we could sharpen our knives on them. He has been eating a lot of rice and potatoes, fruits and vegetables. He also likes rice milk, so that's a plus.

I worry that he's not getting enough food, and wonder if this is really worth it. They say it can take six months for gluten to leave the body. Can we last that long?

We cooked some gluten-free banana bread last night. I had so much fun hanging out with my little guy. He absolutely loves cooking and baking of any kind. I seriously have to chase him from the kitchen sometimes, but I'm trying to let him help whenever it's possible.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. :)

Have a happy weekend!