How to make coeliac children’s lives easier

"Of course, the fact that we can’t eat what others eat is often perceived as an injustice. In this case, highlighting the skill of the person in facing the problem and living with it is very helpful" says nutrition psychologist Ellen Stemmer, responsible for the nutrition area at the German association for celiac disease (DZG, Deutsche Zöliakie Gesellschaft), who advises: "When it is necessary to change the diet, it would be useful for a certain period of time for the whole family to eat only food based on ingredients that do not contain gluten. And if you get help from the children in the kitchen or the supermarket, involving them, they will rarely leave left-overs in the pot."

Sharing really is caring

Another way to help the little ones is quite simply by sharing as many meals as possible with them. Being at the table with family or friends provides harmony, serenity, and well-being. It seems incredible, but the company contributes to the sense of satiety.

Professor Christoph Klotter, nutrition psychologist at the University of Fulda in Germany, has carried out extensive studies on the subject, concluding that: "Meals shared with others satisfy us not only physically but also socially and psychically. They make us happy, serene, and above all, represent a ritual element that enlivens and strengthens our relationships, whether they are family, couple or friendship ".

"Eating together is often an occasion to exchange ideas, to communicate, it’s a central institution for a community creation and stability " says Professor Klotter.

The science is in

According to studies carried out in California children and kids who eat at table with their parents at least three times a week consume more fruits, vegetables, and milk derivatives rich in calcium, and less fast-food and confectionery. Another research has shown that children who dine with their family are less vulnerable to obesity and eating disorders. And it is not just children who benefit: adults are more willing to try new dishes or dishes that seemed forgotten, if others offer to them. So, they vary their daily menu, making it richer and more balanced from the nutritional point of view. This, of course, also applies if the proposal for new dishes includes foods that do not contain gluten.

Basically, sitting together with your family or friends around the set table, telling them about your adventures and misadventures of the day, tasting the dishes prepared with care. Is there anything better?

Dealing with all this at home is one thing, but at school that feeling of exclusion can be even greater. However, there’s no need for that! Here are 3 tips to make sure coeliac kids feel included and perfectly fine with their gluten-free diet:

• Let your coeliac kid know that other kids may not be aware of what the coeliac disease is. They may not know anything about gluten or the gluten-free diet. By being aware of this fact, a kid with coeliac disease will feel less offended and misunderstood if another kid offers them a candy bar or something they can’t eat, for example.
• Guide your kid in how they could explain their disease: what is gluten, the symptoms, the consequences. Describing the nausea, the stomach ache and the general ill feeling helps because, even if it is for other reasons, all children have experienced them and, as a consequence, they will have no difficulty to understand.

• And last but not least: occasionally, give your kid gluten-free snacks or candies so they can share them with other kids, to show them they are not an alien and that the food they eat is as good and delicious as the food everyone eats.