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Is your child affected by coeliac disease?

The prospect of a gluten-free diet for life is daunting and can feel overwhelming, especially for the parents of newly diagnosed children.

What is coeliac disease?

If you have a child with this condition you’re probably familiar with it but for those who aren’t, coeliac disease is an auto-immune illness in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues (in this case the lining of the gut) when gluten is eaten.

This results in some pretty unpleasant symptoms and can lead to serious health complications as the gut becomes damaged. The only treatment is avoiding gluten for life which allows the gut to heal and return to normal.

We recommend the national charity Coeliac UK for advice, information and support.

What’s gluten?

Gluten is a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye.

So you can imagine how many foods you can’t eat when on a GF diet!

Bread, pizza, pasta, biscuits and cakes for a start (think of all those kids parties) but there are countless other food products that contain gluten - just read the back of the many common processed food packets.

Don’t despair!

Following a gluten-free diet does NOT need to be miserable or challenging. 

There’s absolutely no need for kids with this condition to miss out on all those childhood treats, it just requires a little more planning.

There are many great products available now and eating out is becoming easier as awareness of this condition grows.

We have 5 easy gluten-free recipes specially for kids. Chosen for their taste, the whole family will love them, not just the coeliacs!

Chocolate and banana cake bars (coeliac uk):

Makes 16.

Oven temp 180c/gas mark 4.

Ingredients:

• 250g gluten free plain flour
• 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 75g dark brown soft sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 225g natural yogurt
• 3 tbsp gluten free cocoa powder
• 3 small or 2 large bananas, lightly mashed
• 125g choc chips

Method:

1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, yogurt and cocoa powder into a large bowl and mix until you have a batter without lumps.
2. Put the mashed banana and 100g of the chips into the mixture and mix well, leaving any lumps of banana in.
3. Pour into a well-oiled baking dish and bake for 25 mins (test with a skewer).
4. Remove and leave to cool. Turn out onto a board and cut into 16 pieces.

Cheese and tomato pastry wrap (Coeliac uk)

This makes a great lunchtime snack for kids.

Oven temp 220c, gas mark 7.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkt of gluten free puff pastry
• 60g tomato puree
• 2 tomatoes sliced
• 150g of grated cheddar cheese
• 1 beaten egg to glaze
• 1tsp Italian seasoning

Method:

1. Cut the pastry into 6 squares.
2. Spread the tomato puree in a stripe diagonally across the pastry from corner to corner.
3. Lay the tomato slices on the puree from corner to corner.
4. Top them with some of the cheese.
5. Brush the outside corners with the egg and fold them over the filling to form a ‘wrap’.
6. Brush it all with the egg.
7. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and the remaining cheese over the pastry.
8. Bake for 12-15 mins until the pastry is risen and golden brown.

Gluten-free pancakes (bbc goodfood)

An all-time favourite for breakfast, lunch or just a snack.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 125g of gluten free plain flour
• 1 egg
• 250ml milk
• Butter for frying

Method:

1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Crack the egg into the middle and pour in a quarter of the milk.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Gradually mix in the remaining milk, making sure there are no lumps.
5. Leave for 20 mins then stir.
6. Heat butter in a small frying pan and when it starts to foam pour a small amount of the mixture in to coat the bottom.
7. Cook until golden brown.
8. Turn it over.
9. Repeat this with the remaining mixture.

Gluten free topping ideas:

• Maple syrup
• Golden syrup
• Nutella (yes it’s gf!)
• Lemon juice and sugar
• Fruit
• Ham/grated cheese

Gluten free vanilla cupcakes (my gf guide)

Fluffy and delicious.

Makes 12

Oven temp 180c.

Ingredients:

• 200g gluten free self-raising flour
• 200g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
• ¼ tsp of xanthan gum

For the buttercream:

• 180g butter
• 390g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2.5 tbsp milk

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add the eggs gradually and mix well.
3. Add vanilla and stir.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and xanthan gum and mix until smooth.
5. Divide between the cake cases.
6. Bake for around 20 mins.
7. Leave to cool before icing.

For the buttercream:

1. Beat the butter until pale and smooth.
2. Add the sifted sugar and vanilla.
3. Mix well until smooth and fluffy.
4. Add the milk and beat again until spreadable.

Easy gluten free moussaka (bbc goodfood)

Simple but so tasty.

Serves 4.

Oven 220c/gas mark 7.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for brushing
• 1 red onion sliced
• 500g lamb mince
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 500g carton passata
• 2 aubergines, cut into slices
• 300ml tub crème fraiche
• 140g grated cheddar

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes whole until just tender. Drain and cool.
2. Fry the onion in 2 tbsp of oil until softened then add the lamb.
3. Fry for about 5 mins then add the garlic and spice.
4. Stir in the passata.
5. Bring to a simmer, season and remove from heat.
6. Brush a little oil on the aubergines and grill until char lines appear.
7. Cut the potatoes into thick slices.
8. Put 1 tbsp oil in the base of a deep ovenproof dish and start with a layer of potatoes, then aubergine, a sprinkling of seasoning, then a layer of the lamb mixture.
9. Repeat until the mixture is used up, ending with the aubergine.
10. Spread the crème fraiche over the top and scatter with the cheese.
11. Put in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

We hope our kid-friendly gluten free recipes have been helpful.

We take special diets seriously here at the British Hamper Company and we have a wonderful range of gluten free hampers, all tried and tested by us (especially our resident coeliac!). Suitable for all ages, they are packed full of top quality delicious gluten free sweet and savoury products.

After all, when you’re on a restrictive diet, treats are even more important!