Having children is not an easy job. Daily tasks can sometimes seem so overwhelming. Having five children of my own, I can fully relate to the day-to-day frustrations. Fortunately, I don’t have teenage children yet. With five kids, mealtimes can be pretty chaotic. But how much more difficult is it when you must also have gluten-free recipes for children?
Let’s be honest. American kids live on pizza, hamburgers, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and the list of junk goes on and on. All this junk food is making childhood obesity the norm. Not only that, but it is full of gluten. With children on a gluten-free diet, it is very difficult to cook for them. Despite these challenges, there are actually plenty of options that make great gluten-free recipes for kids.
Let’s start with fruit as a snack. Fruit is naturally sweet and full of vitamins, unlike all the foods mentioned above. How about a smoothie? The shakes are extremely tasty, with the natural sugar of the fruit, and are very filling. Making that smoothie dairy-free, gluten-free, and all-natural ensures that all food allergies are addressed and health is taken into account. The shakes are so easy to make and will leave the kids begging for more. When I make smoothies, it seems like there’s never enough to go around.
What ingredients make a great smoothie? All the ingredients depend on the personal preferences of your children. We love to combine peaches, strawberries, blackberries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Some days, I’m too lazy to juice oranges and just swap the coconut milk for the juice. Other days, I don’t want to add blackberries. And recently, I decided to use coconut milk, a very small portion of a banana, and strawberries together. You can’t go wrong with the shakes. All you need is some fruit, a blender, and the ability to experiment!
For lunch, there’s no need to throw a chicken nugget recipe out the window. Just use common sense and make them all natural. They are easy to make and taste great. All you need is cubed chicken, eggs, a gluten-free flour mix, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken in eggs and flour. Place them in a pan and sprinkle paprika and pepper. They take very little time to bake. Once they are done, the kids rush to the table to get as many as possible.
For dinner, spaghetti is one of many gluten-free recipes for kids. When making spaghetti, just buy gluten-free pasta. I have a favorite brand that I use all the time that has a good taste and texture. Then, I make my own homemade spaghetti sauce. All I use is tomato puree, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add that with some hamburger and dinner is served.
I have a harder time making dessert. I have some gluten free dessert recipes that are good, but I have a hard time getting the texture of the dessert just right (it can be a bit dry). I have figured out how to make a good gluten free and dairy free banana cream pie filling and a good pie crust. The texture is good and the flavor leaves you wanting more. What child wouldn’t love a great dessert recipe? All the ingredients needed are coconut milk, eggs, evaporated cane juice crystals, a gluten-free flour mix, vanilla, and natural butter spread. It’s easy to make this pie filling.
So, don’t give up on your search for great gluten-free recipes for kids. It’s actually easier than it seems at first. Gluten free is a blessing. Just think no more greasy pizza, nitrate stuffed hot dogs with buns, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese. Ditch the preservatives and cook all natural foods your kids will come back to again and again. When they become parents, they will be grateful that you took the time to care for them and feed them all natural gluten-free foods.