Gluten Free Christmas Dinner

Pie Crust, Stuffing & Ham Glaze...Hold The Wheat!!

Three years ago, I discovered my youngest child is gluten intolerant. What this means is when he ingests wheat or the wheat byproducts, he becomes ill. His digestive process slows almost to a stop and I have to put him on liquids until we can jump start him again. Wheat contains 2 proteins: glutenin & gliadin- that his body simply cannot process. Instead of absorbing nutrients in the small intestine, his immune system treats gluten like an infection and attacks the villi, those little fingers that snatch all the goodness out as the digested food flows through.
T
his attack stunts the villi which negates their ability to nab nutrition from his food, and creates the digestive backup that can take days to clear out. Revamping the diet to cut out all possible exposure to wheat products is the best way to deal with this problem. I am fortunate, in that my boy is showing signs of only intolerance, not severe allergy. He is not a full-blown Celiac, and I hope he never will be.

The holiday season can be a challenging time for people who cannot tolerate or digest wheat products. Cakes, pies, stuffing, even some drinks are riddled with the very bane of their existence. Family gatherings can be a pain for the gluten intolerant, and many simply bring their own food and prepare it separately to avoid the danger of exposure and the consequences of such.

In recent years -or perhaps I simply notice it more now that I have to pay attention- more food producers have started putting out GF (Gluten-Free) versions o f their products. I continue to be thrilled that Chex has opened the market with Honey-Nut and Cinnamon flavored cereal Gluten-free for my little guy to enjoy cereal along with his sibs in the mornings (or when the snack monster strikes). There's only so many rice cakes a kid can eat, I mean really.