11 Tips to Make Special Diets Easier
If you’ve tried a restricted diet for your child, chances are you’ve run into roadblocks. Whether you’re attempting a gluten-free diet, cutting out additives, avoiding dairy, or eliminating other foods, it’s a given that challenges will arise.
The Autism Research Institute (ARI) focused on a gluten-free, casein-free diet and has garnered feedback from families for 30 years. They summarized some of the responses they’ve received from families who attempted the diet. (Do any of these sound familiar?)
- My doctor says there’s nothing to this diet thing.
- My kid never has diarrhea so he’s not a candidate for the diet
- That diet’s too hard.
- My kid is picky. I don’t want him to go hungry.
- My child could never live without pizza!
- I’m afraid I’ll make too many mistakes – and then it will be my fault.
- The school simply won’t do the diet.
- I don’t want to manipulate their nutrition.
- Children need milk!
See tips and strategies on the ARI website for these 11 pitfalls
Pitfall #1: Listening to Scoffers
Pitfall #2: Caving in for “Special” Occasions
Pitfall #3: Unexpected Exposures in Foods
Pitfall #4: Hidden Exposures to Gluten, Casein, and Foreign Substances
Pitfall #5: Not Understanding Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies
Pitfall #6: Trusting Products or Restaurants that were GF/CF-friendly in the Past
Pitfall #7: Replacing Casein Products (Dairy) with Substitutes
Pitfall #8: Filling Prescriptions or Buying OTC Medications
Pitfall #9: Replacing Diets with Enzymes
Pitfall #10: Thinking it’s a Nutritional Risk to Change a Child’s Diet
Pitfall #11: Jumping in Too Fast
This video reviews scientific support for trying a special diet for kids with autism, and also addresses questions from parents.
