|
Many people assume that because one child is gluten-free, the entire family should adopt the lifestyle. After all, wouldn't it be cruel to be feasting on donuts while your gluten-free child is choking down rice cakes? Yeah, it would.
But having the entire family go gluten-free isn't always the right answer, either. You really have to weigh both sides of the issue and consider the practical and psychological issues.
The pros
Here are some advantages if everyone goes gluten-free:
- You make only one version of each meal. Rather than making a gluten-free version and a "regular" version of some dishes at mealtime, you can make just one gluten-free version and be done with it.
- You shop only for gluten-free foods. You can skip the bread and cracker aisles altogether.
- There's no risk of contamination in the kitchen. You also don't have to learn the gob drop.
- Your child doesn't feel different. It's okay to be different, but it's also nice to feel the same, especially when it comes to being family.
- The pantry is filled with "safe" foods. You don't have to worry that you or your child accidentally grabs a gluten-laden snack, because you don't have any.
- Your child isn't tempted to cheat. At least not at home.
The cons
If you sense that the cons list is a little weightier than the pros list, you're right. Ultimately, the cons outweigh the pros of having the entire family go gluten-free:
- A gluten-free world is not reality. Your child needs to understand that the rest of the world eats gluten. They're not doing it to make him feel bad; they're not doing it to ostracize him; there are no malicious or evil intentions. What better environment to learn that important lesson than in a loving, supportive home?
- Your child doesn't find out how to make food choices. Knowing how to choose which foods he can eat and which he can't is important for your child. If the pantry's free of "no-nos," he doesn't need to decide. He may become complacent about mindlessly grabbing food without giving a thought to whether it's gluten-free.
- It can create resentment among other family members. Siblings — even parents — can be a little bitter about having to give up bread and bagels if they don't have a health condition that requires it. They can direct that resentment toward your gluten-free child, and that sets up an unhealthy family dynamic.
- Your child isn't tempted to cheat. Although this may sound like more of a pro than a con (it's really both), Teaching your child to resist the temptation (especially because gluten is practically everywhere) is better than never tempting him or her.
Middle ground
Sometimes a compromise is the best solution. See whether these ideas work for your family:
- Make most meals gluten-free. If you can make the majority of your meals gluten-free and still please everyone without using up your worth-their-weight-in-gold gluten-free specialty items, do so. This can make cooking and preparation easier, and everyone will be able to enjoy the same meals.
- Buy gluten-free condiments and staples. Using gluten-free salad dressings, soy sauce, and other staple or condiment-type items makes life a lot easier on you — and you don't have to make separate stir-fries just because one of them has the gluten kind of soy sauce on it.
- Enjoy the delicious gluten-free baked goods. Most of the mixes these days for cookies, cakes, brownies, and other baked goods are as good as the real deal. They're a little more expensive, maybe, but cost aside, you really have no reason to make separate batches of these things. Make one batch of the gluten-free kind and let the entire family enjoy.
|
