Last updated on September 6th, 2024 at 05:17 am

Transitioning your child to a gluten and dairy-free diet

Below are my simple tips for easing into a gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle. We all know that diet can have a significant impact on our health.
Many people are surprised to learn that what we eat can also affect how kids feel and behave, too!

Whether you’re transitioning your child or yourself to a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, this blog post will help get you started.

First things first: it’s important to find out if your child has food allergies or intolerances before making any sweeping changes in their diet.
You may want to consult with your doctor for more information about the potential benefits of eliminating certain foods from the family menu plan.

Once you’ve done some research, here are some simple tips for easing into a gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle:

#1 Transition slowly!

When you are transitioning your child to a gluten and dairy-free diet, it is important that you transition slowly. I know you might want to do it all at once but remember that this can be hard on your child to give up everything they enjoy all at once. Try transitioning very slowly by first taking away one of the items from their diet either gluten or dairy- not both in order for them to adjust without experiencing too much stress during the process!

#2 Educate yourself – Know what ingredients are safe

Educate yourself and understand what ingredients are safe for your child to consume. The transition from a gluten and dairy-based diet is difficult enough, but if you know which foods contain dairy or gluten as well, then transitioning isn’t nearly the challenge! Make sure you’re educating yourself before starting this type of lifestyle change so that both you and your child can get all they need without worrying about whether food will make them sick later on down the road.

#3 Get comfortable cooking

Get comfortable cooking. Whenever you switch to a special diet, one of the most challenging parts is finding out what your child’s favorite foods are and how they can be modified to fit their dietary requirements. As someone who has been in this situation before, I know that it may seem intimidating at first but with patience and practice, there will come a point where you’re able to make all sorts of tasty dishes without even thinking about it!
Educate others that interact with your child.

Educating others about your child’s special dietary requirements is so important because it prevents anyone from offering them foods that contain gluten or dairy, which can potentially make your child sick. I like to start by educating immediate family members and childcare providers; once my son got a little older this became easier because he was more comfortable speaking up about what he could eat.

#4 Accept the fact that you might have a setback

I remember the day I transitioned to a gluten and dairy-free diet for my son. It was both frightening as well as challenging, but it has been one of the best changes that I have made in regard to his health. At first, there were so many setbacks because no matter how hard you try – setbacks will happen-you are not always 100% sure what is or isn’t safe when eating out or grocery shopping. With time this will become easier for you. Don’t beat yourself up about it, learn and move on.

I hope you found these simple tips for easing into a gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle valuable.

With so many parents making the switch to a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, I wanted to provide some helpful resources for those looking to make this transition with their kids. The Nutritional Spectrum School Lunch Guide provides 30 days of gluten and dairy-free lunch menus that are not only tasty but also nutritious! We hope you find it useful as you explore your child’s dietary restrictions.

You may check out this post on “How to put your autistic child on a gluten-free diet?”

If you are parents who need more support in helping your child, I highly recommend that you check out my helpful resources today.