Our Experience with “Gluten Free”

When we started feeding our son a gluten free diet, I’m sure some of our friends thought we had finally lost our minds.  We were co-sleeping, baby wearing, attachment parenting… and now gluten free?  One friend actually admitted to me that when she found out, she snorted and decided we were losing it.

I have a lot of experience with gluten free diets.  They’re pretty popular in the Autism community (where I work). However, a gluten free diet wasn’t something I had planned on adopting.  My insider knowledge comes with an understanding that there are some nutrients lacking in a traditional gluten free diet. Those deficiencies have to be made up in other ways for people who need a gluten free diet, but many fad dieters just go without, which isn’t healthy.

When my son was nine months old he started using what his pediatrician referred to as a “pincher grasp.” This, she told us, was a sign that he was ready for puffs or Cheerios.  We excitedly purchased organic puffs from our favorite baby food store.  They boasted spinach and kale as added ingredients, both of which he had tried before and loved. The puffs were a big hit!

But find out what happened next, on the next page!

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