The Gluten–Free Diet Guide for Parents:

Preparing Gluten-Free Food At Home

Intro	Gluten-Free Shopping List
Gluten, Celiac Disease, and Teens	Preparing Gluten-Free Food At Home
Foods Your Teen Should Avoid	Eating Gluten-Free Away From Home
Safe Foods for Your Teen	Sample Gluten-Free Menu for Your Teen
Gluten-Free Product Labeling	Gluten-Free Recipes for Teens
Gluten-Free Food Shopping

How can I make my kitchen gluten–free?

There are two basic approaches to preparing gluten–free food in your kitchen when your teen must follow a gluten–free diet. Both approaches present different challenges, but allow for your teen to safely eat gluten–free.

Some families choose to make their kitchen completely gluten–free. This approach requires you to throw out all gluten containing foods and sanitize all cupboards, cooking equipment, and utensils.

Other families choose to keep gluten containing products in their kitchen while adhering to safe food storage, preparation, and cooking practices for their gluten–free teen. If you’re planning on keeping foods with gluten in your kitchen check make sure you minimize the risk of gluten cross–contamination.

Here are some great tips to decrease the chances of gluten cross–contamination:

• Keep gluten–free products in a separate cabinet
• Store gluten–free foods in airtight containers
• Store gluten–free flours and baking mixes in airtight containers in the freezer
• Purchase separate butter, condiments in squeeze bottles, peanut butter, spreads (to prevent contamination with wheat bread crumbs)
• Use separate colanders, sponges, strainers, toaster ovens, bread machines, towels, dish rags, and wooden utensils for gluten–free cooking
• Clean counter tops, cutting boards, measuring cups and spoons, the microwave, pot holders, and baking pans well and often
• Wash all shared utensils before and after each use

Regardless of your kitchen approach, here are a few tips for meal planning for the whole family, including ways to save money!

• Rinse all gluten–free grains well before cooking.
• Use a gluten–free cookbook when preparing foods with gluten–free flours. This way the quantity and mixture is accurate.
• Use a skillet or crock pot to make 1 dish meals with naturally gluten free ingredients such as meats and fresh vegetables.
• Use a rice steamer to cook amaranth, buckwheat, brown or white rice, quinoa, and sorghum. Gluten–free whole grains do require a bit more water than white rice while cooking.
• Prepare a larger quantity and store in the freezer. Cook gluten–free whole grains, chili, stew, or homemade soup.
• Use coupons to buy gluten–free foods. Contact companies that manufacture gluten–free foods online and request coupons.
• Check out Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club and other major chains to purchase large quantities of gluten–free foods at a savings.

Previous

Next: Eating Gluten-Free Food Away From Home

Written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Children's Hospital Boston

Updated: 8/2/2011

Related Guides:

Nutrition Facts Label

The amount of each nutrient on the label is what is found in one serving of that food, not in the whole container. If you don't know what one serving size is, you won’t know the amount of each nutrient you are actually eating...