KIDS FOR KIDS GI PROJECT
Cooking Corner
We love food, although food doesn’t always love us. When dealing with issues in your GI tract, it is very important that you are mindful about the food you put into your body. Everyone’s situation is different and it often takes trial and error to figure out the best plan. Keeping a food diary helps you track what you ate and if you experienced any symptoms. With that, here are our top ten foods and ingredients that usually work for us and are so delicious too!
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Gluten Free King Arthur mixes! (These taste so good and the best part is there are so many different recipes to choose from. Our favorites have been the muffin baking mix, brownie baking mix, and even just the plain flour to use in other recipes.)
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Cheerios! (These can be eaten as just cereal, or even a kind of granola to mix in with yogurt)
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Rice or quinoa! (Perfect for when you need something nice and plain, and versatile enough so that it can be eaten with many other types of dishes/food as well!)
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Rice Cakes! (Can be plain, sweet, salty, or have toppings on top!)
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Chicken!
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Fruits!
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Veggies!
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Annie's cheddar bunnies!
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Banana Bread!
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Cookie Dough Cupcakes Gluten Free!
Diets:
Some possible diets your doctor may suggest you try could include: gluten free diet, dairy-free diet, Low FODMAP diet, and many more (not to mention sometimes you may go on a very specific different diet that your doctor tailors just for you!)
Gluten free diet: A diet which excludes gluten. Gluten is a mixture of proteins in wheat, barley, rye and oats. It is commonly found in bread, cereals, crackers, cake, muffins, and more. But, the good news is there are gluten free versions of all of these foods. They may taste slightly different, however sometimes gluten free foods taste so much better than they would normally if they had gluten, trust us!
Dairy-free diet: A diet which excludes dairy. Dairy is a milk product from cow, sheep or goats. It is commonly found in milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and more. The good news is there are also dairy-free/lactose-free versions of these items. There is also almond milk, lactaid milk, vegan cheese and other great alternatives. Your doctor may also suggest tablets you can take so that you can eat a some traditional dairy too.
Low FODMAP diet: The general rule is that you should eliminate or reduce certain foods that are high in “FODMAP” (hard to digest carbohydrates/sugars). There are a wide variety of foods that you should be avoided, including some foods under dairy, wheat, fruits, vegetables, and sweetener categories. These include garlic, onions, apples, nuts and honey. However, not to fear, it is only certain foods under each of those categories, and not all, so thankfully there are ways to navigate around the higher FODMAP foods.
Nutrition and dietary choices can often help prevent or ease stomach pain or discomfort. If you are looking for additional information, check out these great websites which can provide helpful guidance on healthy eating for good gut health and overall well being:
https://gikids.org/nutrition/healthy-eating/https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/diet-and-health-conditions/digestive-disorders
