Gluten has been in the news for a number of years, but what exactly is it and, more importantly, in what foods is it found? What role does it play in the manufacture and processing of food? It used to be recommended to introduce gluten to babies after 7 months, but what about today? Are there any new recommendations? Gluten can cause certain disorders from an early age. What are the symptoms that may lead you to believe that you have gluten intolerance, also known as coeliac disease? You will find many answers to these questions in this article and hopefully many more!
In what cases is it found?
Gluten is a protein and is one of the 14 notifiable allergens. It has many properties that are appreciated by manufacturers. Indeed, it makes food more elastic, easier to chew and incomparably soft... That is why we find it more and more in processed foods nowadays. Naturally, it is also found in wheat, rye andbarley. Consequently, it is also present in cereal products, pasta, quiches or pizzas, bread and breadcrumbs, certain seasonings and condiments and, finally, certain commercial products, particularly in the delicatessen section (such as cold meats, fish and breaded meat, etc.).
As you will have understood, we will not find gluten in potatoes, rice, cereal products labelled "gluten-free", corn, legumes (or pulses such as lentils, split peas, chickpeas, red and white beans, flageolets, broad beans, etc.), buckwheat, millet, manioc (including tapioca), sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc. chestnut Pure buckwheat (or buckwheat, yes!), millet, manioc (including tapioca), sweet potato, quinoa... Which makes for an already relatively long list!
Gluten intolerance
Some people can be diagnosed as " gluten intolerant", which is called celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that can be triggered a few weeks after the introduction of gluten at the time of food diversification or much later, even in adulthood for some. It is often characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, lack of appetite, hypotonia, behavioural changes, chronic diarrhoea, etc. But above all, the ingestion of gluten in these individuals causes intestinal malabsorption, which in most cases leads to a break in the weight-status curve in children. When these symptoms appear, it is therefore essential to consult one's doctor or even a paediatrician in order to carry out tests to confirm the diagnosis. In the majority of cases, a total avoidance of gluten should be implemented. At this point, a consultation with a dietician-nutritionist will be very useful! The foods mentioned above should be avoided and the labels should be carefully read to prevent ingestion.
Oats are a different type of gluten from wheat, rye and barley and will therefore generally be allowed provided they are free from wheat or other foods that may contain gluten. It will then be marketed as "Gluten free". If you are concerned by this pathology, you can find more information on the website of theAFDIAG, Association Française Des Intolérants Au Gluten.
How to introduce it into baby's diversification?
In order to limit the risk of intolerance, it is now recommended tointroduce gluten to our children between 4 and 12 months. Depending on the age and chewing ability of your child, you can introduce it in the form of fine semolina, small pasta, bread stalks, boudoir-type biscuits, infant cereals, etc. However, these cereals should be introduced gradually and in moderation to younger children, as before 4 months they do not yet have the enzyme to digest them! Whatever happens and whatever is said,milk is always to be preferred and is more suitable than milk with the presence of infant cereals, even to meet the nutritional needs of babies with small appetites or who wake up at night.
Some recipe ideas...
To give you some ideas on how to introduce gluten to your children, here are some recipe ideas that will make their taste buds drool!
- From 4 months: infant cereals in the bottle
- From 6 months: fine semolina with milk, chicken and semolina with small vegetables, egg with florentine (spinach) with FloralineĂ’, fish gratin with courgette and semolina...
- From 8 months: star pasta with pumpkin, aubergine purée and small pearls (pasta), verrine of tapioca cooked in coconut milk with mango coulis...
- From 12 months: couscous, pea pancakes, peach crumble...
- From 18 months: apple French toast, chicken and carrot cake...
So here you are, with lots of recipe ideas in mind to treat your babies! And don't forget to look after the presentation of their plate, like us, little ones also start to eat with their eyes! See you soon for a new article...
Dietician - Nutritionist specialising in paediatrics
Source:
- LEMOINE A. DUBERN B. Management of a child with a pseudo food allergy. Nutrition clinique métabolique, EMC, Elsevier Masson. June 2018
- ANSES. AVIS de l'Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail relatif à l'actualisation des repères alimentaires du PNNS pour les enfants de 0 à 3 ans. June 2019
- LEMALE J. Diversification alimentaire. EMC, Elsevier Masson. 2015 (Article updated on 02/09/2020)
- Website: AFDIAG - Association Française Des Intolérants Au Gluten - bien vivre sans gluten (accessed January 2021)