NEW HOPE
AUTISM CENTER  Bringing a Message of Hope, Information, Support & Resources
to the Community Touched by Autism.

NHAC understands there are many questions about Gluten and Casein free diets (Autism diet).  There are many reasons children and adults are put on this diet. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be a huge factor in this process. The bowel is connected to the entire bodies functioning and if not healthy can cause behaviors, tension, and much more for the people dealing with IBS. The hopeful end result for using this diet is to help with learning, behaviors, and tension in the body. The overall body is healthier and the person is happier.

Yeast and wheat are hard to digest. The most important thing is to get their bodies on the right track so that the intestines are not releasing poison back into their body.

Here are a couple of signs (but not all) that will tell you that your child is suffering from bowel problems due to food.

Signs

1. Loose stools or constipation

2. Cries about 30 minutes after dinner, usually uncontrollably or is very pinchy or aggressive. The reason they are this way is their lower stomach is cramping from the food being digested.

Here are some steps.

First off if this is happening you should get a food paneling done. This will range from 55- 155 dollars. The insurance company will not pay for this usually so talk to your caseworker about getting a family grant. I have said this before and I will say it again. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CASE WORKER GET ONE!

Ok after that, lets say you can't afford to do the foods paneling and there is no funding,the next step is to try a couple changes.

Dairy products

Most people in general have a bit of a problem with dairy at one point or another. I would suggest changing to rice or almond milk, it's fairly cheap. I like rice dream but if you look at the ingrediants there is gluten in it. So if you are going to go gluten and casein free I don't suggest it. I would suggest almond milk, unless your child is allergic to soy, because soy is in almond milk or I suggest West Soy rice milk - vanilla flavor. Its name says West Soy but there is no soy in it at all.

Bread

There is great bread available that is gluten and casein free, tapioca bread. Most tapioca breads are gluten and casein free just make sure that if your child is allergic to eggs that you make sure its not in the loaf you buy.

Gluten and casein free products

There are coconut cookies that you can buy made by Aunt Maple. They are pure coconut.

There are casein and gluten free pretzels that kid love to snack on.

There are casein and gluten free pastas but remember if your child is allergic to soy, be careful because many of these products are made with them.

When buying a product know that most of the time if there is gluten there is casein and vice versa.

Eggs are a great source of protein and you don't have to worry about casein, gluten or dairy.

When buying butter make sure it is not salted, Great Lakes have a great one available with no dairy!

If your child is allergic to peanut butter, almond butter is a great substitute.

Meat is going to be your best friend but make sure not to get meat with a lot of solution.

Things to stay away from until testing is complete and you do see unusual stools...

milk
wheat (gluten and casein)
peanut butter
soy
beans of all kinds
citrus (flavored water or any kind of pop)
this also means citrus fruit

When you get the testing back you will know for sure and then you can make your food selection perfect for your child.

Look at the toothpaste and shampoo your child uses - there will be casein in them as well!

Here are some ideas for your gluten and casine free diet. If you would like to add a recipe email it to us! Hope to hear from you and happy baking! shelly@newhopeautismcenter.org

Green Been Casserole

Ingredients:
1  (10 3/4 oz.) can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4  cup milk (or)  rice milk depending on your families needs
1/8  tsp. black pepper
2  (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*
1 1/3  cups  French Fried Onions



Directions
1.  MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
2. BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
2.  STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.
Tip: You may substitute 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) cut green beans, drained or 4 cups fresh, cooked cut green beans.

Baked Corn

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat eggs and sour cream. (or) rice cream
3. Add rice flour
4. Mix well.
5. Add corn and margarine.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a 9x13-inch pan

Roasted Havest Veggies

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees; cover two rimmed baking sheets or jelly roll pans with aluminum foil.
2. Peel all vegetables and garlic cloves. Halve carrots lengthwise and crosswise; halve thick pieces once more. Cut sweet potatoes and squash into 3-by-1/2 inch pieces. Slice the garlic thinly.
3. Combine all vegetables and garlic in a large bowl. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the mixture onto the two baking sheets and place in oven. Roast until veggies are tender and starting to brown, 25 to 35 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom half way through

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Gluten Free Vanilla (optional)

Mix ingredients and chill for 1 hour
Shape into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.
They will be very soft and may look like they arent quite done but they are. As they cool they will harden.
You can add chocolate chips or anything you like.
 

Apple Turnovers:
Ingredients: 2 apples, 1 tsp butter, 1tbsp (or to taste) sugar, 1 package low fat crescent rolls

Directions: Peel, core and cut apples, mix in saucepan with 2 tbsp water, 1tsp butter and 1tbsp sugar and cook on low/medium heat for 20 minutes or until apples are soft and able to be mashed to apple sauce consistency. Add a little water if necessary. Let sit to cool. Open package of crescent rolls and lay out triangles on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375F. Spoon applesauce onto the middles of the triangles. Fold the edges of the triangles over. Cook 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool. (Additions: you can make these with any kind of fruit. You can also add raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.)

My favorite gluten-free pie crust, adapted from Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-Free Baking

This recipe is only slightly adapted from the excellent, essential book, Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly. Her recipes work, and they work well. Even more important, they aren't just content to be gluten-free and barely palatable, as so many of the earliest books on gluten-free cooking were. These recipes rock! I have made half a dozen foods out of this, and not a single person has been able to guess that these are gluten-free. If you don't own this book, and you have baking experience (it's clearly not for sheer beginners) you should buy it, now.

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon strong cinnamon (I use Saigon cinnamon from World Spice Merchants)
8 tablespooons (or, one stick) cold butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 ice-cold water, or enough to make the dough stick together

Mix together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into little pieces, about 1/2-inch thick and drop the pieces into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork, meld the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter has crumbled into pea-sized pieces.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Drop the egg and apple cider vinegar in, then stir them in, gently, with a fork, stirring from the center out. Once they are incorporated into the dry ingredients, slowly drizzle the ice-cold water into the mixture, a little at a time, then stirring to see if it has become dough yet. You do not want this dough to be too wet. Add water only it all coheres together.

At this point, drop the ball of dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. (Prepare this ahead, unless you want to wipe dough off the box of parchment paper later!) Place another piece of parchment paper, the same size, on top of the dough. Gently, smoosh the dough outward, equally in all directions, until it is a thick, round cake of dough, about the size of a pie plate.

Refrigerate the ball of dough, for as long as you can stand. Ideally, you would prepare the dough in the evening and refrigerate overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least twenty minutes before you want to work with it.

Leave the dough in the parchment-paper sandwich and roll it out. By rolling it, gently, between the pieces of parchment paper, you will not need to add more flour to the mix. Roll it out as thin as you can, then strip the top piece of parchment paper off the dough. Gently, lay your favorite pie plate on top of the dough, then flip the whole thing over. The dough should sag into the pie plate. You can crimp the edges at this point. If some of the dough falls off the sides, don't worry. Simply re-attach the pieces to the crust-to-be by pressing in with your fingers.

You can pre-bake the pie crust, if you like. With this pumpkin pie, however, I just pour the pumpkin filling directly in and bake it immediately. It works well.

Allergen-free Skillet Cornbread

Cooking cornbread in a hot cast iron skillet gives it that coveted crust on the outside.  This cornbread tastes just like my Southern grandmothers', but it's vegan, allergen-free, and gluten-free!  Make it for the holidays, or any old time!

2/3 cup white rice flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup tapioca flour (I use Ener-G)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 cups oat milk * or rice milk