Step one toward being gluten and casein free (GFCF): eliminate all dairy. As soon as I committed to doing this, I suffered one of my week-long grilled-cheese-on-rye cravings (perfect timing). We started with dairy because it should be easier to remove from our daily menu and because the results of the diet change are usually more apparent quicker than with gluten-related changes.
To begin, I explained to Sky and Pink P how and why our diet was going to change. I listed foods they could no longer consume--milk, chocolate, cheese, yogurt and ice cream--and then pointed out that we could find some fairly tasty alternatives. I didn't mention all the foods with milk as a secondary ingredient--pancakes come to mind--because I didn't want to trigger a panic meltdown. I still haven't pointed out that pancakes are off-limits for fear of incurring their displeasure during the first weeks of this process. At some point, I totally expect Sky and Pink P to be displeased, but not quite yet.
Then I took them with me to the store and let them choose milk-alternative drinks and yogurt-alternative snacks. We even bought "Italian ice" (a.k.a ice with flavor) because there was no way I was gong to spend $8 on a quart of coconut milk ice cream (incidentally, Ren's impulse buy of an ice cream/sorbet maker at Costco a couple of months ago--it was on sale--looks a bit like premeditated genius right about now). Since milk and cheese have always given Pink P eczema, the kids are already familiar with milk alternatives. They even like some of it.
So far, good. I just need to remember we are now dairy-free and be vigilant when we are out. I also need to speak up the next time Big Sissy visits and wakes up early and makes pancakes because she forgot to read the label on the mix and had only learned about the dairy-free thing 12 hours before.
Image: bitewallpapers.com
