Well, they're not starving to death. Not yet. That's the good news. The not so good news is that the boys are not exactly happy with their new gluten-free-casein-free (GFCF) diet.
And who can blame them? No bread or pasta. No milk or butter or yogurt. Staples, those.
But we're slowly working our way into the diet. I would say we've eliminated about half of the original gluten and casein they used to eat in only a few weeks. That's a pretty big step. For Sawyer, it means a lot less bread and a lot less breaded chicken nuggets (especially fast food or restaurants). For Xander, it means a lot less milk and yogurt. Both were major food groups to the boys.
We've depleted our supply of Goldfish and Cheez-Its crackers, so those are gone. As are Doritos and Cheetos, though a few Funyuns still remain (a school lunch item for Xander). Our supply of Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms and Honey Comb cereals are gone, replaced by Berry Kix, Cinnamon Chex and Trix. Xander's GoGurt is nearly gone (one of his school lunch items, so we had a lot stocked up). We've already dropped from nearly 6 or 7 gallons of milk per week to about one. Our V-8 Fusion and apple juice consumption has doubled (if not tripled). And we've added more water (for Sawyer anyway).
We have limited success with the substitute foods. Soy milk, both natural and vanilla, was eventually poured down the drain. Several weeks of attempts were refused. Sawyer would turn to tap water and Xander just went thirsty. Almond milk, our newest trial, is faring a little better. Xander asked for three glasses last night. Sawyer will take small sips. Both are huge improvements over the soy, which included a tiny sip followed by severe gagging and wiping of the tongue. Rice spaghetti has been a big winner. Sawyer ate a little the first try, but devoured it on the second attempt. Xander was lukewarm to both, but he did eat a serving each time, he just didn't want any more. The substitute butter was okay on the gluten-free pancakes, but was less okay in Xander's lone vegetable, white corn. The pancakes themselves were okay in terms of taste, but the smell was a bit of a challenge.
The smell. It has been the challenge with most of the new foods. Our boys have sensory issues, some of them pretty significant. And when it comes to food, something they have always been notoriously picky about, those issues are even stronger. Taste, texture, small. All of those play a part in how willing they are to eat or even try something. The soy milk lost on two counts - it was too watery and also didn't smell like milk. The almond milk is thicker, similar in consistency to regular milk, and there is no discernible smell. The pancakes tasted perfectly fine with their substitute butter and (non-butter) syrup, but the smell was a little overpowering, both while they were cooking and also once they were on the plate. The rice pasta also smells different, but the organic spaghetti sauce masks the smell.
So, like I said, they're not starving. Sawyer has started enjoying more meats (he's always liked some). He'll eat shredded chicken, pork or roast beef. He'll also eat ham. Xander is by necessity eating more fruits, usually two different types at every meal instead of just one. The good news is he has more fruits that he's willing to eat.
It's a slow process. We're still learning our way around. I have more research to do, especially in terms of items that might have hidden gluten or casein that is not listed directly in the ingredient list. I also want to look into options for when we have to eat out, which is sometimes just necessary between school and work and therapies and baseball. And I also want to work on not breaking the bank every time I go grocery shopping, because so many of the substitute items are outrageously expensive.
Slowly but surely, like so many things in this life, we will get there.
