Is it healthy to eat only meats, veg and fruit (no grains or pseudo grains)?

[beingmommy]

My DS is gluten intolerant (probable celiac) and he has just been diagnosed with life threatening peanut/sesame/tree nut allergies. After several weeks I have been unable to find ANY gluten free flours that are safe (all are contaminated with tree nuts because of almond flour/meal). Milling our own could be a possibility except that all gluten free baking needs other ingredients like xanthan gum and there are no safe sources of xanthan gum either (because it is processed in gluten free places where there is nut contamination). Also, even things like whole grain rice can be contaminated with nuts and such.

SO, I have come to the conclusion that we just really cannot do any kinds of grains or pseudo grains. But can we be healthy eating no grains or psuedo grains of any kind?

I know the Paleo diet is grain free BUT it includes nuts and seeds which are out for us.

Anyone eating completely grain free and pseudo grain free? Any advice?

[kjbrown92]

Have you tried Bouchard Family Farms buckwheat flour? We've been okay with it, though I haven't emailed/called them to find out if they process anything else with it.

We use karaya gum (Wilton Gum-Tex) because we can't use xanthan gum because it's corn-derived.

But I think you can probably do a healthy non-grain diet.

[LauraLoo]

You may want to contact Bob's Red Mill. BRM has a separate gluten-free processing facility for their gluten-free products, and they clean between runs of different products.

[Carley]

You'd definitely want to maximize carbs for your growing daughter - like root vegetables, which are full of good carbs.

There are extreme low/no carbers as well as low carbers that all forgo grains. If I were you I'd consult my doctor before messing with my kid's diet. For you, though, you could always jump right in & see what happens

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Definitely! Check out the Traditional Foods forum. We're very low/no carb over there and are extremely healthy. Grains are far from necessary if you are getting a good balance of meats, veggies, fruits, eggs, and plenty of raw dairy.

[f&p'smama]

In "In Defense of Food" Michael Pollan points out that there are many different types of traditional diets & the eaters of these diets possess good health. It's our Western diet full of processed foods that is unhealthy. You're not nixxing all carbs if your family eats a healthy variety of vegetables & fruits. I think you'll be fine. Sounds like there isn't really a choice to not do it, anyway, if your child has a life-threatening allergy.

[LauraLoo]

Originally Posted by beingmommy

Also, even things like whole grain rice can be contaminated with nuts and such.

Missed this before, but Lundberg rice is processed in a dedicated pant.
http://www.lundberg.com/
Even our local grocery store carries Lundberg, so it's pretty easy to find.

My ds has ana peanut and tree nut allergies, so I know that finding safe grains can be difficult, but it is possible.

[cristeen]

To answer the question asked... yes, you absolutely can be healthy without grains in your diet. Many of us find that we're even healthier that way. In the Paleo lifestyle, nuts serve as a convenient source of fat, but they absolutely are not required. But, Paleo excludes all dairy - so perhaps instead of nuts, your family uses butter and cheese for their fat needs.

That being said, there are whole grains available that are both gluten and nut free. You may not be able to bake, but grains themselves are possible.

[Carley]

I wanted to share this: http://www.archaeology.org/0811/abst...gladiator.html

It doesn't have much to do with grains, but it presents an interesting idea about carbs.

Anyway! There are a zillion other ways to get carbs from foods other than grains (just check out that article! Some plant foods have TONS of carbs that are processed and stored in the body just like grains are)

Focus on high quality fats, proteins and carbs from plant foods & see what happens!

Fat is so important. You'll see on the "new" food pyramid, even though whole grains are among the bottom tiered foods - so is quality fat. I think we're getting somewhere as far as nutrition goes. Fat used to be at the top! http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio...u-eat/pyramid/

Other quality fats, besides nuts, butter & cheese.. mmm.. cheese , that I use are cream, egg yoks, avocados and animal and fish fat (either from cooked meats or rendered). I stick with "natural" fats, which to me means "people have been using it forever" with the exception of flax.

Though "Grok" didn't use dairy, ancient cultures who domesticated animals sure did!

I do have olive oil on hand (& nut oils - doesn't apply to you, but avocado oil is awesome), but most of the time I stick with butter/lard/bacon grease/etc

Some people swear by coconut oil. It's too pricey for me, otherwise I'd be tempted to jump on that bandwagon. I'll stick to coconuts (& young coconuts & coconut milk.. mmm..) for now.

Good luck OP! You might be on a track to a new life!

[beingmommy]

Thanks for all this great info! I definitely need to think about ways to get carbs into my DS if we stop most grains. But whole grains like rice and corn should be okay if I can find safe sources.

My DS is just so very picky. He was really late coming to solids (was uninterested until about 15 months) and now eats so very little, just chicken, pears, bananas, sometimes yogurt and cheese. He still nurses a ton so that makes me feel better but I have offered him so many foods that he flat out refuses. What do you do with a picky eater who also has lots of food allergies?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by beingmommy

He still nurses a ton so that makes me feel better but I have offered him so many foods that he flat out refuses. What do you do with a picky eater who also has lots of food allergies?

You keep offering. It takes multiple times of trying a new food for many children to be okay with it. And some kids will require multiple offers before being willing to try. Especially if he has allergies and has had reactions, there may be a certain amount of fear (of pain) involved in not wanting to try anything new.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Nina Planck discusses in her book, Real Food for Mothers and babies, how pickiness is a taught/learned trait.
It takes as many as 10 tries/offers for a little on to eat and enjoy new foods.
I would highly recommend reading this book.
Start on chapter 5 if you want, as that is where she deals with actual eating and offering foods.

I am eatina mostly Paleo diet, with the additon of lots of raw dairy products, and some brown rice a couple of times per week, due to a gluten allergy.
I have never felt better.

[beingmommy]

Thanks! We tried some safe bread last night, the first time we've had bread in several weeks and my DH and I both felt bloated and too full after. I think we really like eating just fresh meats and veg and fruits! I am going to work on making sure we get enough good carbs and probably eat some rice.

I will check out that Nina Planck book. It sounds like it could be helpful. My DS has been very slow coming to solids and is very picky. He does have some oral issues, not completely oral aversion but some issues so that could be part of it on top of the allergies.

[sbrinton]

Kids need carbs for energy. But carbs can come from fruit, veggies (especially root vegetables) or safe grains, if you can find some.

[joybird]

You betcha. Grains are very difficult for the body to digest. The paleo diet you are talking about is similar to the SCD and the Maker's diet which have cured plenty of people from very serious digestive disorders. We did only meat, veggies and fruit for a while and now we only do grains with copious digestive enzymes to help their assimilation. Worry not - it is the healthiest diet there is IMO.