Finger food for babies with wheat allergy

For babies with wheat allergies, the core principles of suitable finger foods are Completely avoid wheat and its derived ingredients, give priority to hypoallergenic natural ingredients that are suitable for babies’ chewing ability and easy to grasp, and be wary of hidden wheat additions in processed foods. , the tolerance program can be adjusted under the guidance of a doctor under special circumstances.

My best friend’s 10-month-old baby was diagnosed with a mild allergy to wheat. She had bought a children’s rice cake that was said to be “additive-free”, and within two bites of it, her mouth became red and she developed a small rash. After she was sent to the hospital, she learned that the production line for that rice cake was shared with wheat products, and trace amounts of cross-contamination triggered her allergy, which made her so worried that she couldn’t sleep well for several days. Later, she visited the allergy departments of several hospitals and discovered that there are actually two different approaches to dietary intervention for babies with wheat allergies, and there is no absolute right or wrong. It all depends on the specific situation of the child.

One is the strict avoidance camp that everyone comes into contact with more often, especially children with severe wheat allergy and even anaphylactic shock caused by exposure to wheat. They must avoid 100% of all wheat-containing ingredients, including wheat germ, wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and even processed foods labeled "may contain wheat." The other is the oral immune tolerance system that has become more and more recognized in recent years. For children with mild to moderate wheat allergies and no history of severe allergies, they can gradually try to induce tolerance starting from a very small amount of wheat protein under the full supervision of a professional allergist. In this case, the range of finger foods can be slowly opened up as the tolerance level increases. However, do not try blindly at home. There are parents around me who heard that tolerance is useful. They fed their children half a mouthful of steamed buns and sent them directly to the emergency room. It was really not worth the gain.

If they take the strict avoidance route, the contestants actually point out that the food is really not that complicated. For a six- or seven-month-old baby who has just introduced finger foods, his chewing ability is still weak. There is no need to think about buying processed wheat-free snacks. Steaming the natural ingredients at home is very useful. I went to her house for dinner before, and I saw her baby's pumpkin strips on one side and her own sweet potatoes on the other side of the steamer. It was no trouble at all. Beibei pumpkin is cut into 1cm wide strips and steamed for 15 minutes. It is so soft that it melts when pinched. It has a natural sweetness and will not get stuck when the baby grabs it. There are also iron stick yams, peeled carrots, and even steamed pear strips. They are all safe options with zero additives. The baby will eat them with relish, and there is no need to worry about allergies.

When your baby reaches about one year old and starts chewing things more vigorously, and wants to give him something different, he can either make it at home or read the ingredient list three times when buying it. She tried using millet flour and mashed sweet potatoes, kneaded into small strips, and baked them at 150 degrees for 10 minutes. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft. Her children could chew three or four sticks at a time without worrying about messy additions. When buying processed food, don’t just look at the words “wheat-free” on the package. Look down to see if there is a label saying “the production line has not come into contact with wheat, nuts and other allergens.” You should also scan the ingredient list to see if there are wheat flour, wheat starch, gluten, unlabeled edible starch, or even soy sauce, yeast extract and other ingredients that may hide wheat. To be honest, I bought snacks with her before, and even the ingredients of a children’s seaweed were filled with wheat flour filling, so it was really hard to guard against it.

Oh yes, there are a few pitfalls that are easy to step on. Many people like to brush some soy sauce for seasoning when making finger foods for their children. Most ordinary soy sauces are fermented with wheat, so be sure to buy special wheat-free soy sauce.； Also, when making shrimp paste and meat sticks for your baby, don’t mistakenly turn it into wheat starch. Make sure it is corn starch or potato starch before using it. ； Even the grilled sausages and fish balls sold outside are often filled with wheat flour, so be sure to ask about the ingredients before feeding them to your baby.

In fact, there is no need to be too anxious. Most wheat allergies are staged. My best friend’s baby is now 3 years old. She went for a review a while ago and has tolerated it. Now she can occasionally eat a few small steamed buns. Every baby's body is different. Don't worry when watching other babies eat noodles and steamed buns. If you are unsure of the ingredients, rub a little behind the baby's ears to test the sensitivity. If there is no response, feed a small amount. After exploring slowly, you can always find a finger food list that suits your baby.