Can Kids With Celiac Disease Eat Chocolate?

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

• If you suspect your child may have celiac disease, it's important that you take her to her pediatrician for testing and a proper diagnosis, and not make huge dietary changes for her without medical advice. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of celiac disease include, bloating, stomach pain, off and on diarrhea and in some cases, rashes or mouth sores. Some kids with celiac disease may also be anemic.

Chocolate and Celiac Disease

• Some chocolate is okay for kids with celiac disease, but it needs to be checked out carefully beforehand. In itself, chocolate is often fine, the problem is usually the additives to the chocolate, for example, chocolate that has crispy candy or cookies added to it, or candy that is made in a factory that makes lots of different products can become cross contaminated with gluten containing foods. This may not be a big deal to the general population, but for a child with celiac disease it can be a real problem, explains CeliacCentral.org.

Things to Consider

• For kids with celiac disease, doing your homework on safe chocolate is a must. Ideally, you should look for labels on chocolate that certify the chocolate is gluten free. Some big companies, like Hershey's, have a section on their website that deals specifically with food allergies and lists which of their products do not contain problem ingredients or allergens. Hershey's does, in fact, list the products that are gluten free within their line. When in doubt, consider sticking to small companies that only make a few products or are artisan lines, so there is a lower risk of cross contamination, and call the company directly to ascertain whether the chocolate is gluten free.

Foods to Avoid

• In addition to avoiding chocolate that has cookie or wafer pieces, there are many other foods that should be avoided, unless you can find a gluten-free version in your local grocery store or health food store. In general, though, breads, pastas, cakes, pies, and cookies should be avoided. When cooking, don't use bulgar, wheat, barley, rye or semolina.In fact, it's a good idea to get a list of foods from your child's doctor detailing what's okay and not okay to eat, as well as checking a book on gluten-free cooking out of your local library to familiarize yourself with the differences in how food needs to be prepared for your child.