Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition. It is not the same as a wheat allergy. An allergic reaction to wheat is immediate and life threatening.
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Key Information
- Coeliac disease is not the same as a wheat allergy. An allergic reaction to wheat is immediate and life threatening.
- Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition.
- Children with coeliac disease must completely avoid gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
- If a child with coeliac disease eats gluten, they will not have an immediate life-threatening reaction. They can become very sick and develop serious long term health problems.
- There is no cure for coeliac disease and children with coeliac disease must follow a strict gluten free diet for life.
Providing food and drinks to children with coeliac disease
This fact sheet is for cooks and chefs working in children’s education and care.
Like food allergy, coeliac disease must be taken seriously. When preparing and serving food for children with coeliac disease use the same strategies that you use for children with food allergies to make sure their food does not contain gluten and is not contaminated with gluten from other foods.
For more information on preparing and serving food for children with food allergies, complete the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens for Children’s education and care course and download the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens for Children’s education and care booklet.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service course, Managing allergies and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care, should then be completed. You will find a micro-module specific to managing coeliac disease within this course.
Reading food labels for gluten
It is important to check the labels of all packaged foods products for gluten-containing additives as ingredients.
You should also check for precautionary allergen labelling for gluten, for example ‘may be present’ or ‘may contain’ statements.
If a food does not have a label, ask the supplier for a product information form.
You should read food labels for gluten each time you buy the product, when it is delivered, and when you serve the food or before you use it in cooking for a child with coeliac disease.
For more information, refer to the Reading food labels for food allergens section of the National Allergy Council’s Food Allergy Aware website.
Foods and drinks that contain gluten, or likely to contain gluten as an ingredient, are listed below. Check the Menu planning guidelines for long day care for more information on foods to include on your menu as some of the foods listed as examples do not meet the menu planning guidelines.
| Food Group | Foods and drinks containing, or likely to contain, gluten. Always check the label. |
|---|---|
| Used in Baking | • Wheat flour • Wheat bran • Semolina • Wheaten cornflour • Baking powder • Wheat-based breadcrumbs |
| Gravies and Sauces | • Gravy powder, gravies, thickened sauces • Stock, stock cubes • Soy sauce • Worcestershire sauce • Malted vinegar |
| Soups | • Canned soups with thickener • Commercial and homemade soups with noodles or pasta |
| Jams and spreads | • Yeast spreads – Vegemite, Promite, Marmite |
| Drinks | • Malted milk powder • Soy milk with wheat-based maltodextrin • Some flavoured milks |
| Meat alternatives | • Textured vegetable protein • Hydrolysed vegetable protein |
Planning meals for children with coeliac disease
Replacing gluten-based products on your menu
Gluten containing foods contain important nutrients for children’s growth and development including energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Children who do not have coeliac disease should continue to be served gluten-containing foods and products. Children with coeliac disease should be served replacement foods that contain similar nutrition.
When replacing gluten-containing products on your menu, remember to check if children also have food allergies and check that the replacement does not contain those allergens.
Below is a list of suggested replacements to use in place of a gluten-containing foods.
For more ideas, see the National Allergy Council’s Ingredient Substitution Tool for foods you can use to replace these foods in recipes.
| Gluten containing product | Suggested replacement |
|---|---|
| Wheat flour, wheaten cornflour | • Gluten free flour • Gluten free corn flour • Gluten free baking powder |
| Bread products | • Gluten free bread • Gluten free breadcrumbs |
| Wheat-based cereals | • Gluten free cereals |
| Pasta, noodles, cous cous | • Gluten free pasta and noodles • Pulse pasta, such as red lentils and chickpeas • 100% Buckwheat noodles • Rice • Rice noodles or rice vermicelli • Quinoa • Buckwheat groats Corn-based couscous |
| Crispbreads, dry biscuits, crackers | • Rice cakes • Corn thins • Rice crackers • Gluten free crackers |
| Sauces and Stock | • Gluten free soy sauce • Gluten free gravy • Gluten free stock powder or liquid stock made from scratch • Other gluten free sauces |
How to change recipes
Here are some examples of how to change recipes for coeliac disease. If a separate meal is required, make meals for children with coeliac disease look like meals served to the rest of the children. This way children with coeliac disease will feel included at mealtimes.
| Recipe | Modification to recipe |
|---|---|
| Pasta dish | You can swap pasta for: • Gluten free pasta – many products available • Legume-based pasta – red lentil pasta, chickpea pasta • 100% buckwheat noodles • Rice noodles • Quinoa • Buckwheat groats • Corn-based cous cous |
| Homemade muffin or other baked product | Gluten free alternatives to use: • Gluten free flour • Gluten free baking powder • Gluten free cornflour • Rice or rice flour • Almond flour or almond meal (if you include almond in your centre) |
| Commercial Bread | Swap commercial bread for: • Gluten free breads, rolls, wraps • Rice crackers • Corn thins. |
| Commercial Cereal | Swap wheat-based cereals, muesli, and oats/porridge for: • Gluten free cereals |
Storing, making, and serving food for children with coeliac disease
Children with coeliac disease can react to very small amounts of gluten in their food.
Make sure you have good food allergen management processes to prevent the risk of cross contamination from foods that contain gluten.
This includes:
- cleaning surfaces and equipment
- a separate toaster for gluten free bread
- storing food safely for allergies
- preventing cross contamination of food allergens during cooking and serving
- washing hands or changing gloves in between handling different foods.
More helpful resources and information
For more information see the National Allergy Council’s All About Allergens training for Children’s education and care and All about Allergens for Children’s education and care booklet, and the Healthy Eating Advisory Services Managing allergies and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care online course.
Further information and support
Healthy Eating Advisory Service:
- Early childhood services
- Recipes
- Menu planning guidelines for long day care
- Online module: coeliac disease
National Allergy Council:
- All About Allergens training for Children’s education and care
- All about Allergens Resource Hub (Children’s Education and Care section)
Coeliac Australia website.
For more information please phone 1300 22 52 88 or email heas@nnf.org.au
Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this document show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This document may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation. Copyright © State of Victoria 2016
Written and reviewed by dietitians and nutritionists at National Nutrition Foundation, with support from the Victorian Government.
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