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My husband, Pete, has a gluten and dairy intolerance and so we have altered our eating habits greatly since he discovered it.  It is a healthy diet for anyone to follow, even if they aren't sensitive to gluten and dairy, so I plan to convert the kids over as soon as it is logistically possible.  In a family with several small children, changes sometimes take a little longer than normal. 

So far, all of our dinners are gluten and dairy free and we have eliminated cow's milk.  I usually choose meals that are naturally gluten free, with the exception of dishes with pasta for which we usually use a brown rice pasta as a substitute.

So, our substituted items are usually:

Pasta - from Trader Joe's
Udi's - from Trader Joes's or Target

We use almond milk from Costco or Target (best prices).

This is also a belated post.  We have been gluten and dairy free for almost a year.  We have done two reintroduction tests.  The first one showed signs of sensitivity to dairy in the 4 youngest, with an unclear result in our oldest.  The gluten was harder to tell.  So, we decided to remove both again just to be safe.

In January of this year (2014), our pediatrician performed two gluten allergy/sensitivity tests and all of the kids came back negative.  He said this doesn't rule out a sensitivity, but it should be fine if we "cheat" when we are not home, which was my question.  It is hard to bring our food everywhere we go, so if it is not necessary to remove gluten entirely, I think I am okay with just doing it at home.  This week we are doing another reintroduction test after the blood test to see if we see any other reactions.

It is a hard topic for me.  Of course I want my kids to be healthy and provide them with healthy food.  Also, I need to manage our home life the best that I can.  I chose to keep gluten and dairy out of the house because it is hard to have it "mixed" when Pete could possibly be adversely affected.  But, if it makes my life easier and is no harm to the kids to have it when we are away, then so be it.  Hopefully, on this journey, the answers will become more clear as we go along.  Maybe new choices will need to be made and more information will reveal better choices and more answers.