Don't Consider Fad Diets

Children should not be placed on a gluten-free diet unless there is a medical reason for doing so, says Trisha Thompson, a dietician with an expertise in celiac disease and gluten-free living, and author of several books on the subject such as The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide. “A gluten-free diet can be limiting and isolating for children, and there’s no need to impose these restrictions on kids who do not have to eat that way,” she says. By the way, the same goes for adults who follow gluten-free diets because they believe it will help them lose weight or provide an energy boost. There’s no proof that gluten-free diets offer such health benefits, experts say.