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The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, Updated and Revised
Pam and Dana know what works for kids...This book is a fantastic resource for the diets that make a difference. Follow their advice!! --Jenny McCarthy, author of Louder Than Words and Mother Warriors
The best "kid-friendly" recipes and guide to the gluten-free, milk-free diet for ADHD and autism just got better. In addition to updates on new research and findings, readers will find recommendations from the authors for packing school lunches and snacks, plus 100 brand new recipes!
One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that affect their behavior, focus, and development. The other challenge is finding ways to get their children to eat healthy foods and improve their nutritional status. The uniqueness of this book is that it not only provides gluten-free milk-free substitutes and recipes, it provides successful suggestions for feeding the picky eater. The authors share details about just how and why the diet works. The specialty ingredients are explained and extensive sources provided. There are also testimonials from the parents and from the children themselves.
The best "kid-friendly" recipes and guide to the gluten-free, milk-free diet for ADHD and autism just got better. In addition to updates on new research and findings, readers will find recommendations from the authors for packing school lunches and snacks, plus 100 brand new recipes!
One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that affect their behavior, focus, and development. The other challenge is finding ways to get their children to eat healthy foods and improve their nutritional status. The uniqueness of this book is that it not only provides gluten-free milk-free substitutes and recipes, it provides successful suggestions for feeding the picky eater. The authors share details about just how and why the diet works. The specialty ingredients are explained and extensive sources provided. There are also testimonials from the parents and from the children themselves.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2020
64 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 15, 2022
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for free; I did not pay for it.
Claiming a gluten-free diet "helps" autism is like stating "A gluten-free diet helps homosexuality." That is just the start of the insane claims made in this book. No one who is autistic or who is a care-giver of an autistic person should follow the baseless, evidence-less advice in this book.
This book repeats many of the false dietary claims found for free on the Internet; there are hundreds of YouTube videos that repeat the falsehoods, and also opinion pieces in magazines that should know better.
Autism is about 80% genetic and about 20% epigenetic: no diet "helps autism" for the same reason no diet "helps homosexuality---" the studies performed on the subject clearly and unequivocally demonstrate gluten is not a problem for 99.99% of autistic people, just as it is 99.99% not a problem for neurotypical (non-autistic) people.
That "said," the offers nothing new regarding cook books: there are thousands of cook books to choose from, and they do not make absurd and false claims. While reading this book I kept being reminded that the claims were debunked over a dozen times, such as found here: https://link.springer.com/article/10....
Skip this book: it is lying to people who are desperate to "cure" that which is not a disease.
Claiming a gluten-free diet "helps" autism is like stating "A gluten-free diet helps homosexuality." That is just the start of the insane claims made in this book. No one who is autistic or who is a care-giver of an autistic person should follow the baseless, evidence-less advice in this book.
This book repeats many of the false dietary claims found for free on the Internet; there are hundreds of YouTube videos that repeat the falsehoods, and also opinion pieces in magazines that should know better.
Autism is about 80% genetic and about 20% epigenetic: no diet "helps autism" for the same reason no diet "helps homosexuality---" the studies performed on the subject clearly and unequivocally demonstrate gluten is not a problem for 99.99% of autistic people, just as it is 99.99% not a problem for neurotypical (non-autistic) people.
That "said," the offers nothing new regarding cook books: there are thousands of cook books to choose from, and they do not make absurd and false claims. While reading this book I kept being reminded that the claims were debunked over a dozen times, such as found here: https://link.springer.com/article/10....
Skip this book: it is lying to people who are desperate to "cure" that which is not a disease.
November 21, 2019
As a mother of five who has a child allergic to gluten and another who was quite sensitive to food coloring and additives in childhood (and who completely eliminated my kids' environmental allergies and my own Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and daily migraines through transitioning to a whole foods, gluten free, organic and mostly vegetarian diet), I am quite familiar with special diets and how difficult it can be to not only learn them but to make healthy food for kids that follows these diets and is tasty for the kids. This book does an excellent job of not only explaining about various diets that can help kids with issues related to ADHD and autism (among others), but then providing simple, healthy recipes that work for them.
Diets included in the book include the Feingold diet (which my second oldest child was on for some time, with mixed but mostly positive results -- we moved on from it to instead just going all natural, mostly organic, and not avoiding the fruits and veggies it avoids), gluten free and casein free (which has been shown to be very effective for some kids on the autism spectrum, and which has been updated to also be soy free), the GAPS diet (extremely helpful in healing a lot of gut issues that can cause big issues with kids' health and behavior), and quite a few more.
The idea behind the book is not to follow all of these diets, but that it will provide you with recipes that work for whichever one(s) you're using in your family. It also gives you a description of each one, to see if there's one that might be a good fit for your child. Tips are provided to make it all easier on you and your child.
There are a lot of recipes in the book, and you should be able to find some for whatever diet you follow. Quite a few involve meat, but vegetarians and vegans should be able to find enough to work for their families. There are no photos (which makes sense since there are so many recipes and many are short -- and the book is over 350 pages as it is) but nutritional information is provided for each recipe. The authors even note when recipes are good for hiding supplements. Icons on each recipe make it simple to see what they contain and what diets they work for.
One thing I really appreciate about the book is the focus on providing recipes that are really healthy, and not just missing problematic ingredients. So many recipes that follow a certain diet like Feingold or gluten free are technically free of offending ingredients but are nutritionally bankrupt. I remember when I was new to Feingold many years ago I was on a message board for parents and they were all sharing recipes for "safe" meals that were mostly things like white noodles with butter and parmesan, or they would point out that brown sugar flavor Pop Tarts were "allowed" because none of the specific ingredients banned on Feingold were in those. I wanted to feed my kids healthy food and still follow the diet, which I had to do by creating it all on my own. So many gluten free recipes are the same -- nothing but refined starches and hardly any nutrients. Recipes here are tasty and free of offending foods, but the authors still worked to incorporate lots of fruits, veggies, protein and whole grains. The three-in-one cookies, for instance (adjust to make chocolate chip, peanut butter or sugar) contain sorghum flour and almond flour to up the protein and nutrition, while still having all the sweetness and flavor kids want in a cookie. Of course, there are also lots of recipes that are just for satisfying fun cravings. :)
It is so hard to be a kid with food allergies or a restricted diet. It is also so hard to be a parent trying to care for these kids, and to give them food that they enjoy so they don't have to feel so deprived. This is a great resource to help parents do that.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
Diets included in the book include the Feingold diet (which my second oldest child was on for some time, with mixed but mostly positive results -- we moved on from it to instead just going all natural, mostly organic, and not avoiding the fruits and veggies it avoids), gluten free and casein free (which has been shown to be very effective for some kids on the autism spectrum, and which has been updated to also be soy free), the GAPS diet (extremely helpful in healing a lot of gut issues that can cause big issues with kids' health and behavior), and quite a few more.
The idea behind the book is not to follow all of these diets, but that it will provide you with recipes that work for whichever one(s) you're using in your family. It also gives you a description of each one, to see if there's one that might be a good fit for your child. Tips are provided to make it all easier on you and your child.
There are a lot of recipes in the book, and you should be able to find some for whatever diet you follow. Quite a few involve meat, but vegetarians and vegans should be able to find enough to work for their families. There are no photos (which makes sense since there are so many recipes and many are short -- and the book is over 350 pages as it is) but nutritional information is provided for each recipe. The authors even note when recipes are good for hiding supplements. Icons on each recipe make it simple to see what they contain and what diets they work for.
One thing I really appreciate about the book is the focus on providing recipes that are really healthy, and not just missing problematic ingredients. So many recipes that follow a certain diet like Feingold or gluten free are technically free of offending ingredients but are nutritionally bankrupt. I remember when I was new to Feingold many years ago I was on a message board for parents and they were all sharing recipes for "safe" meals that were mostly things like white noodles with butter and parmesan, or they would point out that brown sugar flavor Pop Tarts were "allowed" because none of the specific ingredients banned on Feingold were in those. I wanted to feed my kids healthy food and still follow the diet, which I had to do by creating it all on my own. So many gluten free recipes are the same -- nothing but refined starches and hardly any nutrients. Recipes here are tasty and free of offending foods, but the authors still worked to incorporate lots of fruits, veggies, protein and whole grains. The three-in-one cookies, for instance (adjust to make chocolate chip, peanut butter or sugar) contain sorghum flour and almond flour to up the protein and nutrition, while still having all the sweetness and flavor kids want in a cookie. Of course, there are also lots of recipes that are just for satisfying fun cravings. :)
It is so hard to be a kid with food allergies or a restricted diet. It is also so hard to be a parent trying to care for these kids, and to give them food that they enjoy so they don't have to feel so deprived. This is a great resource to help parents do that.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
December 12, 2019
Dear lord this is hugely complex. There's some good stuff in here but it is straining under the weight of all of the in-depth explanations and all the different diets. If you bought this for yourself as an autistic or ADHD having person, god help ya.
August 15, 2011
The recipes don't start until page 115, making this more of a guide than a cookbook, really. When I think "kid-friendly" I think very few ingredients. These recipes had numerous expensive ingredients and some were very labor intensive. I can't cook normal food, so this gluten free cookbook just doesn't work for me.
August 2, 2012
I didn't get enough time to look through it all but I was very impressed with the explanations of the differences between allergies, intolerance to foods, and then an avoidance diet to change behavior. I referred to it a few times in preparing meals for my food allergic child. Lots of great resources in the back. Lots and lots of great looking recipes without a ton of ingredients. I will be checking this out again from the library!
September 6, 2013
LIFE CHANGING!! Matthew, who has not been diagnosed with autism but has neurological tics associated with autism, has had gastro issues for the last year and drs have been totally baffled and not helpful. This book explains the science behind the CFGF diet or the "autism diet" and has hundreds of great recipes. This book is empowering and Matthew is finally starting to heal!
September 10, 2025
if you want to skip the pseudoscience, start halfway through the book to get to the recipes faster. I didn't read the cover well enough and expected this to be a book about cooking sensory friendly meals rather than one about trying to "treat" /cure with a restricted diet. my kid wouldn't eat most of what's in here.
April 5, 2020
This book is extremely thorough, and that makes it a very helpful resource. However, it does read almost like a textbook, so you need to prepare yourself for that.
The first 150 pages talk about very specific dietary issues and the diets that may reduce their symptoms. Detailed explanations for why certain dietary issues exist and how they may affect ADHD and autism are given, as well as action steps for how to help resolve the issues. Of course dietary changes are a big part of the solution, and some of the diets that are included in the book are low salicylate diets, low phenol diets, gluten-casein-soy-free diets, anti-yeast diets, low oxalate diets, and anti-inflammatory and FODMAP diets.
The last 150 pages offer recipes (with highly restricted ingredient lists) that can help. You really have to go all in with these recipes because the ingredients are not typical, which I guess is the point. Lots of proteins and veggies, okay no problem. But you'll use many alternative fat, dairy, and gluten ingredients, so stuff like rice milk, bean flour, various nut and seed oils, ghee, etc. It's not impossible but it will require an overhaul of your pantry.
If you're looking for a comprehensive resource that explains the whys along with new food choices, this may be the book for you. If you are looking for a less hardcore intro to healthier food options, though, this will be too much for you.
The first 150 pages talk about very specific dietary issues and the diets that may reduce their symptoms. Detailed explanations for why certain dietary issues exist and how they may affect ADHD and autism are given, as well as action steps for how to help resolve the issues. Of course dietary changes are a big part of the solution, and some of the diets that are included in the book are low salicylate diets, low phenol diets, gluten-casein-soy-free diets, anti-yeast diets, low oxalate diets, and anti-inflammatory and FODMAP diets.
The last 150 pages offer recipes (with highly restricted ingredient lists) that can help. You really have to go all in with these recipes because the ingredients are not typical, which I guess is the point. Lots of proteins and veggies, okay no problem. But you'll use many alternative fat, dairy, and gluten ingredients, so stuff like rice milk, bean flour, various nut and seed oils, ghee, etc. It's not impossible but it will require an overhaul of your pantry.
If you're looking for a comprehensive resource that explains the whys along with new food choices, this may be the book for you. If you are looking for a less hardcore intro to healthier food options, though, this will be too much for you.
October 8, 2008
This book was full of information about ADHD & autism symptoms & how they can be controlled with diet. I could relate to some of it & I feel a lot better after going gluten free, egg free, & mostly dairy free. I thought the "Trojan Horse technique" of hiding pureed meat in muffins & cakes sounded totally disgusting though, & I would never do that to a child. I thought there should have been more vegetarian recipes. It did convince me to start eating gelatin, which is not vegetarian, but seems to be good for you. If you want to be more alert or focused, or you want your kids to behave better, I'd recommend trying this diet.
February 25, 2009
I saw this at the library and picked it up since I have developed a gluten allergy. Even though the title might seem to limit its readers I think anyone interested in nutrition would find it useful. I learned a lot about common foods that really are not that great for our bodies and how they negatively affect the behavior of kids. Lots of good recipes although you would have to shop for many of the ingredients at a natural foods store.
July 12, 2014
This book is such a huge help for my very picky ADHD son with sensory issues. It makes healthy, Chemical disorder compliant eating fun. It takes into account kids who don't like strange colors or textures. There is a better way other than drugging your children
June 2, 2009
Wow! I still have sooooo much to learn. But with my son only having been on the GFCF diet for about two weeks, we are seeing way too many positive changes for it not to be true!
January 22, 2012
Diet has certainly played a part in my son's ADHD & we now eat about a 75% glutean free diet. It has put me in great shape as well.
July 27, 2022
There is a lot of negative reviews on this book - but honestly this doesn’t say “do xzy & your child’s autism or adhd mannerisms will end”. What it does is provide you with options on diets that are not being provided by Peds, a specialist, etc. These options are non-evasion & do not require medication. Under a providers care there is no reason to try a specific diet such as gluten free and see if there is any impact on a child unexplained or baffling symptoms. This is like any other self help book - find the pieces that speak to you & work with in those confines.
After reviewing all the different diets we did find one that may or may not work for our son. This book provided a lot of useful information on how our food is processed in general. How different types of ingredients can impact the body. So we’ll give it a-go on 6 wk cleanse diet & see if it helps the symptoms at all. If not than we know diet isn’t the issue.
After reviewing all the different diets we did find one that may or may not work for our son. This book provided a lot of useful information on how our food is processed in general. How different types of ingredients can impact the body. So we’ll give it a-go on 6 wk cleanse diet & see if it helps the symptoms at all. If not than we know diet isn’t the issue.
January 9, 2025
Cons:
The book introduction overstates the evidence that is out there for a GFCF diet impacting Autism - in that sense, please proceed with caution. There is not a cure for Autism (nor should there be one).
Take the ideas presented in this books as theories that may impact certain symptoms comorbid in Autistic individuals, but which have had inconclusive findings in clinical trials/other research.
Pros:
The recipes rock! I (an Autistic adult - I know, not exactly the intended audience for the book), was struggling to get a variety of nutrients in my body due to sensory issues. It’s been over a year of trying (and failing) to find healthier recipes for my favorite safe foods or didn’t kick off my food adversions. This all changed two weeks ago after I got my hands on this book. I now have a solid rotation of meals to fill my meal plans - which is wild! I was hoping to find 1 or 2 recipes that worked for me - but I have loved every recipe I have tried so far!
The book introduction overstates the evidence that is out there for a GFCF diet impacting Autism - in that sense, please proceed with caution. There is not a cure for Autism (nor should there be one).
Take the ideas presented in this books as theories that may impact certain symptoms comorbid in Autistic individuals, but which have had inconclusive findings in clinical trials/other research.
Pros:
The recipes rock! I (an Autistic adult - I know, not exactly the intended audience for the book), was struggling to get a variety of nutrients in my body due to sensory issues. It’s been over a year of trying (and failing) to find healthier recipes for my favorite safe foods or didn’t kick off my food adversions. This all changed two weeks ago after I got my hands on this book. I now have a solid rotation of meals to fill my meal plans - which is wild! I was hoping to find 1 or 2 recipes that worked for me - but I have loved every recipe I have tried so far!
March 19, 2017
Virtually a paleo diet, would have been better to purchase Lola Berry, Pete Evans and many others who are making way for the paleo diet. And no, I am not the Paleo diet
November 21, 2019
If you are the parent of a child with autism or ADHD, their struggles become your struggles, and they can easily feel overwhelming. I am eager to begin implementing some of the strategies and diets suggested in this cookbook to see if they can improve my son's ability to focus and reduce his impulsivity.
The first half of the book is very info-heavy.
First they explain what elimination diets are, and why they are useful. The different diets are addressed in separate chapters in great detail and with helpful charts to break it down for us non-medical-professional parents. It will take multiple readings to truly process all the information, though.
The recipes included in the second half are very helpfully labeled with symbols indicating which recipes work with which diets, and substitutions are often provided to help tailor recipes to your child's specific needs. My husband and I are already largely flour-free and sweetener-free (no sugar or sugar substitutes), so hopefully these recipes will help get our sons transitioned to a healthier diet as well, so that we can eat together as a family AND help our son with ADHD avoid foods that could be triggering heretofore unidentified sensitivities or intolerances.
This is a resource I'm sure I'll be revisitng again and again over the next several months.
Thank you to the pubisher and NetGalley for this free digital copy.
The first half of the book is very info-heavy.
First they explain what elimination diets are, and why they are useful. The different diets are addressed in separate chapters in great detail and with helpful charts to break it down for us non-medical-professional parents. It will take multiple readings to truly process all the information, though.
The recipes included in the second half are very helpfully labeled with symbols indicating which recipes work with which diets, and substitutions are often provided to help tailor recipes to your child's specific needs. My husband and I are already largely flour-free and sweetener-free (no sugar or sugar substitutes), so hopefully these recipes will help get our sons transitioned to a healthier diet as well, so that we can eat together as a family AND help our son with ADHD avoid foods that could be triggering heretofore unidentified sensitivities or intolerances.
This is a resource I'm sure I'll be revisitng again and again over the next several months.
Thank you to the pubisher and NetGalley for this free digital copy.
June 16, 2010
This was a really good "summary" book. I liked how it explained medically how a g-free, c-free diet can actually help kids with ADHD. It was user friendly, simple, and brief in helping the reader understand the various things that go into this kind of diet. The recipes were also very simple, which is great to help us get started. My favorite thing about this book was it's additional focus on casein-free diets. There are tons of gluten-free diet books, but fewer with information on both. A definite read for kids with ADHD & Autism that are considering switching their child's diet.
February 27, 2008
This book it much more then a cookbook. It explains why certain foods create reactions, in individuals, not just for children with ADHD and autism. It helps explain how to approach this type of diet. This is the book I wish I know about several months ago. It is very informative and easy to understand. I would highly recommend it. The recipes are also easy and familiar, just like kids enjoy.
April 5, 2022
This diet targets mainly Wheat (Gluten) and Dairy (Casein), but they give a summary of all major allergens, as well as useful substitution lists for each type of allergen. This book begins with a great (short) overview of why and how food can impact both ADD/ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders. You can be up and running with this diet with a minimal amount of reading, and let's face it: if you're dealing with an ADD or ASD child, you need to save time and energy wherever you can!
August 7, 2012
The first few chapters of this book contain an excellent summary of food sensitivity information - what to eat, what not to eat, and why for gluten, casein, soy, corn, etc. sensitivities. The recipes that follow look good, but they are mainly regular recipes with gluten free flour or mayonnaise substituted.
April 14, 2014
Normally, I don't like cookbooks for children with autism because every child is different and one never knows what foods will trigger symptoms. However, this book is very flexible and is compiled with donated recipes from a variety of mothers who have children with varying symptoms on the spectrum. It gives variation.
January 29, 2008
Good info as to why this diet might be effective, and great recipes for trying a gluten-free lifestyle. (I think gluten may make me tired and foggy-brained sometimes, so I'm reading books about gluten).
September 30, 2008
I borrowed this book from the library and it does seem to have a lot of really great recipes. Unfortunately for me, my daughter can't have eggs and they seem to be very common in this book. I could try to sub with egg replacer but not sure it would work.
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January 5, 2011Great reference for changing dietary needs. Find a celiac support group; TACA (Talk About Curing Autism), or a dietician that works with autistic clients. Supporting an autistic child with a strong diet with supplements brings great gains.
August 11, 2016
This is the best gluten-free cook I have seen anywhere. It is packed with helpful information as well as practical family friendly recipes. A real must for anyone trying to cook for a gluten-free family. I wish had read it years ago.
January 12, 2014
Nicely explains the science of it while providing practical tips for making changes in the context of food preferences, short school lunch times, etc. Thankful to a friend for bringing it to my attention.
March 6, 2014
I am actually ordering the book its just one of those books you want to keep around for the recipes. I actually burrowed this book from the library for the recipes there were very limited gluten free recipe books surprisingly.
September 16, 2015
I liked the symbols at the top of the recipes for common allergens. Made it really easy to see how much modifying, if any, I'd have to do to make the recipe work for my family. The charts for alternatives, how to make a balanced meal were also helpful.
December 20, 2009
have used many recipes and need to read the beginning. the recipes have all been delicious!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews