How I Avoid Gluten Cross-Contamination While Feeding a Toddler Gluten
April 3, 2026-Brooke Zalewski, MScN, MASC
Owner & Nutritionist
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Boo!!!! It's gluten! 👻
Boo!!!! It's gluten! 👻
One of the scariest parts about being super reactive to gluten or having Celiac Disease is when your kid starts eating solids and you feed them gluten. Anyone who has been around a new eater or toddler knows that their food doesn’t always stay on their plate or tray… it gets dropped, thrown, sneezed out, or those gummy little hands make you a food offering... and then, just like that the place where you have been diligent in preventing cross-contamination with gluten and what should be your safest place to eat—your own home, has become a haunted house where gluten might pop up!
So, how do I avoid cross-contamination with gluten when I feed my toddler gluten?Â
This is what I do, it does not mean that it is the safest for you and your household. I have personally made the choice to allow gluten in my home with certain parameters and understand and support you if you do not.
Let’s start with the kitchen:
Store gluten foods in separate areas in the pantry, fridge, and freezer
No loose powdery gluten, like flours (my oven is a convection oven-has a fan-so no gluten can go in the oven, and we don’t want airborne flour)
Separate colander for gluten-ful noodles
Separate toaster for gluten-ful toast
Wash hands right after touching gluten and before touching anything else like cabinet doors
Separate cooking utensils (no wooden or porous materials for cooking with gluten), including wooden cutting boards
No gluten goes in cast iron cookware
Label everything if storing leftovers in fridge or freezer
Never double dip in sauces/spreads/dips
In the dining room:
Dedicate a non-gluten-free person to do the feeding OR dedicate a hand. If you are the one feeding, have them sit in their highchair or dedicated feeding spot. For me, I have our kiddo sit to the right of me (I’m left-handed), and I dedicate my right hand to be the gluten hand and my left hand to be the gluten-free hand. I only eat my food with my left hand and only serve toddler food with my right hand.
We roll the dice on whether food will be thrown and land on my plate. Sometimes, there is no preventing that until the gravity experiment is complete. In the case that gluten food lands on my plate, I stop eating it, get a clean plate and serve myself more food from the kitchen that hasn't been contaminated.
Once we are done eating, I remove the gluten food and pack up gluten food leftovers, wash my hands, and pack up gluten free leftovers.Â
Finally, the kiddo gets hands and face wiped down, then both of our hands get washed.
Clean-up... to make sure the ghosts of gluten's past don't come back to haunt you:
Every dish gets either a soap and water wash if not dishwasher safe, or goes in the dishwasher
Hands are washed, the little ones too... if it was missed earlier
High chair gets wiped down
Floor pre-cleaned by 11 year old yellow lab, then gets a human cleaning
Kitchen surfaces get wiped down
Adults get hands washed again
To sum it up, what works for me and my household may not work for you but maybe it can give you some ideas as a starting place! When in doubt, keep gluten out... of your mouth, especially.
Gluten have you scared? Have no fear, Wild Pine Nutrition is here!Â
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