GAPS Recipes for Kids: 50+ Delicious Ideas the Whole Family Will Love (2024)

If your child suffers from inflammatory bowel disease, leaky gut syndrome, autism, ADHD, anxiety, or depression, chances are you’ve heard about the GAPS diet. Inspired by The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and develop by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndromeand is intended to remove gut-damaging foods that are difficult to digest and replace them with nutrient-dense foods in order to allow the intestinal lining to heal and seal.

The GAPS diet isnot intended to be a quick fix, and is a much more regimented protocol used to treat leaky gut, gut flora imbalances, and nutrient deficiencies, and if you do a quick search on Google, you’ll read some pretty powerful stories about the gut-brain connection and how the GAPS diet has helped children overcome symptoms of autism, ADD, allergies, and more.

If you’re interested in pursuing the GAPS diet for yourself or your children, there are heaps of delicious GAPS recipes for kids online, but before we share our favorites, let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?

What is the GAPS diet?

The GAPS diet is based on the gut-brain connection, and is designed to heal and seal the gut lining, balance the immune system, and restore healthy bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract by focusing on diet, supplementation, and detoxification. There are several different stages of the diet, with new foods being introduced as you progress from one phase to the next. The diet eliminates dairy and sugar, allows minimal fruits and grains, and includes broths and probiotic foods to help the body heal.

Who can benefit from the GAPS diet?

The GAPS diet was designed to help those with food allergies and intolerances, behavioral and emotional challenges like autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, as well as other autoimmune disorders, but some would argue it can be beneficial to everyone when followed correctly.

Does the GAPS diet work?

The reviews are mixed. While some report their child was cured of all autism symptoms as a result of the GAPS diet, others question the validity of the diet, and while there shouldn’t be anyharm trying some of the GAPS recipes for kids listed below, it’s important to do your own research before deciding if a full-fledged GAPS diet is right you and your family. Educate yourself on the benefits as well as the potential risks, talk to your family doctor, and enlist the help of a naturopath to ensure you fully understand the ins and outs of the GAPS diet before deciding how to proceed.

What are the best GAPS recipes for kids?

OMG, where do we start?! GAPS for kids can be challenging, especially if your little one is already a picky eater, but thanks to all of the parents who have already done the hard work for us, we’ve found over 50 GAPS recipes for kids that promise to be as delicious as they are healthy.

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Proteins

Superfood Meatballs | The Family that Heals Together
Paleo Three Cup Chicken | How WeFlourish
Pesto Sausage Cakes | Just Take a Bite
GAPS Salmon Cakes | Taste is Trump
Chicken Breasts with Figs and Squash| Real Healthy Recipes
Roast Pork with Onion Apple Gravy| Phoenix Helix
Lemon Basil Shredded Beef| The Paleo Partridge
Balsamic Braised Beef Shanks| The Primordial Table
Simple Tender Pot Roast with Holy Grail Gravy| Phoenix Helix
GAPS Tuna Salad | How We Flourish
GAPS Meat and “Potatoes” | How We Flourish
Chicken with Plums Carrots and Apples| A Squirrel in the Kitchen
Kalua Pig| Nom Nom Paleo
Hawaiian Pork Roast| Beyond the Bite
Beef Brisket| Elana’s Pantry
Cinnamon Chuck Roast and Onions| Whole Life Eating
Italian Pork Roast |The Clothes Make the Girl
Pulled Pork and Roasted Vegetables| Gutsy By Nature
Honey Garlic Chicken| Sweet Potatoes and Social Change

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Breads/Pasta

GAPS Friendly Pizza Crust | The Soft Landing
Garlic Coconut Flour Bagels | Low Carb Yum
Coconut Tortillas | Wholesome Yum
GAPSSpaghetti and Meatballs | How We Flourish

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Side Dishes

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Desserts

FAQs

Does the GAPS diet really work? ›

There is no evidence to suggest that all components of the GAPS diet can help treat the conditions it claims to. Following this diet could, however, improve a person's gut health. It encourages people to eat fewer processed foods and more fruits, vegetables, and natural fats.

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What is the GAPS diet food list? ›

What foods do you eat on the GAPS diet?

Meat and fish stock.
Herbal teas.
Small amounts of fermented beverages.
Coconut oil.
Raw unfiltered local honey.
Organ meats.
Cooked non-starchy vegetables.
Animal fats.

Feb 1, 2023

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What is GAPS diet for kids? ›

So very roughly- you can eat meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, with emphasis on high quality fats. You are avoiding- anything artificial/processed, most starches, grains and legumes (with a couple exceptions). Dairy is split- fermented is fine, fresh is avoided.

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How to do the gap diet? ›

Additional recommendations while following the GAPS diet include:

Do not eat meat and fruit together.
Use organic foods whenever possible.
Eat animal fats, coconut oil, or cold-pressed olive oil at every meal.
Consume bone broth with every meal.
Consume large amounts of fermented foods, if you can tolerate them.

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Jan 13, 2021

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What not to eat on GAPS diet? ›

Foods You Cannot Eat on the GAPS Diet

Grains.
Sugar.
Potatoes.
Parsnips.
Soy.
Commercial yogurt.
Cottage cheese.
Rice.

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Sep 14, 2023

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Are bananas allowed on the GAPS diet? ›

Fruits in the GAPS Diet are only allowed in moderation: Apples. Banana. Berries.

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Can you eat sweet potatoes on the GAPS diet? ›

GAPS diet specifics

The GAPS diet is similar to the customized Paleo diet, with the following distinctions: It restricts all sources of starch (e.g., sweet potatoes, potatoes, plantains, etc.). It emphasizes the use of fermented foods and bone broths to restore healthy gut microbiota and gut barrier integrity.

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Is cheese OK on the GAPS diet? ›

Other cheeses that are allowed on Full GAPS: Asiago, Blue, Brick, Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Havarti, Limburger, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Parmesan, Port du Salut, Roquefort, Stilton, Swiss, Romano, un-creamed cottage cheese (dry curd).

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Is peanut butter allowed on GAPS diet? ›

FOOD FOR GAPS DIET STAGE 3

In the original GAPS Book, Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride recommends nut butter at this stage. In recent conversations, she now believes that, for most people, it is a good idea to wait to introduce nuts until Full GAPS.

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Can you drink milk on GAPS diet? ›

Dairy Products to Avoid:

On GAPS we need to avoid all unfermented dairy (with the exception of butter, of course.) So, no milk, fresh cheeses (like ricotta, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, etc.) or fresh cream.

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Can you eat rice on a gap diet? ›

It's a subset of the Paleo diet with the main distinction of forbidding starchy plants. This means avoiding or significantly restricting potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, yuca, taro, and all grains, including white rice. The GAPS diet is not intended as a long-term approach.

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Can you eat fruit on a gap diet? ›

Best foods to consume on Full GAPS are eggs, meats, stock, fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts seeds, garlic, and olive oil.

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Can you eat tomatoes on gaps? ›

Well-cooked vegetables, with all fibrous stems and peels removed: beets, bok choy, broccoli (no stalks), brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower (no stalks), collard greens, eggplant, French artichokes, garlic, green beans, kale, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, squash (winter and summer), tomatoes, turnips, and ...

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What is the 5 to 1 rule diet? ›

Here's how the 5:1 rule works. Simply look at the ratio of grams of carbohydrates to grams of dietary fibre. Divide the carbohydrates by the dietary fibre. You want a 5:1 ratio or less.

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Is bacon allowed on GAPS diet? ›

Selecting the right bacon is important: GAPS does not recommend smoked meats as they normally contain nitrites or other substitutes that are even worse than nitrites with alleged cancer causing agents so store bought bacon is out (including some nitrate free commercial brands).

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Do people lose weight on the GAPS diet? ›

The GAPS diet is directly linked to weight loss as it promotes the growth of healthy microbiome in the gut. It reduces inflammation, insulin resistance, and unhealthy fats. It does this by replacing bag bugs like acidic compounds and fats with healthy fats.

Do you lose weight on the GAPS diet? ›

It's possible to lose weight on the GAPS diet, but that's not the aim of the protocol. Instead, it's used to address a variety of autoimmune, digestive and neurological conditions. If you're currently eating a lot of high-sugar or ultra-processed foods, moving to fresh, whole foods can result in weight loss.

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Why doesn't the GAPS diet work? ›

The GAPS diet is a very restrictive protocol that requires you to cut out many nutritious foods for long periods of time. It also provides little guidance on how to ensure your diet contains all the nutrients you need. Because of this, the most obvious risk of going on this diet is malnutrition.

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How long should you be on the GAPS diet? ›

The phases continue adding various foods and can take between 3 to 6 weeks to complete, depending on the individual and the symptoms they exhibit. Once you complete the 6 phases of the Introduction Diet you can then move on to the Full GAPS Diet which is recommended to be followed for between 18 to 24 months.

GAPS Recipes for Kids: 50+ Delicious Ideas the Whole Family Will Love (2024)

What is the GAPS diet?

Who can benefit from the GAPS diet?

Does the GAPS diet work?

What are the best GAPS recipes for kids?

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Proteins

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Breads/Pasta

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Side Dishes

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Desserts

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Breakfasts

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Soups/Broths

GAPS Recipes for Kids: Drinks

RECOMMENDED READING:

FAQs

Does the GAPS diet really work? ›

Can you eat rice on a gap diet? ›