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

Is the GAPS diet legitimate? ›

There is no solid evidence that proves the GAPS diet can treat or prevent any of the above conditions. And given it is so restrictive and individualized, it is hard to design a good study to research its effectiveness. But, there is some research that has looked at the connection between gut health and autism.

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What is the GAPS diet food list? ›

Best foods to consume on Full GAPS are eggs, meats, stock, fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts seeds, garlic, and olive oil. Meats should be fresh or frozen from high quality sources. Avoid smoked, canned, and processed meats.

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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.

Are bananas allowed on the GAPS diet? ›

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

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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How long can you do 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.

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Is coffee ok on GAPS diet? ›

Coffee tips

I encourage you to avoid it completely for at least the first six month of GAPS, while your nervous system and hormones are regenerating. In addition to the stress of the caffeine and other chemicals in coffee, it's heavily sprayed with pesticides, and decaf is processed with terrible chemicals.

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Is oatmeal allowed on gaps? ›

Foods to Avoid (or Limit)

Grains, including cereal, oats and wheat. Sugar, honey, agave syrup, and molasses. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, yams and sweet potatoes.

Are potatoes on the GAPS diet? ›

Vegetables that are not allowed on the diet include potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and yams. Beans and legumes are also not allowed on the GAPS diet. On the GAPs diet, sugar is considered harmful to the gut lining.

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