When Margo Quinn discovered her youngest child had a gluten sensitivity, she braced herself for a culinary challenge. “My kids are already picky,” she laughs. “So taking away pasta, bread, and chicken nuggets felt like a disaster waiting to happen.” But what began as a dietary adjustment slowly became a new way of eating for the whole family.
At first, it wasn’t easy. Margo tried store-bought gluten-free products, only to find that most of them were either too dry, too processed, or too expensive. “I realized I needed to learn how to cook from scratch again, just with new ingredients,” she says. That’s when she dove headfirst into gluten-free cooking—armed with her creativity and a deep desire to make meals her kids would actually enjoy.
One of the first wins came in the form of gluten-free mac and cheese made with brown rice pasta and a creamy cheese sauce thickened with cornstarch. “The kids didn’t even notice the difference,” she recalls. That little victory gave her the motivation to keep experimenting.
Soon, she was crafting gluten-free pizzas on cauliflower crust, baking muffins with almond flour, and even making homemade fish sticks using crushed cornflakes. “It wasn’t just about replacing wheat,” Margo explains. “It was about making food that tasted good, felt good, and brought us together.”
Her approach wasn’t to force everyone into a gluten-free lifestyle, but rather to make meals that everyone could share. Over time, her husband and older children started to prefer the lighter, homemade alternatives. “No one misses the bloated feeling after dinner,” she says.
The key, according to Margo, is keeping flavors familiar and textures satisfying. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” she insists. “Just adjust it.” She also involves her kids in meal prep, letting them choose toppings or stir batters, which helps reduce the resistance to new dishes.
Beyond the food itself, the shift to gluten-free meals brought something unexpected: a deeper connection to mealtime. “We sit down together, talk about our day, and enjoy the food. That wasn’t happening before,” she reflects.
Now, cooking has become a passion project for Margo. She shares recipes online and runs a small blog where she connects with other parents navigating food sensitivities. Her advice? “Be patient. Taste test everything. And don’t be afraid to try again if the first attempt flops. Picky eaters can surprise you.”
