New Study: Gluten-Free Food Guide Improves children’s Diets, But Long-Term Success Requires Ongoing Support
A pilot randomized controlled trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition reveals a single counseling session based around a gluten-free food guide (GFFG) significantly improved the diet quality of children newly diagnosed with celiac disease – but these benefits waned after six months.Researchers found short-term improvements in total diet quality, dietary variety, unsweetened milk intake, and intakes of fiber and vitamin A in the intervention group compared to a control group.
The study, led by Jiang, Z., et al.(2025), followed children after diagnosis and found the intervention group maintained better adherence to a Mediterranean diet at six months, while the control group’s scores declined. However, total diet quality and intake of ultra-processed foods did not differ significantly between groups over time. A key challenge remained: more than half of the children’s total energy intake continued to come from ultra-processed foods, and most still failed to meet recommended fruit and vegetable targets.
Children under 10 demonstrated better diet quality,variety,and gluten-free adherence (97% vs 73%). While parental nutrition literacy was strong, it remained unchanged throughout the study. Researchers attribute the decline in sustained benefits to ongoing reliance on processed gluten-free foods, cost barriers, and a lack of continued support.
The study highlights the need for ongoing, dietitian-led education and support to achieve lasting dietary improvements in children with celiac disease.Future interventions should incorporate multiple sessions, address food affordability and access, and consider family motivation and environmental factors, the authors conclude.The pilot study included a small, homogeneous sample and relied on self-reported data, representing limitations for broader submission.
Source: Jiang, Z.,gidrewicz,D., Chen, M., Wu, J., nasser, R., Hammond, C.B., Marcon, M., Turner, J.M., Mager, D.R. (2025). A Gluten-Free Food Guide Used in Diet Education to improve Diet Quality in Children with Newly Diagnosed Celiac Disease: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial. British Journal of Nutrition: 1-33. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114525105618. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/gluten-free-food-guide-used-in-diet-education-to-improve-diet-quality-in-children-with-newly-diagnosed-celiac-disease-a-pilot-randomized-control-trial/5F5BD3F5629568BB445CEC989384E260
