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“What do you feed a sick toddler when your kitchen has completely changed overnight?”
That wasn’t a question I expected to ask.
But after December 2013, it became one I had to answer.
Our Kitchen Changed Overnight…and we were still playing catch-up.
In December 2013, two of our children—still toddlers at the time—were diagnosed with Celiac disease.
We boxed up food that was no longer safe.
Replaced cookware that had been in contact with gluten at cooking temps.
Read every ingredient label for both ingredients and cross-contact.
Learned an entirely new way of grocery shopping, that honestly took a LOT longer with all the label reading.
At the very same time, our family had taken a deep dive into the Trim Healthy lifestyle. We weren’t simply learning to cook gluten free—we were rethinking the way we built meals altogether.
It was a lot.
Then…Someone got sick.
I remember realizing there were all kinds of situations I hadn’t thought through while I was busy replacing pots and pans, and deep cleaning the kitchen.
One of them was this:
What do I feed my kids when they have upset stomachs now?
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The Problem with “Toast”
The recommendation everyone seemed to know was the “BRAT” diet.
Except toast wasn’t really an option anymore.
Yes, there were gluten-free alternatives.
Yes, there were Trim Healthy recipes like Bread in a Mug.
But my toddlers didn’t have the palate for those yet, and honestly, I wasn’t looking for another recipe to make while caring for sick tiny humans.
I wanted something simple.
Something built from foods we already kept in our kitchen.
Something that felt familiar.
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Meet BRABO
So our family made one small change.
We replaced the toast.
The result became what we affectionately call BRABO.
B — Bananas
R — Rice (white or brown—choose what feels best for your body)
A — Unsweetened Applesauce
B — Broth (homemade bone broth, prepared broth, or a quick mug made from my Homemade Bouillon Mix)
O — Certified Gluten-Free Oats
That’s it.
Not a medical protocol.
Not a treatment.
Simply a practical framework that fit our family’s gluten-free, whole-food kitchen.
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Why We Chose Broth
The extra “B” quickly became one of my favorite additions.
A warm mug of broth is comforting on sore throats, gentle on unsettled stomachs, and an easy way to encourage hydration when someone doesn’t feel like eating much.
Sometimes that’s homemade bone broth.
Sometimes it’s prepared broth.
Sometimes it’s simply hot water stirred together with my Homemade Bouillon Mix.
Each one has its place.
The important thing is that comfort can be ready in just a few minutes.
If someone needs a little more nourishment, I’ll stir in a spoonful of collagen peptides or gelatin.
If they’re ready for something more substantial, diced cooked chicken turns that mug into a light, soothing meal.
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Gentle Foods, Not Fancy Foods
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from my very first birth provider.
She smiled and said,
“Don’t eat anything you’ll regret experiencing twice.”
I’ve never forgotten it.
Whether it’s morning sickness, a stomach bug, or simply a digestive system asking for a little kindness, this usually isn’t the time for greasy, spicy, or overly rich meals.
It’s the time for foods that are gentle.
Simple.
Easy to digest.
Easy to prepare.
Healing seasons aren’t usually about culinary excitement.
They’re about giving your body what it needs while asking as little of it as possible.
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Building the Meal
BRABO is our starting point—not our limit.
As appetite returns, we often add gentle proteins and other whole-food options that fit naturally into our lifestyle.
Some of our favorites include:
Gentle Proteins
Collagen peptides
Gelatin
Diced cooked chicken
Pinto beans
Cannellini beans
If oatmeal isn’t tolerated or simply doesn’t sound appealing, we’ve also enjoyed:
Gentle Grains
Teff
Hulled buckwheat groats (make sure they’re hulled… ask me how I know.)
Grits
Polenta
Creamy Non-Wheats
Brown rice cakes, if that’s what works for you
The goal isn’t to force one particular food.
The goal is to find gentle nourishment that your body welcomes.
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A Little Help from the Kitchen Apothecary
Sometimes simple additions make all the difference.
A pinch of ginger.
A little parsley.
A mild herbal tea.
A warm mug of broth.
A little copycat Medicine Ball
Those little things don’t need to be complicated to be comforting.
One of the reasons I love building a Kitchen Apothecary is that it gives me practical options already sitting on my pantry shelf.
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More Than an Acronym
BRABO isn’t a rule.
It isn’t a prescription.
It’s simply one of those quiet family systems that developed because life asked us a question.
More than a decade later, we still use it.
Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s perfect.
Because it works for our family.
Around here, I often say my favorite ingredient is possibility.
BRABO is really just another example of that.
We took a familiar framework, asked what it needed to look like in our house, and built it from the ingredients already in our pantry.
Sometimes that’s where the best family systems begin.
As always…Safe, NOT Sorry regarding ingredients and manufacturing. That’s the Treehouse Standard.
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Nicole Burch is a Trim Healthy Lifestyle Coach, author, and holistic family life mentor helping women and families rebuild through rooted rhythms, personal governance, and sustainable living. Blending nourishment, discernment, and restoration, she guides others toward resilience, peace, and healing—creating lives that are grounded, aligned, and nurtured at home.
Wellness That Withstands.
Rooted. Resilient. Restored.
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Trim Healthy Coach Disclaimer
Nicole Burch is a Certified Trim Healthy Mama Lifestyle Coach, independently offering services based on the THM plan. This coach is not an employee or agent of Trim Healthy Mama, LLC. Coaching services are independently managed, and THM is not responsible for results, business practices, or claims made by this coach.
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