Tips for Avoiding Gluten in Your Diet

It can be a challenge to avoid gluten in food. But you’re not doomed to boring foods. You can find plenty of healthy gluten-free foods that tempt the taste buds.

General Rules:

• Read food labels carefully. Food additives are often the problem, not the main ingredient.
• Sometimes lactose intolerance can be a problem, too. You may want to avoid dairy when you start a gluten-free diet.
• Wheat-free doesn’t mean gluten-free. Foods can still contain gluten from other grains (spelt, rye, or barley.)

ALLOWED Grains/FloursRice, corn (maize), soy, potato, tapioca, beans, garfava, sorghum, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, Montina, flax, and nut flours

• Wines, hard liquor/distilled alcoholic beverages, and distilled vinegars are gluten-free. There are no harmful glutens in distilled products.
• Oats that are dry, pure, uncontaminated are okay for most people. Don’t eat more than ½ cup a day.
• Gluten-free beers MUST be labeled as gluten-free. Regular beers, ales, lagers, and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are NOT distilled and are NOT gluten-free.

NOT ALLOWED IN ANY FORMWheat (einkorn, durum, faro, graham, kamut, semolina, spelt), rye, barley, and triticale

Frequently overlooked foods that may contain gluten and need to be verified:

• Breading & coating mixes
• Brown rice syrup
• Communion wafers
• Croutons
• Energy bars
• Flour or cereal products
• Imitation bacon
• Imitation seafood
• Marinades
• Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Pastas
• Play-dough: may be a problem if hands are put on or in the mouth while playing with play-dough. Hands should be washed immediately after use.
• Processed luncheon meats
• Sauces, gravies
• Self-basting poultry
• Soup bases
• Soy sauce
• Stuffings, dressing
• Thickeners (roux)