Gluten is a protein present in wheat, barley, and rye, as well as meals containing these grains. Celiac disease patients' intestines may be damaged by even little quantities of gluten. As a result, celiac disease patients must adhere to a rigorous gluten-free diet. Here are some pointers on how to make a shopping list and navigate the aisles.
Make a shopping list
There are various gluten-free grains and flours on the market. Rice, wild rice, corn (maize), sorghum, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, Indian rice grass, and gluten-free oats* are all good options to add to your shopping list. These grains may be purchased whole, as in a bag of rice, or crushed into flour. Sago, soy, potato, tapioca, garbanzo bean, and arrowroot are some additional gluten-free flours you could come across.
Single-ingredient meals including fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, butter, eggs, lentils, nuts and seeds, fish and poultry, honey, and water are also naturally gluten-free.
*Oats are gluten-free by nature. During processing, however, they are often contaminated with other gluten-containing grains. Many celiac disease sufferers may manage around a 12-cup serving of dried gluten-free oats per day.
Remove it from the list
While certain goods, such as whole-wheat crackers or rye bread, have obvious constituents, others in your cabinet may surprise you. Always check the ingredient list on processed food labels and stay away from anything that contains wheat, rye, barley, or malt. Malt goods, such as malted milk powder, malt flavoring, and malt vinegar, are gluten-free and manufactured from barley. Triticale is a less well-known rye-wheat hybrid that should be avoided. Several wheat cultivars, such as einkorn, durum, farro, graham, Kamut, semolina, and spelt, should also be avoided.
Foods such as bouillon cubes, brown rice syrup, candy, deli meats, hot dogs, communion wafers, drugs and medications, supplements, french fries, gravy, imitation fish, matzo, modified food starch, rice mixes, salad dressings, sauces, potato chips, seitan, self-basting turkey, soups, and soy sauce may contain these ingredients. Many of these items are also gluten-free, but it's always a good idea to read the labels. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States released criteria in 2014 that manufacturers must follow when labeling items as "gluten-free." If in doubt, contact the food maker or avoid it altogether.
In addition to food, avoid beers, ales, and lagers unless they are specially labeled gluten-free if you are of legal drinking age and wish to drink. This covers any meals that include beer, such as beer cheese soup.
This is not an exhaustive list. You may wish to talk to a celiac disease specialist or a registered dietitian nutritionist about gluten-free options. In order to follow a nutritionally balanced, gluten-free diet, an RDN may help you understand what foods are acceptable to consume and what foods to avoid.
In the Back Rows
Always check the food labels carefully at the grocery store. Look for the terms gluten-free first. A product may be called gluten-free if the unavoidable presence of gluten in the item is less than 20 parts per million, according to FDA regulations. Wheat starch may be included in certain gluten-free meals. "The wheat has been treated to enable this item to fulfill the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for gluten-free foods," it should say if the food is gluten-free. If you have a severe gluten sensitivity, avoid eating non-gluten-free goods that include wheat starch.
When a product isn't labeled gluten-free, search for the terms wheat, rye, barley, oats, and malt in the ingredient list (unless a gluten-free source is listed, such as corn malt). Don't purchase it if these components are stated. Also, avoid meals with the words "contains wheat" next to the ingredients. Brewer's yeast may or may not contain gluten, so avoid it unless the label specifies that it is gluten-free.
Food goods that seem to be gluten-free, such as rice mixes, may contain gluten residues. Even if you've had a product previously, read the label every time you buy it since the manufacturer may modify an ingredient.
Finally, don't be afraid to talk to your grocer about certain grains you'd want to see at your shop.
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