A gluten-free diet generally means not eating most grains, pasta, cereals, and processed foods. The reason is that they usually contain wheat, rye, and barley. You'll need to become an expert at reading ingredient lists on packages. Choose foods that don't contain gluten.
Avoid all products with wheat, rye, barley, malt, or triticale in the ingredient label. Even if a packaged food product is labeled "gluten-free," you should check for these ingredients as mistakes in labeling can happen. The only exception for this is wheat starch.
If you're trying to follow a gluten-free diet, you need to be aware of ways gluten can be hidden in foods. This includes products containing wheat, barley, or rye. Less obvious gluten-containing ingredients include natural and artificial flavorings, hydrolyzed proteins, and additives made of wheat.
While most cheeses by themselves do not contain gluten, foods that contain cheese as one ingredient may not be gluten-free, so you should always read the label. Cheesecake is not gluten-free (unless specified on the label) because the crust is made with wheat flour.
All wheat pasta contains gluten, including spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, lasagne, and ravioli. Not all breakfast cereals contain wheat, but many do, so be sure to check the nutrition labels. Also, be aware that oats are often raised and processed with wheat.
Because yogurt consists of nothing more than cultured milk, plain yogurt is gluten free. That being said, yogurt comes in a variety of different types and many flavors, some of which may not be.
Sourdough is not gluten free, but we know that many people with IBS, gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough bread. This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour so it is easier to digest. Think of sourdough as low-gluten rather than gluten-free.
In its natural form, rice is gluten-free. So, if your eating plan excludes gluten-containing products, we've got good news. You can go ahead and dig into rice salads, egg-fried rice dishes or your favourite rice puddings, provided there are no other ingredients in the mix that contain gluten.
Conventional pasta, which is made from wheat flour, is not gluten free. Thankfully, there are now many options for gluten free pasta that use alternative grains or legumes, such as rice, quinoa, corn, or beans.
If you are wondering if canned baked beans have gluten in them, the answer is yes and no. While bean products themselves are naturally gluten-free, the sauces mixed with them could contain flavoring or thickeners with wheat, barley, rye grains or malt.
Some people report feeling dizziness, nausea, extreme hunger and even anxiety and depression when they suddenly go from eating a lot of gluten to being gluten-free. These symptoms usually go away after a few weeks on a gluten-free diet, but talk to your health care provider if they persist.
In its purest form, chocolate in any of its milk, dark and white varieties doesn't contain gluten. Sadly for chocoholic coeliacs everywhere, the reason all chocolate isn't gluten free is because some products have gluten-based ingredients added, or they are made in a factory where gluten is used.
Because milk and live active cultures are the only ingredients used, plain Greek yogurt is gluten free most of the time. Though there is always a chance of cross-contamination with gluten from other products a manufacturer produces that possibly do include gluten-containing additives.
Avocados have many exciting benefits that naturally support your gluten-free diet. Here are just some of the reasons why the humble avocado should be a diet staple.