Saturday, January 18, 2014

Getting Started on a Gluten-Free Life

So you are starting a gluten free diet? First off, don't freak out and be glad it didn't happen years ago before people became more aware of the issues with Gluten. It is becoming more and more common. Numbers show that about 1 in every 133 people have Celiacs Disease and 6 % of the US population has some sort of intolerance to gluten.

Gluten is found in a large amount of items across the product board. It is important to have some great resources that help you get started. Here are some great sources for getting started:



The main thing to keep in mind is to check everything. In a world of innovation and change, things constantly change. While one specific item may not be Gluten this month, it may change next month. And vise versa.

Let's look at a few things that have gluten in it, especially things that you may not think of:
Common ingredients that have Gluten:

  • White Flour
  • Whole Wheat Flour
  • Durum Wheat
  • Graham Flour
  • Triticale
  • Kamut
  • Semolina
  • Spelt
  • Wheat Germ
  • Wheat Bran
Common Foods that have Gluten:
  • Pasta
  • Couscous
  • Bread
  • Flour Tortillas
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Muffins
  • Pastries
  • Cereal
  • Crackers
  • Beer
  • Oats (non certified Gluten Free Oats)
  • Gravy
  • Dressings
  • Sauces
Common Items that many do not know have Gluten:
  • Broths in soups
  • Bouillon Cubes or Powder
  • Breadcrumbs and Croutons
  • Some Candies
  • Fried Foods
  • Imitation Fish
  • Some Lunch Meats and Hot Dogs
  • Malt
  • Modified Food Starch *(see explanation below)
  • Seasoned chips
  • Seasoned snack foods
  • Salad Dressings
  • Self-basting Turkeys
  • Soy Sauce
  • Seasoned Rice and Pasta Mixes
Along with these understanding what to look for, it is important to understand that a package labeled Wheat-Free does not necessarily mean Gluten-Free. 

Modified Food Starch can or cannot be gluten free. The modified food starch may be from wheat or may be from corn. It is important to take into account the other ingredients. For my wife and I, if we see Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum in the ingredients, we usually feel safe testing it out and fingers crossed, haven't had any issues up until now. 

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