What is gluten? What is celiac disease? what is gluten sensitivity?

Once you’ve decided to go on a gluten-free diet, what foods can you safely enjoy, and which ones should you avoid? This gluten-free ingredient guide is your one-stop reference sheet for all things gluten-free!

Whenever you’re uncertain, always check labels. Gluten Free & More, Inc. does not guarantee accuracy about what foods are safe or unsafe for an individual’s diet. Please consult your medical professional for your correct diet.

Gluten

A protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Processing often leads to gluten contamination in oats. It’s responsible for the stretchiness and texture of mainstream baked goods.

Celiac Disease

An autoimmune disease where the body attacks the small intestine and/or other areas every time gluten is eaten. Once it starts, it’s lifelong, and the only effective treatment is a lifelong, strict gluten-free diet.

autoimmune

In an autoimmune disease, the body recognizes its own tissue as an invader and attacks. Celiac is an autoimmune disease. Others include type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and many more.

Gluten sensitivity (aka gluten intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity)

You don’t have celiac disease, but you still experience negative symptoms when you eat gluten. We’re not quite sure yet how it works but studies have confirmed that it does exist and may affect 5 to 10 percent of the population.

FOODS TO ENOY & TO AVOID

gluten-free

In the U.S. and Canada, “gluten-free” is defined as a product with less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.

Safe Foods

Baking Soda

Beans & Lentils – dried, canned, soybeans, and tofu (check labels for mixed and baked beans)

Chocolate – milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, unsweetened (check labels for add-ins)

Coffee – check labels if flavored

Condiments – mayonnaise, ketchup, most mustard (check labels), pickles, olives, hot sauce, salad dressings (check labels), Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce (in the US), salsa, Wright’s Liquid Smoke

Cream of Tartar

Dairy – milk, buttermilk, cream, half and half, cheeses, butter (check labels of unsalted, whipped, and light varieties), yogurt (check labels on flavored varieties)

Eggs

Fish & Seafood – all safe as long as not marinated or breaded

Fruit – fresh, frozen, canned, pure juices

Gums – acacia, carrageenan, carob bean, cellulose, guar, locust bean, xanthan

Lactose

Lecithin

Meat – all fresh varieties safe as long as not marinated or breaded (check labels on deli meats)

Nuts – fresh and roasted, nut butters (check labels), nut flours (check labels), check labels of canned and bottled varieties for flour or coatings

Oils – all vegetable, nut, coconut, olive, and seed oils, margarines, shortenings

Pectin

Poultry – all safe as long as not marinated, injected, or breaded (check labels of turkeys and deli varieties)

Rice – all varieties are safe unless mixed with flavorings or cross contaminated

Seeds – fresh and roasted, seed butters, check labels of canned and bottled varieties for flour or coatings

Spices – whole or ground (check labels of mixed spices)

Sugars & Sweeteners – cane, beet, coconut, light brown, dark brown,  turbinado, maple, agave syrup, cane syrup, corn syrup, glucose, honey, fructose, maple syrup, molasses, stevia, aspartame, erythritol, maltitol, maltose, sorbitol, sucralose, xylitol

Tea – check labels if flavored variety

Vegetables – fresh, frozen, or canned

Vinegars – distilled (including red, white, balsamic, and red wine), rice, and rice wine (malt vinegar is not safe)

Yeast

Gluten-Free Grains, Flours & Starches:

Amaranth

Arrowroot

Bean Flours

Buckwheat

Cassava

Chestnut

Chickpea

Corn

Glutinous Rice

Millet

Montina

Nut Flours

Oats (only if certified gluten-free)

Pea

Potato
Quinoa

Rice

Sorghum

Soy

Sweet Rice

Tapioca

Taro

Teff

Yucca

Unsafe Foods

All-purpose Wheat Flour

Barley

Barley Enzyme

Barley Extract

Barley Grass

Barley Malt

Barley Pearls

Bleached Flour

Bolted Flour

Bran

Bread Flour

Bromated Flour

Bulgar

Bulgar Wheat

Cake Flour

Chapati Flour

Couscous

Dextrin

Durum

Einkorn

Emmer

Enriched Flour

Farina

Farro

Gluten Flour

Graham

Hordeum Vulgare

Hydrolyzed Wheat

Instant Flour

Kamut

Malt

Malt Vinegar

Matzo

Organic Flour

Pastry Flour

Seitan

Self-rising Flour

Spelt

Semolina

Tabbouleh

Triticale

Udon

Vital Wheat Gluten

Wheat

Wheat Berry

Wheat Bran

Wheat Germ

Wheat Oil

Wheat Protein

Wheat Starch

White Flour

Whole Grain Wheat Flour

Common Foods that Contain Gluten

Baked Goods – biscuits, cakes, cookies, muffins, pies, pastries

Beer – unless certified gluten-free

Breads – bagels, buns (hamburger, hot dog, etc.), rolls, flour tortillas, multi-grain, pita, pizza crust, potato, pumpernickel, rye, sourdough, wheat, white

Breakfast Foods – breakfast bars, cereals, crepes, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles

Crackers – butter, goldfish, graham, melba toast, rye, saltines, wheat

Pasta – noodles, lasagna, macaroni, penne, orzo, rice mixes with pasta, spaghetti, ziti

Miscellaneous – breadcrumbs, croutons, communion wafers, panko crumbs

May or May Not Contain Gluten

Artificial Extracts – such as vanilla, almond, etc.

Asian Sauce – many contain wheat; make sure soy sauces, tamari, and Asian sauces are labeled “gluten-free”

Bacon

Baking Powder

Barbecue Sauces & Marinades – may contain soy sauce or malt flavorings

Brewer’s yeast

Bouillon Cubes

Brown Rice Syrup

Caramel Color

Dextrin

Fillers

Gravies

Hydrolyzed or Texturized Plant or Vegetable Protein

Imitation Bacon

Imitation Crab, Seafood, or “Krab”

Licorice

Meat Substitutes – many are made with wheat; look for Seitan or wheat on the label

Miso – may contain wheat

Modified Food Starch

Mono- and Dyglycerides

MSG – gluten-free if from US, questionable if not

Multi-Grain Products – breads, crackers, etc.

Mustard – may contain beer or wheat

Mustard Powder – may contain wheat

Natural & Artificial Flavorings

Prepared Broths – vegetable, chicken, beef

Prepared Meats – check to see if breaded, floured, injected, or marinated

Prepared Soups

Prepared Stews

Processed Meats – deli and luncheon meats, turkey injected with liquid

Sausages

Seasonings – blended spices and seasoning packets may contain wheat

Vegetable Gums

Make sure you always read labels and when in doubt – ask!

Cross-contamination or cross contact

There are many foods that don’t have gluten as an ingredient but still end up containing gluten because of the way they are processed and handled during preparation or at home.

Get our free guide to SETTING UP YOUR GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN