The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet: How to Go G-Free

How to Begin a Gluten-Free Diet 

 

Foods to avoid: 

Gluten is the elastic protein found in wheat, rye, and barley (including durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, kamut, and triticale). Commercial oats may also contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing (see more on gluten-free oats below).

Recipes that use wheat flour (bleached white flour, whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, wheat bran, barley flour, semolina, durum, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale) or vital wheat gluten are not gluten-free.

Semolina, durum, spelt and whole wheat pasta, including cous cous, ramen noodles, and some soba noodles, are not gluten-free.

Beer, ale and lager are not gluten-free. Foods cooked in beer- such as brats, meats and sausage, etc- are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar, malt flavorings and barley malt are not gluten-free.

Recipes calling for breadcrumbs, breaded coatings, fried onion rings, flour dredging, bread and flat bread, croutons, bagels, croissants, flour tortillas, pizza crust, graham crackers, granola, cereal, wheat germ, wheat berries, cookie crumbs, pancake mix, pie crust pastry, crackers, pretzels, toast, flour tortillas, sandwich wraps and lavash, or pita bread are not gluten-free.

The vegan protein sub seitan (made with vital wheat gluten) is not gluten-free; and some tempeh is not gluten-free (you must check). Flavored tofu may or may not be gluten-free due to seasoning. Injera bread (traditionally made from teff flour) and Asian rice wraps may be gluten-free, but are not necessarily gluten-free (check labels, always).

Barley enzymes used in malt (and some "natural flavors") are not gluten-free (check all non-dairy beverages, chocolate chips, coffee, teas, dessert syrups, brown rice syrup.

Gluten is sneaky.

Hidden gluten can be found in soy sauce, tamari style stir-fry sauces, marinades, gravy, gravy mixes and gravy packets, broth and bouillon, cooking sauces and instant soups, salad dressings, cured meats, sausage, hot dogs, vegan hot dogs and "fake" meat, sausages and burgers, self-basting poultry, flavored and herb cheeses. Watch for spice blends including curry powder, dry mustard (often combined with flour).

Read labels on canned and prepared soups, tomato paste, sweeteners, confectioner's powdered sugar and brown sugar, prepared beverages, flavored and instant coffees, herbal teas (watch for barley), roasted, flavored or spiced nuts, jerky, flavored yogurts, puddings and ice creams, chocolate and chocolate chips, cocoa powder and instant cocoa mixes, flavored vinegars (avoid malt vinegar, and fake "balsamic" flavored vinegar), cooking wines, flavored liqueur and liquor, wine coolers (malt).

Always read labels. Call the manufacturer.

Eating out is very risky. Be aware that delis and restaurants often add flour or pancake mix to egg omelettes, and use breadcrumbs to add body to tuna salad. Gluten-free pasta might be boiled in the same water used for standard pasta (and some kitchens blanch veggies in their pasta water). Avoid French fries and fried foods fried in the same oil with glutenous breaded foods (fried onion rings, batter coated fish, veggies, meat and chicken).

 

What is gluten-free?

GLUTEN-FREE FOOD LIST:

Alternative grains, flours, starches and thickeners that should be safe* for celiac and wheat allergies include:

Corn, grits, polenta and cornmeal

Buckwheat, buckwheat cereal, kasha and buckwheat flour 

Rice- white, brown, risotto, basmati, jasmine, sticky rice, rice cereal

Rice flour- white rice, sweet (glutinous) rice and brown rice flour

Quinoa, quinoa cereal flakes, and quinoa flour

Millet and millet flour 

Sorghum flour

Amaranth and amaranth flour

Certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal(milled from a dedicated GF source and labeled as such)

Coconut flour

Teff flour

Nut meals and flours- almond, chestnut, pecan, cashew

Chick pea flour, garbanzo flour, soy (soya) and bean flour

Tapioca starch/tapioca flour (aka manioc)

Potato starch (used in baking)

Potato flour (used sparingly as a thickener)

Sweet potato and yam flour

Arrowroot starch

Cornstarch
Chestnut flour

*Safe if milled in a dedicated GF facility/source. Check with companies to determine if they are using allergen safety protocols, and a gluten-free facility.

Pre-made ingredients that are usually safe for celiac include:

100% corn tortillas and taco shells with a gluten-free label

Pre-made polenta rolls with a gluten-free label

Unflavored mochi

100% Corn pasta

Quinoa and corn pasta

Soy pasta (if it states gluten-free)

Brown and white rice pasta, rice noodles, rice glass noodles

100% buckwheat soba noodles (check label)

Rice paper, rice and tapioca rice paper wraps (check label)

100% nut butters- almond, peanut, cashew, pecan

100% seed butters- sesame tahini, sunflower and hemp seed butter

Gluten-free beer and lager made from rice, sorghum or a non-gluten grain.

As always, call the manufacturer to determine cross contamination probability. Some companies (including bakeries) are not 100% gluten-free, despite a GF label (frustrating, I know). Call and discuss best manufacturing practices and allergen safety protocols.

 

About baking GF recipes:

When it comes to converting your favorite baking recipes to gluten-free, a simple one-to-one flour substitution will not yield the same results as your recipe based on wheat flour.

Gluten is a giving, stretchy ingredient that supports rise, structure, texture and kneadablity. It takes more than a single gluten-free flour replacement to make a cake, bread, muffin or cookie recipe work. A combination of gluten-free flours and starches with some extra egg whites or leavening, and xanthan gum added to improve viscosity is necessary for optimum results.