Yes, you can select from hundreds of nutritious, delicious and safe foods and beverages every day if you have celiac disease, also called sprue, says Scott Adams, founder and director of the Santa Clara, California, "Gluten-Free Mall, Your Special Diet Superstore." Sprue sufferers cannot eat any food containing wheat, rye, barley or triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid grain. Almost 1 percent of the population has sprue, and many organizations concentrate on their care, publishing a variety of gluten-free diet lists.
Comprehensive List
Gluten-free foods divide into three categories: whole foods, beverages and spices/additives. Scott Adams' list compiles more than 600 items and food groups listed alphabetically. Among alcoholic beverages, a sprue sufferer must avoid beers and ales, which can contain wheat, rye or barley; wines and all distilled liquors, however, are gluten-free. Among whole foods, fruits, meats, fish, poultry and vegetables are safe. Breads made from rice or potato flour are also gluten-free, if the flours are pure, single-ingredient products. Fresh produce is safer than canned, because processing and use of certain additives can introduce gluten. Adams warns gluten-free dieters to read labels carefully and always err on the side of caution.
Cooking
Cooking and preparing meals is sometimes challenging on a gluten-free diet, according to Mary Frances Pickett, founder and director of The Gluten Free Cooking School. It is important to know which foods are gluten-free, but Pickett stresses that it takes good recipes to turn them into good meals. A comprehensive gluten-free recipe list is as important as a gluten-free food list. Without the gluten-containing grains, some foods turn out to have less desirable textures and feel, so a list of practical alternatives is offered in the Cooking School's cookbooks. Recipes used by food manufacturers are as important as the ones you use in your own kitchen. Breakfast cereals rely on various grain combinations, for instance. Become as familiar with manufacturers' recipes and food lists as you are with your own.
Families and Children
Another way to organize gluten-free food lists is according to family activities that involve children. The "Gluten-Free Diet Guide for Families," published by the Children's' Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation, outlines commonly overlooked sources of gluten. No gluten-free list is complete without information on hidden gluten sources. For example, Play Doh contains gluten. It cannot penetrate skin, but washing hands after playing with it is important before meals. Also, small children may eat inappropriate substances. Other unexpected sources include some lipsticks, communion wafers, soy sauce, condiments you might use in a restaurant and even some prescription medications. The Guide expands the list of gluten-free flours you can use to 18, and provides the names of 25 gluten-containing flours to avoid.
