There's more than one health condition that can keep you from eating wheat. You might be sensitive to wheat itself, or sensitive to gluten, a protein found in not just wheat but barley and rye, too. The gluten sensitivity is also known as Celiac disease. All foods that are gluten-free are, by necessity, wheat free. But the reverse is not necessarily true. If you're sensitive to either gluten or wheat, the first step to maintaining your health is learning to pay careful attention to all ingredients in the foods you eat.
Pasta
Most conventional pasta is made of wheat. It may not say "wheat" in the ingredients list---be on the lookout for similar words like semolina and durum, which are types of wheat. Many flavored pastas, including so-called spinach or veggie pasta, and some types of egg noodles, also contain wheat. Look for rice or quinoa pasta instead---both are wheat and gluten-free.
Bread
Rice bread is a common gluten-free option. Potato and flax are other common ingredients in both commercially prepared gluten-free breads and bread mixes. Read labels carefully to make sure that the bread or bread mix doesn't contain barley, rye or spelt, which also contain gluten.
Chips
Many tortilla chips have at least some wheat in them. Read labels carefully to make sure that your tortilla chips contain only corn, which is gluten-free. Or try potato chips, sweet potato chips, beet chips, rice chips, or chips made of cassava which is a South American root. Beware items labeled "vegetable chips," which often contain wheat flour mixed in with the vegetables.
Desserts
Almost anything with a prepared crust is off-limits, because it's likely to contain wheat. Wheat may also be used as a thickener in some fruit and vegetable sauces or filling. Look for the gluten-free label to be sure you're safe, if you have Celiac disease. Again, rice is a common gluten-free substitute for wheat. Oats make a good alternative crust, but there is some controversy over whether oats are safe for those who are gluten intolerant. Medical News Today states recent studies show that oats may be safe---although Celiac Solution lists oats as an unsafe food.
Pizza
It's challenging to find a prepared pizza that doesn't have a wheat crust. There are a few freezer brands that come with a rice or corn crust instead. If you're making your own pizza, you'll have much better luck by purchasing a gluten-free pizza crust mix---which may contain rice, corn, flax, soy, bean or nut flours.
