If you have celiac disease, or CD, you understand the importance of avoiding foods that contain particular types of plant storage proteins known as gluten. When you do ingest forbidden types of gluten, your body identifies those proteins as foreign bodies and launches an all-out attack that causes abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and diarrhea or constipation. Fortunately, many desserts are gluten-free.
Identification
If you're on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease, avoid any desserts that include gliadin from wheat, hordein from barley or secalin from rye. Some people with celiac disease can safely eat avenin, a form of gluten found in oats, but others cannot. The Celiac Sprue Association, or CSA, states, "Inconclusive evidence exists concerning the inclusion of oats in the gluten-free diet." You can safely ingest zein, a form of gluten found in corn, as well as oryzenin, a plant protein from rice.
Safe Choices
The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center urges people with CD to focus on the positive aspects of a gluten-free diet and emphasizes that five of the six food groups are naturally gluten-free. Pick dairy products like ice cream, yogurt and sherbet or gelatin desserts garnished with fruit and whipped cream for a gluten-free treat. You can safely eat fresh, canned, dried or frozen fruits and vegetables as long as they don't contain thickeners, additives or preservatives made from a forbidden form of gluten, says the CSA. Cider, wine, distilled liquors and spirits are safe dessert beverages for people with CD, says MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
While commercially baked goods have traditionally been manufactured from wheat or other forbidden grains, many companies are now producing gluten-free alternatives. Learn to read labels carefully and contact manufacturers directly if you have questions about the gluten content of a processed food product. Some commercial pudding mixes are safe for a celiac diet, for example, but others contain gluten that will trigger an autoimmune response.
Warnings
When preparing desserts from gluten-free foods, exercise caution with the toppings and garnishes you add. Peanuts, tree nuts, sunflower seeds, corn syrup, aspartame, sugar and vanilla extract are gluten-free, but malt extract, bran and barley malt contain gluten that can trigger an attack of celiac disease. The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center has a database that allows you to quickly identify ingredients containing gluten.
Tips
When you're baking at home, you can substitute gluten-free grains and flours for those made from wheat, rye or barley. Try almond meal flour, coconut flour, potato flour or rice flour for a gluten-free dessert. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness hosts a website listing gluten-free vendors, markets and dessert brands.
