Starting a gluten-free diet and feeling overwhelmed? Understanding the basics of gluten-free living is the place to start. Learning the basic definition of a gluten-free lifestyle as well as learning about the foods to eat, question and avoid, will help you start living gluten-free in confidence.
Definition
A gluten-free diet is a lifestyle that omits the protein gluten found in wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats from your life. A gluten-free diet is necessary if you have celiac disease -- an autoimmune digestive disorder characterized by a toxic reaction to gluten. If you have celiac disease and do not follow a gluten-free diet, health problems and complications usually occur.
Foods to Eat
There are many naturally occurring gluten-free foods. Grains and seeds such as quinoa, buckwheat, corn, millet, amaranth and rice in its pure form are safe to consume on a gluten-free diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and eggs offer many gluten-free choices, as well as untreated meat, fish and chicken. There are also many gluten-free flours that you can use to create gluten-free breads and baked goods. Bean, buckwheat, corn, flax, potato, peanut, brown rice, millet, tapioca, sorghum and teff flour are all safe gluten-free flour options.
Foods to Question
There are a number of ingredients that may suggest the presence of gluten in your product. Make sure you verify with company manufacturers to see if this is the case. Watch out for these words in the ingredient list: modified food starch, natural flavor, malt, hydrogenated oils, artificial color, brewer's yeast, grain alcohol, softener and groats.
Specifically, although rice in its pure form is gluten-free, there are many pre-flavored rice mixes that may contain added gluten. Carefully check the ingredient labels as well as sushi rice for gluten contaminants.
Additionally, cheese and cold cuts are foods that can be easily contaminated during the manufacturing and packaging process. To prevent gluten-contaminated products in the deli, choose gluten-free brands and request that the slicer be cleaned. It may help to develop a personal relationship with your deli department.
Oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat products as well, even though oats do not contain gluten. However, gluten-free oats are available for purchase.
Finally, in addition to rice, cheese, cold cuts and oats, be careful when purchasing condiments and salad dressing, soup bases, coffee and tea, chips and snacks, candy, ice cream and sorbets and frozen meals. These items oftentimes contain hidden gluten contaminates from the ingredient list above.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid any wheat, barley and rye-based products. Wheat products are found using a variety of names, including but not limited to bran, couscous, bulgur, farina, spelt, durum, semolina, orzo and more. Rye products contain a lower gluten content, but you still need to avoid them. Pumpernickel bread, rye flours and rye beers are all off limits. And finally, barley and barley containing products should be avoided as well. Look for words such as barley malt, pearl barley, malt vinegar, caramel color, malt, malt flavoring, barley groats and barley grass.
Wheat, barley and rye are usually the main ingredient in beers as well. Check your beer distributor for gluten-free options.
