Celiac disease may prevent you from eating your favorite foods, including pizza. Patients with celiac disease are unable to tolerate gluten, which is present in wheat, barley, bran, white flour and a variety of other ingredients. If you've been known to cheat on your celiac diet in the past, make your life easier by incorporating gluten-free pizza, whether store-bought or homemade, into your gluten-free diet.
Significance
Gluten-free pizza is a healthy, acceptable substitute for individuals who suffer from celiac disease and cannot tolerate gluten. Gluten is frequently present in standard pizza dough, and more rarely in pizza sauce, cheeses and other toppings. Gluten may be present in certain sauces that may contain flour, cornstarch or arrowroot as thickening agents, according to Children's Hospital Boston. Some toppings like sausage, ham and pepperoni may contain gluten, as well as breaded toppings like fried chicken.
Types
Gluten-free pizza can be store-bought or homemade. When purchased in the store, gluten-free pizza is usually frozen and frequently more expensive than regular frozen pizza. The dough of store-bought gluten-free pizza is usually made of rice flour or buckwheat flour and contains all gluten-free toppings and sauces. Homemade gluten-free pizza is a more frugal alternative, although all toppings, sauces and cheeses must be checked to be sure every ingredient they contain is gluten-free.
Features
Creating a gluten-free pizza at home requires a recipe that substitutes wheat flour for rice flour, buckwheat flour or tapioca flour. The pizza dough must be made in a clean kitchen that is not preparing any items containing gluten simultaneously. Store-bought gluten-free flour mixes are available at most grocery stores and health-food stores, and can be added in place of ordinary wheat flour in pizza dough recipes. Toppings added to homemade gluten-free pizza should be checked before placing on the pizza, particularly meats, canned vegetables and breaded toppings.
Identification
When shopping for gluten-free pizza, some large grocery stores will carry them in the health food or frozen food section. Health food stores may also carry gluten-free pizzas or pizza doughs. "Gluten" is not generally listed in the ingredients list. Instead, individuals with celiac disease should avoid products containing wheat flour, barley flour, malt, bran, bread flour, white flour, graham flour, malt, oats, rye, semolina, spelt, wheatgerm or unbleached flour.
Benefits
Individuals who have celiac disease will feel fewer symptoms when sticking to a gluten-free diet. If a celiac patient eats regular pizza containing wheat flour instead of gluten-free pizza, he may have symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, upset stomach, rash, cramps, canker sores, stomach cramps, osteoporosis, tingling in the legs, anemia and pain in the joints. Sticking to a gluten-free diet that includes gluten-free pizza, if desired, will prevent these symptoms and lead to a healthier life.
