1. Things to Avoid
If you have a gluten allergy or have chosen to follow a gluten-free diet, you should choose cereals that are made from potato, buckwheat, corn, rice, soy or bean flour. Avoid oats, wheat, rye and barley. Always check the label, as you want to choose the cereal with the fewest additives. Cereals made from kasha, which is a roasted form of buckwheat often called groats, are usually gluten-free. Some groats contain both buckwheat and wheat and should be avoided. For hot cereals, try grits instead of oatmeal or cream of wheat. Some patients with celiac disease can tolerate oat, but if you are just starting a gluten-free diet, you should skip oats all together. Often times, oats are grown in the same field as other grains and may be contaminated. Gluten-free oats are available at some grocery stores and can be used for hot breakfast and in other recipes. If you would like to add oats into your diet, you should speak to a physician or dietitian.
2. Search for Safe Cereals
If you ever have a question about whether a specific ingredient is gluten free, visit the Celiac Society's food search. Besides looking up a single ingredient, you may also search by category to find safe cereals. The society updates its list of safe and forbidden foods each year. While this is not a complete list of forbidden foods, it does offer a wide variety of gluten-free selections that you can enjoy.
3. Watch for Reactions
Many wheat-free products actually contain a trace amount of wheat protein that may exceed standards set to be labeled "gluten-free." Imported cereals labeled gluten-free may have even more wheat than their domestic counterparts. Remember that reactions can take anywhere from 10 to 16 hours to appear, so you may want to test a product once before adding it to your diet regularly. If you are eating a specialized product and are still having an adverse reaction, you should cut out any new additions to your diet and speak to a physician.
