Food to Avoid When Eating Gluten-Free
The primary grains that contain gluten are wheat, barley, and rye. But did you know there are several wheat and barley-related grains you should also avoid?
- Spelt
- Kamut
- Club
- Durum
- Bulgur
- Einkorn
- Semolina
- Graham
An acquaintance once asked if I wanted several kinds of partially used gluten-free flour. They tried going gluten-free since they had related symptoms. For some reason “eating gluten-free” had not helped them. So now they were getting rid of these flours and I said I would take them. Well, one of the bags they gave us was semolina flour (which is not gluten-free). Yikes!
No wonder they weren’t getting better, as they had not truly eliminated gluten from their diet! Too bad they never gave their body the chance to become fully healed from consuming a healthy, gluten-free diet. My wife and I followed up to let them know, but never heard whether they tried again or not.
I’m not upset with them for giving us semolina flour. I’m just upset that they maybe should be eating gluten-free but gave up too soon.
And it’s not their fault. Accidents happen.
It’s hard to know EVERYTHING that may have gluten in it. So for them and for you I have put together a list of the many foods that are typically made with gluten.
What Food is Made With Gluten?
To begin feeling your best, and to become symptom-free, you need to completely eliminate gluten from your diet, which of course means eliminating food that contains gluten.
So what kinds of common food are made with gluten?
- Bread
- Pasta
- Crusts
- Muffins
- Cookies
- Cake
- Cupcakes
- Croutons
- Flour tortillas
- Tarts
- Bagels
- Buns
- Cereal
- Donuts
- Green chili
- Gravy
- Pudding
- Breading
- Bullion
- Soup
- Malted milkshake
- Pizza
- Nutrition bars
- Fried food (including French fries)
- Enchilada, Hoisin and teriyaki sauces
These basic food items make up hundreds of the most popular meals in today’s culture. No wonder going gluten-free can be so hard at first!
Were you surprised by any of the items on that list? I myself was shocked to learn about all the places where gluten hides.
Where Else Does Gluten Hide?
I talked earlier about the characteristics of gluten that make it so useful. Following are other non-food products that may contain gluten, such as:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Cosmetics
- Lipstick
- Makeup
- Lip balm
- Sun block
- Medicine
- Play-Doh
- Kid’s paints
If you have children note that Play-Doh is made with wheat flour, so it is one to watch out for because kids like to eat it! The Kaplan Early Learning Company offers a gluten-free alternative to Play-Doh for sale on Amazon.com.
Summary
Some surprising foods and products contain gluten. By understanding what those foods and products are, you know what foods to stay away from.
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Image credit
Wheat field by Lapse of the Shutter
