How To Go Gluten-Free Course – Lesson 10

You’re probably realizing by now that eating gluten-free is very possible. You may recognize many of the brands listed above, and may have even used them before.

The food I discussed above is safe, but what about food that isn’t? There are three categories of food in every grocery store:  Safe, unsafe, and those you’re unsure of.

As I discussed earlier, gluten hides in many places. By understanding what food contains gluten, you will be aware of what foods to stay away from.

Why should you learn about what food is unsafe?

Some products, like Wheaties, obviously have gluten as an ingredient. But with others, it is not so obvious. Like Soy Sauce, for example (which is made from fermented wheat). Or Play-Doh, which is a product made with wheat flour. Knowing what foods are safe is critical but it is also important to be familiar with food to avoid when you eat a gluten-free diet.

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

A friend of a friend once asked if I wanted several kinds of unused gluten-free flour. They had 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!  This is sad, because they never gave their body the chance to become fully healed from consuming a healthy, gluten-free diet.

 

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 milkshakes
  • 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 ingredients 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.

Now that you know about food that is gluten-free and safe and food that’s unsafe, you might be wondering how you can you eat gluten-free without blowing your food budget. My next Lesson, “Be Thrifty,” gives tips on how to eat healthy while saving money.

 

Happy Gluten Free