How to Diet: The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet

Foods to avoid:

Gluten is the elastic protein found in wheat, rye, barley, durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, kamut, and triticale. Commercial oats also contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing.

Recipes that use flour (bleached white flour, whole wheat, cracked wheat, barley, semolina, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale) or vital wheat gluten are not gluten-free.

Semolina, spelt and whole wheat pasta, including cous cous and ramen noodles, are not gluten-free.

Beer, ale and lager are not gluten-free. Brats, meats and sausage cooked in beer are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar, malt flavorings and barley malt are not gluten-free.

Recipes calling for breadcrumbs, breaded coatings, fried onion rings, flour dredging, bread and flat bread, croutons, bagels, croissants, flour tortillas, pizza crust, graham crackers, granola, cereal, wheat germ, wheat berries, cookie crumbs, pie crust pastry, crackers, pretzels, toast, flour tortillas, sandwich wraps and lavash, or pita bread are not gluten-free.

The vegan protein sub called seitan is not gluten-free; and some tempeh is not gluten-free (you must check). Flavored tofu may or may not be gluten-free. Injera bread (traditionally made from teff flour) and Asian rice wraps may be gluten-free, but are not necessarily gluten-free (check labels).

Barley enzymes used in malt, natural flavors, and to process some non-dairy beverages, chocolate chips, coffee and dessert syrups (and even some brown rice syrups) are not gluten-free. Always check.

Gluten is sneaky.

Hidden gluten can be found in soy sauce, tamari, marinades, gravy, gravy mixes and gravy packets, broth and bouillon, sauces and instant soups, salad dressings, cured meats, sausage, hot dogs, vegan hot dogs and "fake" meat, sausages and burgers, self-basting poultry, flavored and herb cheeses. Watch for spice blends including curry powder, dry mustard. Be aware that delis and resteraunts often add flour to omelettes, and tuna salad. Read labels on canned and prepared soups, tomato paste, sweeteners, some confectioner's and brown sugar, beverages, flavored coffees, herbal teas (watch for barley), roasted, flavored or spiced nuts, jerky, flavored yogurts and puddings, some chocolate and chocolate chips, cocoa and instant coffee mixes, flavored vinegars (avoid malt vinegar), cooking wines, flavored liqueur and liquor, wine coolers, some ice creams and frozen desserts.
Always read labels. Call the manufacturer.

What is gluten-free?

GLUTEN-FREE FOOD LIST:
Alternative grains, flours, starches and thickeners that are safe* for celiac and wheat allergies include:

Corn, grits, polenta and cornmeal

Buckwheat, buckwheat cereal, kasha and buckwheat flour

Rice- white, brown, risotto, basmati, jasmine, sticky rice, rice cereal

Rice flour- white rice, sweet (glutinous) rice and brown rice flour

Quinoa, quinoa cereal flakes, and quinoa flour

Millet and millet flour 

Sorghum flour

Amaranth and amaranth flour

Certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal (milled from a dedicated GF source)

Coconut flour

Teff flour

Nut meals and flours- almond, chestnut, pecan, cashew

Chick pea, garbanzo, soy (soya) and bean flour

Tapioca (whole) and tapioca starch (manioc)

Potato starch (used in baking)

Potato flour (used sparingly as a thickener)

Sweet potato and yam flour

Arrowroot starch

Cornstarch

*Safe if milled in a dedicated GF facility/source.

Pre-made ingredients that are usually safe for celiac include:

100% corn tortillas and taco shells with a gluten-free label

Pre-made polenta rolls with a gluten-free label

Unflavored mochi

100% Corn pasta

Quinoa and corn pasta

Soy pasta (if it states gluten-free)

Brown and white rice pasta, rice noodles, rice glass noodles

100% buckwheat soba noodles (check label)

Rice paper, rice and tapioca rice paper wraps (check label)

100% nut butters- almond, peanut, cashew, pecan

100% seed butters- sesame tahini, sunflower and hemp seed butter

Gluten-free beer and lager made from rice, sorghum or a non-gluten grain.

As always, call the manufacturer to determine cross contamination probability. Certain companies are not, indeed, 100% gluten-free, despite a GF label (frustrating, I know).

 

About baking GF recipes:

When it comes to converting your favorite baking recipes to gluten-free, a simple one-to-one flour substitution will not yield the same results as your recipe based on wheat flour.

Gluten is a giving, stretchy ingredient that supports rise, structure, texture and kneadablity. It takes more than a single gluten-free flour replacement to make a cake, bread, muffin or cookie recipe work. A combination of gluten-free flours and starches with some extra egg whites or leavening, and xanthan gum added to improve viscosity is necessary for optimum results.

This is How to Diet: The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet