Quick Guide for Avoiding Gluten

A diagnosis of celiac disease can be daunting. Diligently reading labels and avoiding some of the staples in your diet can seem overwhelming.

Maintaining a gluten-free diet is particularly challenging because gluten is found in so many ingredients and even miniscule amounts can cause problems. But as you become more knowledgeable and begin to feel better, the desire for pasta and bread disappears.

If you've recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, here are a few tips. They aren't all encompassing, but hit the major offenders and provide some safe substitutes.

Wheat, Barley, and Rye

These grains contain gluten but can be easily avoided. Almost all commercially available breads, pastas, cakes, piecrusts, and cookies contain gluten unless they are specifically labeled gluten-free.

Gluten-free flours are available for baking at home, but they work better in some baked goods than others. For instance, you can use gluten-free flour in a brownie or cookie recipe with no other modifications, or you can replace the wheat flour with a combination of soy, garbanzo bean or quinoa flour (all of which are gluten-free.) Breads, cakes, and piecrusts need gluten for their structure and are more challenging to create without wheat flour, but recipes for gluten-free versions are available.

Other Foods and Ingredients That Often Contain Gluten

Commercially made stocks (such as chicken or beef stock) and soups may contain gluten so read their labels carefully. Several gluten-free brands are available.

Soy sauce often contains wheat (and gluten) as well. Wheat-free tamari is a good substitute. (Eating in Chinese and Japanese restaurants can be challenging because soy sauce is used in so many menu items.)

Malt is usually made from barley, which contains gluten, so avoid products that contain malt extract, malt flavoring, malt syrup, barley malt, and malt flour. (Maltodextrin is safe as long as it doesn't specify that it's made from wheat.)

Modified food starch may contain wheat, though it's usually made from cornstarch.

Vinegars (except malt vinegar) are generally gluten-free.

Avoiding Gluten in Restaurants

If you're interested in ordering soup in a restaurant, ask if it was made with stock (and if so, does it contain gluten-ask to see the label if necessary.) Also ask if the soup was thickened with roux (a mixture of flour and butter) or if it contains barley or pasta. If in doubt, choose something else.

If food is breaded or comes with a thickened sauce, it likely contains gluten. (If you're cooking at home, tapioca flour works well as a substitute for dredging chicken or fish or thickening a sauce.)

Salad dressing may also contain gluten. I avoid these unless a restaurant chef makes his own and is knowledgeable about gluten-containing ingredients. Vinegar and oil is a safe alternative.

Patronize restaurants with gluten-free menus or a good understanding of the many ingredients that contain gluten. Some chefs are very knowledgeable; others think "if it's not bread or pasta, it's gluten-free." Ask for "naked" foods (uncloaked by any marinade or sauce) if you aren't confident in the restaurant's understanding of gluten-free. Plain grilled salmon, tuna, or chicken is usually a safe bet.

Grocery Shopping Gluten-free

When shopping, it's important to read labels. This is time-consuming, but will be easier if you make most of your food from scratch and stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store where the fresh produce, meats, and dairy products are featured. Eliminate purchases in the inner aisles as much as possible, and limit those to the "plain" products: canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, beans, rice, and gluten-free chicken stocks. Avoid prepared mixes and frozen dinners.

Steer clear of "low-fat, fat-free," and "diet" foods. If the fat's been removed, it has to be replaced with something-often carbohydrates-that is more likely to contain gluten.

If you aren't sure if your favorite foods are gluten-free, contact the manufacturer. I did this with my favorite brand of salad dressing and a company representative quickly emailed back a list of their gluten-free products.

Pharmaceuticals

Some medications have gluten in them. Your pharmacy can provide a list of a drug's ingredients, so check with them, particularly about medications you take daily.

Cross-contamination

In addition to foods containing gluten, you might accidently ingest gluten through cross-contamination. Oats are an example of a food often grown on common land or milled in common facilities with wheat. It's safest to consume oats from companies that declare them gluten-free.

Your food can also be cross-contaminated in your own home. If your family isn't entirely gluten-free, use soap and water to keep cutting boards, utensils and hands gluten-free, or dedicate a separate cutting board to gluten-free cooking. Keep a separate jar of peanut butter, jelly, and other condiments for those eating gluten-free (label it!) unless you can convince your family not to double dip utensils.

If you're diligent about eliminating gluten from your diet, you'll soon feel so much better that you'll no longer be tempted by the foods you once thought you couldn't do without.