Gluten Foods to Avoid

More than 2 million people in the United States have celiac’s disease (approximately  1 in 133 people).  The only cure / treatment for celiac’s disease is a gluten-free lifestyle, wherein you avoid foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley.  You’d be surprised how many foods contain gluten (beer, waffles and so much more)! Foods to avoid for a gluten-free lifestyle include:

  • Alcohol (derived from gluten based products such as wheat, barely, malt, rye, etc.)
  • Ale
  • Artificial Color (check with manufacturer, could contain gluten)
  • Artificial Flavoring (check with manufacturer, could contain gluten)
  • Baking Powder (check with manufacturer, could contain gluten, Clabber Girl is G.F.)
  • Barley Grass
  • Barley
  • Barley Malt
  • Beer (There are a few Gluten Free Beers on the Market Now)
  • Bleached Flour
  • Blue Cheese (generally made with bread, that is wheat based)
  • Bran
  • Bread Flour
  • Brewer’s Yeast
  • Brown Flour
  • Bulgar Wheat or Nuts
  • Buttermilk (some contains modified food starch)
  • Bouillon Cubes & Prepackaged Broth
  • Calcium Caseinate (Contains MSG, check with manufacturer))
  • Cakes & Cake Mixes
  • Cake Flour
  • Candy (always check with manufacturer, often dusted with flour to prevent sticking)
  • Canola Oil (Canola is G.F. but can have a laxative effect in some individuals)
  • Caramel Color (some types contains gluten, call manufacturer)
  • Cereal (most contain gluten, Health Valley makes several G.F. Varieties)
  • Cereal Binders, Extracts, and Fillers (usually contain gluten, verify with manufacturer)
  • Cheese (shredded cheese is often dusted with flour to prevent sticking)
  • Chilton
  • Chili Seasoning Mix
  • Chocolate Syrup (read label, contact manufacturer)
  • Chorizo (most contain cereal fillers, check label, contact manufacturer)
  • Chow Main Noodles
  • Citric Acid (in the U.S. it is gluten free, but outside U.S. it can be made from wheat or corn)
  • Cocoa (Check with Manufacturer, Hersheys and Nestles are G.F.)
  • Cookie Mixes
  • Couscous
  • Cracker Meal
  • Croutons
  • Dextrins (Check with manufacturer, made from a variety of starches including wheat)
  • Distilled Vinegar (Check with manufacturer, most apple cider, balsamic, white wine are G.F)
  • Doughnuts
  • Durum
  • Durum Flour
  • Edible Starch
  • Einkorn Wheat
  • Farina Graham
  • Filler
  • Fish (some processed fish contains gluten. Ex. Gorton’s Grilled Fish & Imitation Crab Meat)
  • Flavorings (check with manufacturer, could be gluten based)
  • Flavored Prepackaged Rice (check with manufacturer, Rice A Roni IS NOT G.F.)
  • Flavored Prepackaged Pasta (rice or corn pasta makes a great substitute)
  • Flavored Instant Coffee (check with manufacturer)
  • Flavored Instant Tea (check with manufacturer)
  • Flour Tortillas
  • Food Coloring – (Check with manufacture, Walton’s and McCormicks are G.F.)
  • Food Starch (check with manufacturer, can be wheat based)
  • Frozen Dinners (check with manufacturers, Amy’s & Whole Food have some G.F. dinners)
  • Fu (dried wheat gluten)
  • Gelatinized Starch (check with manufacturer)
  • Germ
  • Glutamate
  • Gluten Flour
  • Graham Flour
  • Granary Flour
  • Gravy & Gravy Mixes (check with manufacturer)
  • Groats (barley, wheat)
  • Ground Spices (check with manufacturer. McCormick’s and Frontier make G.F. Spices)
  • Guar Gum (this is gluten free, but has a laxative effect on some individuals)
  • Gum Base (check with manufacturer)
  • Hamburger Patties (when purchasing or eating out make sure it contains no fillers)
  • Hard Wheat
  • Hydrolyzed Oat Starch (gluten free, but could have cross contamination)
  • Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP, check with manufacturer, often contains wheat)
  • Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP, check with manufacturer, often contains wheat))
  • High Protein Flour
  • Ice Cream (some contain gluten, check with manufacturer)
  • Ice Cream Cones (Their are a couple of gluten free brands on the market currently)
  • Inulin (Usually made from chicory, but best to check with the manufacturer)
  • Kamut (Pasta wheat)
  • Ketchup (contains vinegar, check with manufacturer. Heinz is gluten free)
  • Laxatives (Most contain gluten. Check with manufacturer, read label. Metamucil is G.F.)
  • Liquor (many are made from glutinous grains, check with manufacturer)
  • Malt (check with manufacturer, generally wheat/barley based)
  • Malt Extract
  • Malt Syrup
  • Malt Flavoring
  • Malt Vinegar
  • Mayonnaise (contains vinegar, check with manufacturer. Hellmans, Dukes, Best Buy, Kraft are GF))
  • Marshmallows (check with manufacturer)
  • Marshmallow Creme (check with manufacturer)
  • Millet (gluten free, but beware of cross contamination)
  • Miso
  • Matzo Semolina
  • Matzo Meal
  • Modified Food Starch (check with manufacturer)
  • Modified Starch (check with manufacturer)
  • Mono and Diglycerides (Check with manufacturer, could be wheat based)
  • MSG (Made outside USA can be made from wheat. US MSG usually from corn))
  • Muffins & Bread Mixes
  • Mustard Powder (check with manufacturer, Coleman’s is not gluten free)
  • Natural Flavoring (check with manufacturer)
  • Non Stick Cooking Sprays. (some contain flour or grain alcohol. Pam & Wesson have a G.F. spray)
  • Oats (oats are gluten free, beware of cross contamination. McCains & Quakers are not G.F.)
  • Oat Bran (oats are gluten free, beware of cross contamination)
  • Oatmeal (oats are gluten free, beware of cross contamination)
  • Oatrim (oats are gluten free, beware of cross contamination)
  • Pancakes
  • Pasta
  • Pearl Barley
  • Pies (this includes the filling that is often thickened with flour)
  • Popovers
  • Pop Tarts
  • Powdered Sugar (contact manufacturer)
  • Pretzels
  • Potato Chips (the seasoning usually contains wheat. Contact manufacturer)
  • Prepackaged Mixes & Spice (example taco mix. McCormick taco mix is G.F)
  • Pudding (check with manufacturer. Kozy Snack)
  • Restaurant Grills & Fryers ( be very careful of cross contamination)
  • Rice Malt (Usually contains barley or Koji, contact manufacturer)
  • Rice Syrup (contact manufacturer, some contains barley, Lundberg Farms is G.F.)
  • Rice Paper (contact manufacturer)
  • Rye
  • Sausage (most contain fillers, check with manufacturer)
  • Seitan
  • Semolina
  • Semolina Triticum
  • Shoyu (soy sauce, check with manufacturer)
  • Small Spelt
  • Soba Noodles
  • Soft Wheat
  • Sodium Caseinate (Contains MSG, check with manufacturer)
  • Soy Sauce (most contains wheat, try San-J wheat free Tamari)
  • Soy Sauce
  • Spirits (check with manufacturer)
  • Spelt
  • Sprouted Wheat or Barley
  • Starch (in the U.S starch is generally made from corn, contact manufacturer is unsure)
  • Steak Sauce (check with manufacturer)
  • Stock Cubes (check with manufacture, generally contain wheat)
  • Strong Flour
  • Suet
  • Taco Mixes (check with manufacturer)
  • Tabbouleh
  • Teriyaki Sauce
  • Textured Vegetable Protein – TVP
  • Triticale
  • Udon ( wheat noodles)
  • Vanilla & other Extracts (contact manufacturer, could contain alcohol made from gluten)
  • Vegetable Starch (check with manufacturer usually contains gluten)
  • Vegetable Gum (check with manufacturer)
  • Vinegar (check with manufacturer)
  • Vitamins (check with manufacturer)
  • Wheat
  • Wheat Bran
  • Wheat Gum
  • Wheat Berries
  • Wheat Nuts
  • Wheat, Abyssinian Hard triticum durum
  • Wheat, Bulgur
  • Wheat Durum Triticum
  • Wheat Triticum mononoccum
  • Wheat Starch
  • Wheat Germ
  • Wheat Grass
  • Whole-Meal Flour
  • Whole Wheat Flour
  • Whiskey
  • Waffles
  • Wieners (check with manufacturer, usually contains fillers)
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