Navigating Gluten & Gluten Free Alternatives
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
In baking, gluten is a unique and helpful protein, because it acts like a glue, holding a dough together and giving it an elastic texture. Once it’s baked, gluten is what gives bread a chewy, soft texture.
Oats, while they don’t have gluten, have a similar protein to gluten called avenin. Because the protein is so similar, a portion of those with celiac disease also react to oats.
Common Wheat Products:
Breads
Pastas
Cereals
Sauces
Candy Bars
Flour
Soups
Bakery Items
All species of wheat contain gluten, including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn, faro and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye).
Common Barley Products:
Soups
Beer
Malt
Brewer’s Yeast
Cereals
Common Rye Products:
Certain Breads
Cereals
Beer
Rye Flour
Rye Milk
Any products containing triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye).
Gluten-Free Alternatives
There are a variety of grain, flour and starch alternatives that naturally do not contain gluten and thus can be consumed by those on a gluten-free diet. These include:
Almond flour
Amaranth
Brown, white and wild rice
Buckwheat
Coconut flour
Corn
Cornstarch
Guar gum
Millet
Pea flour
Potato flour
Potatoes
Quinoa
Sorghum
All grains are considered “high risk” for cross-contact because they are often grown, milled and manufactured near gluten-containing grains. Whenever possible, purchase naturally gluten-free grains, flours and starches that are labeled gluten-free and certified gluten-free by a third party.
When label reading - knowing all of the forms of gluten is helpful: Wheat berries, semolina, spelt, farina, graham, durum, emmer, faro, Khorasan, udon and einkorn all contain gluten. (Watch for “modified” products, too.)
These ingredients are trickier to navigate. If a product is NOT labeled “gluten-free,” but contains one of these in the ingredients list, raise a red flag and dig a bit deeper, as they may contain gluten: starch, modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, textured vegetable protein, dextrin, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, caramel, malt flavoring, malt extract, malt vinegar, brown rice syrup.
Common Foods That Contain Gluten
Pastas:
raviolis, dumplings, couscous, and gnocchi
Noodles:
ramen, udon, soba (those made with only a percentage of buckwheat flour) chow mein, and egg noodles. (Note: rice noodles and mung bean noodles are gluten free)
Breads and Pastries:
croissants, pita, naan, bagels, flatbreads, cornbread, potato bread, muffins, donuts, rolls
Crackers:
pretzels, goldfish, graham crackers
Baked Goods:
cakes, cookies, pie crusts, brownies
Cereal & Granola:
corn flakes and rice puffs often contain malt extract/flavoring, granola often made with regular oats, not gluten-free oats
Breakfast Foods:
pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, and biscuits.
Breading & Coating Mixes:
panko breadcrumbs
Croutons:
stuffings, dressings
Sauces & Gravies (many use wheat flour as a thickener)
traditional soy sauce, cream sauces made with a roux
Flour tortillas
Beer (unless explicitly gluten-free) and any malt beverages (see “Distilled Beverages and Vinegars” below for more information on alcoholic beverages)
Brewer’s Yeast
Anything else that uses “wheat flour” as an ingredient