brand new to gluten free?
If you’ve just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, or a doctor or trusted medical professional has just suggested that you try a gluten free diet, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed right now. You want to know the other names for gluten, but you might not even be sure what gluten is.
If you’re in this position, click over to my Gluten Free Diet Quick Start Guide first. (Don’t worry it opens in a new tab so you won’t lose this page). It tells you what gluten actually is, has a link to a list of familiar gluten free foods (this will help you breathe, many of the foods you eat are already gluten free), and a link to a tutorial on safe gluten free baking, as well as other helpful advice and info.
Now, on to the other names for gluten.
Other Names For Gluten
Is this gluten free? Are you sure? Gluten is a protein found in some grains, wheat, barley and rye are most notable. Gluten can hide under pseudonyms, some are just other names for flour, some are ingredients made from gluten containing grains. Watch out for these:
Products Typically Made From Wheat
Unless these are specifically labeled “gluten free” or in the case of tortillas “corn tortillas” these products are typically made with wheat flour and contain gluten. Some corn tortillas will contain wheat flour, so always check the label.
- Bread
- Pasta
- All purpose flour
- Flour
- Flour Tortillas
- Matzo
- Pita bread
- Couscous (just a really small pasta)
- Cake
- Pie crust
- Muffins
- Other baked goods and pastries
Products Typically Made From Barley
Many varieties of alcohol are made with barley. If you’re going to imbibe, stick with a gluten free beer brand, vodka or rum. And never, ever, ever, get malt in your milkshake.
- Malt
- Malt Vinegar
- Beer
- Whiskey
- Scotch
- Whoppers Malt Milk Balls
Grains and Flours That Contain Gluten
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
- Spelt
- Bran
- Flour
- Graham flour
- Farina
- Durum
- Semolina
Other Names That May Mean Gluten
These aren’t always made from wheat, but unless you can confirm with the manufacturer that it’s gluten free, avoid these.
- Glucose
- Vitamin E (sometimes derived from wheat germ, even in beauty products)
- Modified food starch
- Tocopheryls (this means Vitamin E)
- Natural Flavors (sometimes made from barley, especially in caramel)
- Hydrolized Vegetable Protein (in many vegetarian meat replacements and shampoo)
These are the most common. You can find a really complete list here: http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html
A Note About Oats
Are Oats Gluten Free? Oats do contain a protein similar to gluten, but not exactly the same, so whether you can eat oats really depends on your body. Some people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease see their symptoms return when they eat oats. Sometimes this is caused by cross contamination during production, sometimes it’s a sensitivity to the protein in oats. If you’re going to eat oats, I recommend a certified gluten free variety like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats. Personally, I can’t eat oats, so you’ll never find a recipe here that uses them.
Next Steps
Go Gluten Free Resources
Here are some more resources for your gluten free journey!
You know what you should avoid, now here's a list of foods you can eat.
Okay, I know it's not easy to adopt a gluten free diet. But this article helps you break it down into bite sized steps.
Have a loved one going gluten free? Or sharing a kitchen with gluten eaters? Here are some best practices for staying safe!
Need it all in one place? Start here with this Gluten Free Quick Start Guide! You'll find answers to all (or at least most!) of your gluten free questions.
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