In our previous article, we covered the difference between Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here: (https://nutritionwize.com/celiac-disease-v-s-non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/)
Now that we know the difference between the two, let’s look at how to transition from gluten to a gluten free diet!
Learning to recognise foods that contain gluten is the first step in transitioning to a gluten free diet. The next step is to start adding foods free of gluten into your diet. The easiest way to distinguish gluten-free items is simply to search for the package’s “gluten-free” label.
Another way to identify foods containing gluten is to review the food label’s allergen warning; if it lists wheat, there is a strong chance that gluten is also present in the product.
It should also be noted that even though a food product does not contain gluten-specific ingredients, if it was made on machinery that is also used to process foods containing gluten, it could be cross-contaminated. Purchasing from a legitimate gluten-free company that brands their goods “gluten-free” and produces their products in a purely gluten-free environment is the best way to guarantee your food is absolutely 100% gluten-free.
Here is the list of grains that contain gluten:
- Wheat or products made out of wheat like semolina, refined wheat flour,
- Barley,
- Rye,
- Bulgur,
- Couscous,
- Farina,
- Seitan.
Check the table attached below for better understanding on what you should and shouldn’t eat when following a gluten-free diet!
Do’s and don’ts of gluten-free eating: |
||
| Type of food | Do not eat | Okay to eat |
| Grains, potatoes, flours, and cereals | Wheat, rye, or barley breads, bread crumbs, pasta, or noodles; spelt, semolina, kamut, triticale, couscous, bulgur, farina; unidentified starches or fillers; most commercial cereals | Gluten-free pastas and breads (made from soy, rice, corn, potato, or bean flours); plain rice, corn, popcorn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybeans and other beans, nuts, millet, amaranth, quinoa, oats (consult your doctor first), buckwheat, cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot starch; gluten-free cereals (such as corn and rice) |
| Fruits and vegetables | Canned soups, soup mixes, bouillon cubes, creamed vegetables, most commercial salad dressings | Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits or vegetables, unprocessed and without sauces; homemade soups with allowed ingredients |
| Meat, fish, poultry, main dishes | Commercially prepared fresh or frozen meat and main dishes, lunch meats, and sausages | Fresh meat, fish, poultry |
| Dairy products | Processed cheese, cheese mixes, blue (veined) cheese; yogurt or ice cream that’s unlabeled or that contains fillers or additives; low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese, sour cream, or cheese spreads | Plain, natural cheese; gluten-free plain yogurt and ice cream; whole, low-fat, and fat-free milk; full-fat cottage cheese and sour cream |
| Alcohol | Beer, ale, stout | Gluten-free beer, wine, light rum, potato vodka |
| Other | Grain or malt vinegar, commercial pudding mixes, malt from barley, soy sauce made from wheat | Distilled rice, wine, or apple cider vinegar; homemade puddings from tapioca, cornstarch, rice; sugar, honey, jam, jelly, plain syrup, plain hard candy, marshmallows; gluten-free soy sauce |
Source – Harvard university
By:
Written by Disti Vira, Dietetic Student
Reviewed by Manmeet Behl, RD, NM
Updated: Dec 4, 2020
References
- Celiac disease: Prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment. (2012, November 14). World J Gastroenterol. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3496881/
- Al-Toma A, Volta U, Auricchio R, Castillejo G, Sanders D, Cellier C, Mulder CJ, Lundin KAE. European Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease (ESsCD) guideline for coeliac disease and other gluten-related disorders. United European Gastroenterol J. 2019. Doi: 10.1177/2050640619844125.
- Uhde, et al., (2016). Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease. BMJ Journals, 65(12), 1930-1937. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311964 (http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2016/07/21/gutjnl-2016-311964.full)
- Harvard Medical school. (2014, December). Celiac disease. Harvard Health publishing. https://www.celiac.ca/gluten-related-disorders/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/
- Lebwohl B, Ludvigsson JF, Green PHR. Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. BMJ 2015;351;h4347
- Volta U, Bardella MT, Calabro A et al. An Italian prospective multicenter survey on patients suspected of having non-celiac gluten sensitivity. BMC Medicine. 2014;12:85.
- Kabbani TA, Vanga RR, Leffler DA et al. Celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity? An approach to clinical differential diagnosis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2014;109;(5);741-6
- Canadian Celiac association. (n.d.). Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: How to Diagnose and Differentiate it from Celiac Disease. Lebwohl B, Ludvigsson JF, Green PHR. Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. BMJ 2015;351;h4347. https://www.celiac.ca/gluten-related-disorders/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/
- Anastasia V Balakireva, & Andrey A Zamyatnin. (2018). Properties of Gluten Intolerance: Gluten Structure, Evolution, Pathogenicity and Detoxification Capabilities. 10.3390/nu8100644