Monday, December 8, 2014

Gluten Free Diet: What You Need To Know

What is Gluten? 

Gluten in the protein in wheat, barley, rye and triticale that helps food maintain shape.


Maintaining a gluten free lifestyle can be very difficult as there are many common foods that you are unable to eat.  This is a list of foods that you are able to eat and foods that you should stay away from, find a gluten free alternative of and foods you need to the read labels of.

Foods you can eat on a gluten free diet:
  • Amaranth
  • Arrowroot 
  • Beans (kidney, black, soy, navy, pinto, etc.) 
  • Buckwheat 
  • Corn and pure corn tortillas
  • Flax 
  • Gluten-free baked products (made from corn, rice, soy, nut, teff and/or potato flour) 
  • Kasha 
  • Millet 
  • Polenta 
  • Potatoes and sweet potatoes 
  • Quinoa 
  • Rice (brown or wild rice is best) 
  • Sorghum 
  • Soy 
  • Tapioca
Foods you can't eat on a gluten free diet:
  • White Flour
  • Whole Wheat Flour
  • Durum Wheat
  • Graham Flour
  • Triticale
  • Kamut
  • Semolina
  • Spelt
  • Wheat Germ
  • Wheat Bran
Some of these foods may contain gluten (ALWAYS CHECK LABELS):
  • Pasta
  • Couscous
  • Bread
  • Flour Tortillas
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Muffins
  • Pastries
  • Cereal
  • Crackers
  • Beer
  • Oats (see the section on oats below)
  • Gravy
  • Dressings
  • Sauces 
  • Broth in soups and bouillon cubes
  • Breadcrumbs and croutons
  • Some candies
  • Fried foods
  • Imitation fish
  • Some lunch meats and hot dogs
  • Malt
  • Matzo
  • Modified food starch
  • Seasoned chips and other seasoned snack foods
  • Salad dressings
  • Self-basting turkey
  • Soy sauce
  • Seasoned rice and pasta mixes
There are gluten-free versions of many of the foods above available in most grocery stores. You may just have to look for them and always read labels!

There are also many effects of a gluten free diet and they aren't all positive.

Positives:

  • Replace gluten with fruits and vegetables instead of gluten free substitutes

Negatives:

  • Less Vitamin B which is a problem for pregnant women
  • Less fiber intake
  • Added sugar and fat and increased calorie intake because of the sugar and fat added to create a gluten-like texture



By: Amanda 

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