The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet: How to Go G-Free

New to gluten-free living? 

Here's a printable quick start guide on how to begin a gluten-free diet.

Karina's Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet

by Karina Allrich

 

Foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet: 

Gluten is the elastic protein found in wheat, rye, and barley (including durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, kamut, and triticale). Commercially produced oats may also contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing (more on gluten-free oats below).

Recipes and products that use wheat flour (bleached or non-bleached white flour, whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, wheat bran, barley flour, semolina, durum, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale) or vital wheat gluten are not gluten-free.

Injera bread (traditionally made from teff flour) and Asian rice wraps may be gluten-free, but are not necessarily gluten-free (check labels, always).

Semolina, durum, spelt and whole wheat pasta, including cous cous, ramen noodles, and some soba noodles, are not gluten-free.

Beer, ale, lager and malted beverages are not gluten-free. Foods cooked in beer- such as brats, meats and sausage, etc- are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar, malt flavorings and barley malt are not gluten-free.

Recipes and products using breadcrumbs, breaded coatings, fried onion rings, dredged flour coating, bread and flat bread, croutons, bagels, croissants, flour tortillas, pizza crust, graham crackers, granola, cereal, wheat germ, wheat berries, cookie crumbs, pancake mix, pie crust pastry, crackers, pretzels, toast, flour tortillas, sandwich wraps and lavash, or pita bread are not gluten-free.

The vegan protein sub seitan (made with vital wheat gluten) is not gluten-free; and some tempeh is not gluten-free (you must check, especially for soy sauce flavoring). Flavored tofu may or may not be gluten-free due to soy sauce and seasoning.

Barley enzymes used in malt beverages, chocolate chips, coffee and coffee flavors/blended mixes, flavored and herbal teas, dessert syrups, brown rice syrup are not gluten-free. Always check on "natural flavors" as well.

Unfortunately, spices have become a new concern, as many single ground spices and spice blends have tested high in hidden gluten. It is important to use due diligence on the spice issue; call the company and ask if the spice or spice blend you are using has been tested for gluten.

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