What foods have gluten

What Foods Have Gluten?

What Foods have Gluten?

If you are one of the millions of people who are looking to move to a low or no gluten diet you will likely be surprised to see just how many foods actually have gluten in them. The average person consumes gluten at every meal and most snacks in between. With that in mind, the first thing you need to do when looking to reduce your gluten intake is to learn what foods have gluten in them so you know what to avoid. To put it simply, anything made with barley, rye and of course, wheat is going to have gluten in it unless the gluten was specifically removed. Avoiding gluten, however, isn’t going to just be a matter of looking for those three grains on the ingredient list. This is because these grains are processed into a wide range of different ingredients, including these popular examples:
  • Wheat bran
  • Wheat germ
  • Spelt
  • Kamut
  • Semolina
  • Triticale
  • Graham Flour
  • Durum Wheat
  • Whole Wheat flour
  • White flour
Of course, these foods are then used to make a wide range of other foods that people consume every day. Most people recognize that there is gluten in certain foods such as bread, cookies, muffins and cakes. What they may not realize, however, is that it is also found in many other popular items that aren’t commonly associated with gluten such as the following:
  • Beer
  • Tortillas
  • Couscous
  • Pasta
  • Soup Broth
  • Bouillon Cubes
  • Candies
  • Many fried foods
  • Some imitation fish products
  • Some brands of hot dogs
  • Some brands of lunch meats
  • Malt
  • Soy sauce
Gluten is often added to these types of foods such as breading or food starch, so those just starting to avoid gluten don’t even realize it is there. When people cut out certain types of foods with gluten but not the others, they won’t likely realize the many health benefits. This can often cause them to become discouraged with the diet and give it up altogether. Deceptive Marketing When shopping for gluten-free foods you need to watch out for labeling that can be deceptive. For example, some foods are marked ‘wheat free’ but that does not mean it is gluten free (it could be made with barley, for example). If you’re trying to reduce or eliminate your intake of gluten, look only for foods that are clearly marked as gluten-free on the package. Foods Contaminated with Gluten Another thing to be concerned about if you are sensitive to gluten is that foods that are normally gluten-free, such as oats, are commonly processed on commercial equipment that also processes gluten products. This can contaminate the oats with gluten so when you consume them you are actually getting a small amount. With this in mind, some people recommend eliminating oats all together, and others suggest cutting out oats and then slowly reintroducing them to see what effect there may be. Some brands of oats are marketed as gluten-free, which will typically mean that they are processed on machines that don’t come into contact with gluten at all. If you can find them in your area, this is the ideal way to get the benefits of the fiber in the oats, without the risk of consuming gluten. Enjoying Your Gluten Free Diet While moving to a gluten-free diet is going to require some effort at first, most people find that once they get used to the changes it is actually quite simple. Naturally, the health benefits that you will gain from eating gluten free will dramatically outweigh any initial inconvenience that you have to work for when learning what foods have gluten and what ones don’t.
Back to blog