Gluten Sneak Attacks!

When you have made the committment to try out gluten free eating to see if its for you, the last thing you want is to get accidentally glutened by a food that seems inocuous. Not only can it be painful if you have a severe allergy or intolerance, but without going completely gluten free you won't know if the diet is of enough benefit to you to change your ways. For that reason it is very important that you read the labels on any food that has been even the slightest bit processed. Fortunately, wheat and gluten allergies are among the most common and therefore are easy to pick out of a food label. The allergen is usually listed in bold type below the ingredient list. I have posted some photos below so you will know what to look for:

The 8 most common food allergies are shown below (approximately these eight foods account for 90% of the food allergies). Once you start reading the labels closely, you will see these foods listed often.



Milk



Eggs



Peanuts



Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)



Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)



Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)


Soy



Wheat

Here are some places (some very unexpected) where I have found gluten. While this list isn't comprehensive, hopefully it will save you from a case of the glutties.


Foods Which May Contain Gluten:

Brown Rice Syrup: If they don't specify gluten free it may contain barley.


Bulk Section Foods: Even if you are buying organic raw sprouted unsalted fair trade almonds, if there aren't clean individual scoops for the foods it might be best to pass. Unless of course you find that your body can withstand a little cross contamination.


Buckwheat Noodles: While buckwheat is a naturally gluten free food (which seems odd because WHEAT is in the name), not all buckwheat foods (noodles, pancakes, etc) are 100% buckwheat & may contain wheat flour. Just read the labels and you should be fine. Or if you are in a restaurant, ask your server to check. Restaurants are usually very accomodating and they may even have a g-free menu!


Canned Goods: Things like baked beans, soups, chilis, etc are sometimes in sauces that are thickened with flour.


Cereals: Many rice & oat cereals have wheat flour added, are made with oats that aren’t gluten-free, or contain malt flavoring.

Chips: Watch out, some flavored chips may be hiding gluten.

Sauces: Sauces can be a possible gluten land mines. Some sauces I have found that contain gluten are sweet & sour sauces, hoisin, soy sauce, and terriaki.

Fried Yummies: Even if the french fries are gluten free on their own, they may be cooked in same fryer with breaded foods.

Shampoos, Body washes, & Moisturizers – many use wheat germ. If you are very sensitive, you may want to keep all of your shampoos, washes, moisturizers, and makeup gluten free as well. If it causes internal inflammation it follows that it may inflame externally.

Rice Mixes: The flavor packets of some boxed rice mixes may be hiding gluten.

Salad Dressings: Some use gluten as a thickener.

Spice Packets: Chili seasoning packets seem to have wheat products to prevent sticking and caking. 

Veggies: Frozen veggies that come in a sauce sometimes contain gluten.

Veggie Burgers: Many brands contain wheat gluten to bind them together.

Just read labels carefully, and if you are still are unsure call the manufacturer for clarification. Most companies are extremely helpful in getting you the information that you need--remember they want you to buy their product so it behooves the company to make sure their foods don't make you sick.

Good luck with your labels! Happy Eating!