Eating a gluten-free diet means a new approach to food. A gluten-free diet often means not eating most grains, pasta, cereals, and processed foods. This is because they often contain wheat, rye, and barley. You’ll need to become an expert at reading ingredient labels on packages.
If you have been told by a healthcare provider that you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy and need to adhere to agluten-free diet, check the labels of all foods if the packages aren’t specifically labeled as gluten-free. Gluten can be found in food items you'd never suspect.
Get Help On Healthy Eating
From disease-specific nutrition advice to weight loss and diet expertise, Franciscan Health's registered dietitians are here to help.
Foods Containing Gluten
Here are some foods likely to contain gluten:
- Beer, ale and lagers
- Bouillon cubes
- Brown rice syrup
- Candy
- Chips
- Communion wafers
- Couscous
- Deli meats
- Flavored coffees and teas
- French fries
- Gravy
- Hot dogs, salami and sausage
- Ice creams and gelato
- Imitation fish
- Matzo
- Meat substitutes
- Oats
- Rice mixes
- Rye
- Sauces
- Seasoned tortilla chips
- Self-basting turkey
- Soups
- Soy sauce
- Vegetables in sauce
Watch For These Gluten Sources On Labels
Read food labels for these terms for hidden sources of gluten:
- Brown rice syrup
- Einkorn
- Emmer
- Farina
- Faro
- Graham
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Kamut
- Malt extract
- Semonila
- Spelt
- Udon
- Wheat bran
- Wheat berries
- Wheat germ
- Wheat starch
Other Surprising Sources of Gluten
Other non-food items that contain gluten include:
- Prescription and over-the-counter medicines
- Skin care products
- Toothpaste
- Vitamins
