Foolproof List for Understanding Gluten Free Foods

Sensitivities differ from person to person and ingredients differ from brand to brand. Always check the label's fine print. This is an abbreviated list of some common foods that are gluten free, foods they may have gluten and foods to avoid that contain gluten.

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye and barley. There are many reasons people avoid gluten. Celiac disease is the most serious. There are others who have a sensitivity to gluten and just feel better when they avoid it. Some people are allergic to wheat itself. 

If you aren't sure how your body reacts to gluten, take it out of your diet for a week and see if any changes have occurred. Sometimes, in that short of a trial, say 5 days, you may notice an increase of energy and a more regular sugar level balance throughout the day as long as you are still taking in adequate nutrients. Juicing and eating lots of fruit and vegetables will make the change a bit more tolerable. 

Here are a list of common foods people may avoid or incorporate into their new gluten free diet.

Gluten Free Foods:

beans
buckwheat
cellophane noodles (bean thread noodles)
chickpea flour (garbanzo flour)
corn, cornmeal
dairy
eggs
fruit
lentils
meat and poultry
millet
potatoes
quinoa
rice, rice flour
rice noodles
seafood
soy, soy flour
tapioca
tofu
vegetables (fresh, canned or frozen without sauce)

Foods that may contain Gluten (check ingredients)

baking powder
barbecue sauce
emulsifiers
flavorings
frozen vegetables with sauce
marinades
mustard
nondairy creamer
oats- look for oats that were manufactured in a gluten-free facility)
pasta sauce
salad dressings
soy sauce
vegetable broth

Food that contain Gluten

barley
beer
bran
brewer's yeast
bulgur
cereal
commercial baked goods
couscous
durum
graham
gravies and sauces
imitation seafood
kamut
malt, malt flavoring and malt vinegar
matzo
orzo
pizza
pretzels
rye
seitan
semolina
spelt
wheat