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What does it mean to be gluten free?

Gluten is a type of protein found in common cereal grains, wheat, barley, rye, and any foods that
contain these ingredients.  Most people know Celiac disease to be associated with gluten intolerance.

You do not have to be diagnosed with this disease in order to have some degree of gluten sensitivity.
The best way to know if gluten could be causing an issue for you is to try eliminating it from your diet.

Going gluten free at first can be difficult, because it means avoiding all wheat based flours and
ingredients.  Substances to avoid when going gluten free include wheat (white flour, durum wheat,
graham flour, kamut, semolina, spelt, wheat germ, and wheat bran), rye, barley, and triticale.

Common foods that are known to contain wheat include pasta, couscous, bread, flour tortillas, cookies, cakes, muffins, pastries, cereals, crackers, beer, oats, gravy, dressings, and sauces.

Some foods that may surprise you that CAN contain gluten: broth in soups and bouillon cubes,
breadcrumbs, croutons, fried foods, imitation fish, lunch meats, hot dogs, matzo, most chips and candy, some soy mixes, rice, and pasta mixes.

After telling you what to watch out for when going gluten free, know that many of these foods are
available in gluten free forms.

Grains and flours that are acceptable when going gluten free are:  long grain brown rice or wild rice,
corn (look for pure corn tortillas), potato (sweet potatoes are best), tapioca, beans, quinoa, buckwheat,
arrowroot, amaranth, sorghum, garfava, millet, Montina and nut flours.

A grain that I have personally grown to love is quinoa.  You can find it in regular grocery stores, and I love making it with cooked veggies, meats, and even some salads.  You can get very creative with quinoa, and I have found numerous quinoa recipes on Pinterest that are healthy and delicious!

Dr. Megan Holley