There are any number of foods containing gluten and some of these may be surprising. I have posted an incomplete list of many of these gluten offenders. Remember that many foods contain “hidden” gluten so you need to be extra vigilant in checking labels before you consume anything if you are gluten intolerant and specifically if you have celiac disease.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. The gluten protein gives foods such as bread the stickiness and elasticity which is why many have a hard time digesting it. However, there are many ingredients other than just wheat, rye and barley that you need to pay attention to on labels to understand what you can and cannot eat. Some of these are listed below.
Foods Containing Gluten if not labeled “Gluten Free”. The gluten free label is easy to recognize on many food products these days. The FDA has recently come out with a list of guidelines for what can be labeled gluten free and what can not. These guidelines will help manufacturers and consumers in understanding which products are gluten free and which are not.
Here are a few products you need to look for a gluten free label – if available.
Because so many people are gluten intolerant or have Celiac disease, gluten can be a health hazard to a significant portion of the population. It is estimated that between 1.5 to 4 million people in the United States alone have significant problems digesting gluten. Therefore, one would think that if you just avoided the foods above you would be okay. Unfortunately, there are many other foods containing gluten that are not so obvious. These foods often trip up gluten intolerant individuals who are not aware that they contain gluten in the first place.
Here is a list of so-called hidden gluten foods:
All of the above food items either always or usually contain gluten. Obviously, as you can see, gluten is an extremely common ingredient in the foods that we eat either as a part of grains or as a food additive. Therefore it is essential that you continue to stay on your toes if you are adhering to a gluten free diet.
Food packaging companies are increasingly aware of the problems posed by gluten to a significant minority of their customer base. As such they have gotten much better about being clear, easy to understand, and direct when and if one of their food products contains gluten. Still, it is no picnic having to check boxes to make certain that a particular food does not contain gluten. However, now that you have a partial list of foods containing gluten you will be much more capable of making an informed decision.
Here is a list of naturally gluten free foods which will be safe to purchase as long as they are not prepared with gluten-containing ingredients. This is not a comprehensive list but certainly it’s a good start:
Not all alcohol contains gluten. Yes, it’s reason for rejoice after reading the list of everything you can’t eat anymore. Here is a partial list of gluten free alcohol.
Keep in mind – unless the label says gluten free you should be careful in what you eat and drink.
DISCLAIMER: Food and beverage companies do change their ingredients from time to time so check labels and even call manufacturers to know for certain what is gluten free.
If you have certain brands or foods you like and want to let our readers know about, leave a comment or question.
Get Gluten Free Abs! with a gluten free diet.
I have exactly the same issue. When I eat gluten I get a flaky dry skin under my eye and eyebrows. I’m not a doctor but as someone with Celiac, i can say I experience the same symptoms.
Can a gluten allergy cause a facial rash that looks similar to psoriasis? I was told by my dermatologist that the dry skin, flaking, and redness was caused by something that I was eating…since then another doctor found my gluten allergy.
thank you for your informative website because i am trying to change the way that i eat with the help of some of my family members and i am trying to tell others as well, i would like to know what information can i pass on to my friends and other family members for changing their diet because they are into if the doctor dont tell them to change their diet they will continue eating the same way
Excellent Point J. Thanks for the comment.
It is just has important to know what is replacing the gluten in the foods that are labeled, gluten free.
The substitute for gluten can be just has harmful/bad for individuals that are going gluten free. It can be bad for anyone. Everyone should read the labels on all food packages. If you are not familiar with an ingredient look it up. You might be surprised.
Without knowing for certain all your symptoms, it’s really tough to know if you’re suffering from a gluten allergy or not. I’ve had some friends who were unsure of stomach pains and doctors didn’t know what was wrong. They went on a gluten free diet and felt a lot better. However, you should give the diet a few weeks before you notice feeling better. It’s not an instant fix and it’s something you should consult with a doctor about. We are not doctors or even play one on TV here at WhatisGluten.net
I am new to this and I have been having issues with my stomach with everytime I eat. Food and drink water or milk and soda my stomach hurts realle bad. Idk y. This is but ima try taken gluten out of my diet. And see if thaat. Works cuz I also have no insurance to get checked out but if all comes down to it I ight have to go get checked out
Not all cereals have gluten. My favorite is Chex Honey Nut flavor. Of course you can buy specific gluten free cereals also. I also buy gluten free oatmeal that’s pretty good.
I was really surprised by your list, I never imagined that Soy sauce and ketchup had Gluten in them and I use Soy sauce often in my stir fry.
Do all cereals have gluten?
thank you….T/
thanks for your information and please send me more information about food related topics.
Thanks for information on gluten. the information was easy to understand. Great job!
You mention in your list “certain alcoholic beverages” what exactly are these certain alcoholic beverages?
Then what are gluten free grains?
Thank you! I have just recently changed my diet to gluten free for a number of reasons. I found this very informative.
seems like if you wanted to try to limit your glute you would also limit your fiber intake. How would you get all the fiber you need?
Thank you for the information about gluten.I am new at this——my chiropractor told me about this websight. I need a complete list—I can not have diary products either. I have to change my whole diet.. I actually like all kinds of food so I will not have a hard for me to change my eating habits—-I already changed some of my habits. I will be so thankfull if you could help me with this Sincerely Kathy V
I am a server, and I have been taking care of an increasing number of guests who cannot eat gluten.
we servers, where wondering what it is. So I thank you for your articles.
I will make a copy of your list to help us to know what a guest is not able to eat. I realize that it is not complete.
One of the blessings you have received is that you may have helped many who were struggling with all these symptoms and did not know why….in fact, I have serveral of them.
If you were overweight, I bet you also lost some weight. And you also had the opportunity to grow in the ability to learn discipline! This is a virtue that can serve you well in many areas.
the Lord can take bad things and turn them out for good! check out Romans 8:28 in the Bible.
Thanks again for your help.
Hi, can you please tell me how breakfast sausages can have gluten in them and how it can be “taken out” by butchers. Thanks.
First off let me thank you for your help, secondly i was recently told that vegetables such as cumcumber contain gluten. Is this true?
Thank You for all the information, ive been wondering a lot about gluten and you answered many of my questions!
Does unsweetened Chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder have gluten?
I am new to this. I would like to know what words I am looking for when I read lables. They dont say “gluten”. So what words do they use to hide that. Please help me with this. Thank you Holly
if soy based meat products contain gluten, does soy milk also contain gluten?
Thank you so much for comprehensive lecture about gluten.let me ask,is it when you stretches the dough you know gluten is presence and how is it presence in ketchup?