Congratulations on choosing to feel well again by eating a gluten free diet! Here is some basic information about how to eat gluten free while dining at home. Eating gluten free at home may seem like a daunting task, but after learning a few basics, you’ll be able to prepare delicious gluten free meals without much trouble at all. Here are examples of items you can eat without having to purchase any specialty gluten free foods:
- 100% organic maple syrup
- Aged cheeses (cheddar, swiss, parmesan)
- All Natural Peanut butter
- American cheese, Velveeta cheese
- Aramanth flour
- Arrowroot Flour
- Buckwheat Flour
- Canola, olive, grape seed oils
- Carob Coca Cola products (except root beer)
- Coffee/Tea Cornmeal Distilled white vinegar
- Fish
- Flax
- Fruit juices
- Fruits
- Gelatin
- Honey
- Legumes/Beans
- Maltodextrin (not from wheat starch)
- Meat (no grain additives)
- Milk, Buttermilk, Cream
- Millet
- Millet Flour
- Montina
- Nuts
- Olives
- Organic Jelly
- Organic Molassass
- Pickels
- Potatoes
- Poultry
- Quinoa flour
- Relish
- Rice and risotto
- Shellfish
- Soybeans
- Starch
- Tapioca Flour/Starch
- Teff
- Vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned)
- Vinegar
- Artifical flavoring
- Baking powder
- Candy
- Canned meats
- Caramel coloring
- Communion wafers
- Curry
- Deli meat
- Dextrin
- Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (check with manufacturer)
- Dyes and food coloring
- Emulsifiers
- Hot dogs
- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
- Imitation vanilla
- Immitation seafood/crab meat
- Ketchup
- Lipstick/Lip balm, lip gloss
- Malt (unless made from corn)
- Malt/Malt extract/flavoring
- Marinades
- Medications
- Modified Food Starch
- Mustard
- Natural flavoring
- Play Dough
- Seasoning and spice blends
- Soy Sauce
- Spices
- Stabilizers
- Stamp and envelope glues
- Syrup
- Tea bag glue
- Tofu
- Toothpaste
- Vanillin
- Vegetable gum
- Vegetable Protein
- Yogurt with dyes
- Ale
- Barley
- Barley Malt Extract
- Beer (unless GF)
- Bulgar
- Couscous
- Duram flour
- Eikorn
- Emmer
- Faro
- Filler
- Flour/Meal
- Gin
- Graham Flour
- Kamut
- Malt Vinegar
- Matzo
- Oats (unless certified GF)
- Rye
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Triticale
- Wheat
- Wheat Bran
- Wheat Germ
- Wheat Starch
Quick meal ideas with everyday foods
Fruit
Eggs
Yoplait Yogurt
Fresh fruit and juice smoothies
Fruit juice
Green tea
Coffee
Vans Gluten Free Blueberry Waffles
Garden salad
Baked potato
Tuna
Beans and cheese
Corn tortillas
Cheeseburgers (no bun)
Turkey and cheese roll-ups
Chicken salad
Fish
Steak
Chicken
Rice/Risotto
Green beans and almonds
Chicken and veggie ka-bobs
Grilled salmon and corn on the cob
Boiled shrimp
Everyday food suggestions to accompany your meals
La Choy Soy Sauce (it’s GF)
Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo
Relish, pickels
Butter, Sour Cream
Jelly
Olive oil and red wine vinegar
Always read labels
Ice Cream (no cookies or brownie bits)
Fruit
Gelatin with fruit
Sherbet
Pudding
Real fruit popsicles
M&Ms, Snickers bar, or Hershey Bar
Always read labels
Corn chips
Vegetables
Fruit
Popcorn
Celery and peanut butter
Nuts
Raisins
Always read labels
What is a standard rule of thumb for eating gluten free without knowing much about the diet?
Eat fresh food and avoid pre-packaged items. Many items come gluten free naturally. It’s when you add spices, sauces and seasoning or buy pre-packaged food things become more complicated. Organic and natural foods are a great place to start. Many companies go to great lengths to make sure their organic products do not contain allergens.
Common mistakes:
- Serving gluten free crackers, bread or cookies on a platter with crackers, bread or cookies containing gluten.
- Frying gluten free french fries in oil that has also fried gluten-breaded chicken or fish
- Not using a gluten free dedicated preparing surface and dedicated cooking utensils
- Making a terrific gluten free meal and then adding a sauce, spice or dressing that contains gluten
- Lack of gluten free accommodations
- Not reading labels
Note to restaurants, schools, caregivers and people preparing gluten free meals:
Cross-contamination is a critical gluten free element to be aware of. Gluten free food must be prepared away from any foods containing gluten. Gluten free bread cannot be cut with a knife that cut bread with gluten. The same goes for all cutting surfaces and food preparation areas. The smallest amount of gluten can make someone with celiac disease extremely ill. Please see suggestions for “Food Providers” under the Helpful Tips link for detailed information.
Disclaimer: All of the information on this page is meant to provide guidance regarding eating gluten free. This information does not replace professional or medical advice. If you feel you should be eating gluten free due to a physical ailment, please seek the advice of your physician first.
*Please see legal disclaimer. All products listed are gluten free, per manufacturer at the time of this post. Please always check with the manufacturer prior to purchasing and/or consuming their products.
