Gluten-free Nutrition: Free from Wheat, Barley, and Rye

Gluten-free nutrition can be many things. What you need to stay away from and what you can eat if you need to maintain a gluten-free diet.

First, knowing what gluten is would be a good starting point. Gluten is in foods made with wheat, barley and rye. While many of these foods will be obvious to you, such as breads and beers, others will not, including graham crackers and malted milk shakes.

Here is a brief list of nutrition that contains gluten and when you see these ingredients listed, you should stay away from them. Some you may have heard of, others you may not, but all are a form of gluten and should be stricken from your diet if you need to maintain a gluten-free lifestyle.

Graham flour    Semolina
Farina    Durum flour
Self-rising flour  Phosphated flour
Enriched flour   Bromated flour
Plain flour   White flour
Flour

Other gluten-free nutrition information like glutenfreie Ernährung is regarding barley. Such items as beer, ale and other fermented beverages, however gin and vodka are gluten-free; malt, malt syrups and malt extracts, malted beverages, including malted milks and malt vinegar, although other types of vinegars, such as apple cider, wine and distilled vinegar are all gluten-free.

Other foods containing either wheat, barley or rye include, but are not limited to Dextrin, unless otherwise stated on the food label; maltodextrin is made from a corn starch, rich starch or potato starch and should be gluten-free.

Modified food starches and again, unless otherwise stated on the label, is corn starch and is gluten-free and therefore okay to consume. You should also stay away from anything that reads natural flavors or caramel coloring.   

Gluten-free nutrition can be overwhelming at first, but if you find a good book, one that lists all the nutritional facts about commonly used foods, especially those used in preparations of various recipes, you will find it much easier to stick to a gluten-free way of life.

Another place to go would be a dietitian. You doctor should be able to recommend a good dietitian to help you in the beginning with the transfer to a gluten-free diet. 

Convenience has been the ‘norm’ for many Americans these days in which pre-packaged foods can be a great time-saver. However, you may need to check with the foods manufacturer to see if the food contains any wheat, barley or rye if you can’t tell from the label and sometimes, reading labels is a science in and of itself.

The manufactures information, such as a phone number or website, should always be on the label and you can call and ask if their starch is corn or gluten-free because of your special dietary needs.

All processed foods may contain some form of gluten and it’s best to become a habitual label checker when you begin a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free nutrition starts with reading the label and since early 2000; labels have become more shopper friendly. If you read any of the following, it’s a safe bet you are about to consume something with gluten in it:

Bullion cubes    Brown rice syrup
Candy    Cold cuts, including hotdogs and sausages
Communion wafers  French fries
Gravy     Imitation fish
Matzo    Rice mixes
Sauces    Seasoned tortilla or potato chips
Soups    Soy sauce
Vegetables in sauces

If you still crave the convenience of pre-packaged foods you can purchase them through websites devoted to gluten-free nutrition, national food sections of your local supermarkets and natural food stores.