Gluten Free Diet

Removing gluten from the diet is not easy. Grains are used in the preparation of many foods. It is often hard to tell by a food’s name what may be in it, so it is easy to eat gluten without even knowing it. However, staying on a strict gluten-free diet can dramatically improve the patient’s condition. Since it is necessary to remain on the gluten-free diet throughout life, it will be helpful to review it with a registered dietitian.

The person who prepares the patient’s food must fully understand the gluten-free diet.

Read food labels carefully.

• Do not eat anything that contains the following grains: wheat, rye, and barley.
• At one time, oats were thought to contain some gluten. However, it has now become apparent that oats frequently were processed in machines that also processed wheat. Most manufacturers no longer do this, although if there are any questions, then a person should get reassurance from the manufacturer by mail, email or phone.
• The following can be eaten in any amount: corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa.
• Distilled white vinegar does not contain gluten.
• Malt vinegar does contain gluten.

Grains are used in the processing of many ingredients, so it will be necessary to seek out hidden gluten. The following terms found in food labels may mean that there is gluten in the product.

• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), unless made from soy or corn
• Flour or Cereal products, unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, or soy flour
• Vegetable Protein unless made from soy or corn
• Malt or Malt Flavoring unless derived from corn
• Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize, or maize is used
• Vegetable Gum unless vegetable gums are carob bean gum, locust bean gum, cellulose gum, guar gum, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xanthan gum, or vegetable starch
• Soy Sauce or Soy Sauce Solids unless you know they do not contain wheat Any of the following words on food labels often means that a grain containing gluten has been used
• stabilizer
• starch
• flavoring
• emulsifier
• hydrolyzed
• plant protein