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Diet for Celiac Disease
Your Simple Guide

You need a diet for celiac disease. Perhaps you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease and you are trying to figure out what you can eat and what you can't?

Gluten is a general name given to the storage proteins in wheat, barley and rye. A gluten-free diet eliminates these grains and any foods derived from these grains. It is important to be aware of hidden sources in packaged foods and even in mouthwashes, toothpastes and medications.

For your gluten-free diet, here is a quick reference guide for family and friends, as well as replacement equivalents for recipes. Plus, all the foods to allow, question or avoid.

The more you prepare healthy meals from scratch, rather than use packaged foods, the easier it will be.

Quick Reference Guide

A quick resource for your diet for celiac disease. This is perfect for your friends and family when they invite you for dinner, or to bring along to restaurants when eating out.

Preparing a gluten-free meal for a person with celiac disease

Celiac disease is a condition in which gluten damages the absorptive surface of the intestine.
People with this condition MUST eat gluten-free meals.
Avoid contamination with products which contain gluten.

Always use a clean surface, utensil, pan or pot.

Keep gluten-containing food away from the meal you are preparing - including oil used to cook these foods

Safe choices:

fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables

eggs and cheese

rice, corn, soy and potato products

flours made from rice, corn, soy and potato

Avoid foods containing gluten from wheat, rye, barley, oats and triticale:

Avoid flours milled from wheat, rye, barley, commercial oats & triticale

Avoid bread, rolls and croutons

Avoid cakes, pies, cookies and muffins

Avoid noodles of any type

Avoid crackers or cracker crumbs

Avoid bread crumbs and batters used for coating

Hidden sources of gluten:

H.V.P. - Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Malt flavouring

Malt

Modified wheat starch or other unidentified food starch

Beware of the above ingredients in such foods as:

Bullion cubes

Worcestershire sauce

Baking powder

Salad dressings

Soup or gravy bases

Seasonings

Soy sauce

Foods Allowed:

Amaranth

Arrowroot flour

Baking soda

Bean flour

Buckwheat

Cassava

Chick pea flour

Corn flour

Cornmeal

Cornstarch

Cream of tartar

Dal or Dahl (Legume from India)

Flax

Gelatin

Green pea flour

Gums:

Acacia (Gum Arabic)

Carob bean gum

Carrageenan

Cellulose

Guaica

Guar

Karaya

Locust bean

Tragacanth

Xanthum

Kudzu

Lecithin

Legumes: Seeds of plants which include

Channa

Chick peas

Gram

Lentils

Peanuts

Peas

Malto dextrin

Maltose

Millet

Molasses

Mustard flour (ground mustard)

Oats* (pure uncontaminated)

Poi

Potato flour

Potato starch

Rice bran

Rice flour

Rice flour (glutinous, sweet)

Rice polishings

Rice starch

Sorghum

Soya flour

Soya starch

Spices

Sweet potato

Tapioca flour

Tapioca starch

Teff

Tofu

Xanthum gum

Yam

Yeast

Foods to Avoid:

Barley

Bulgar

Cereal Binding

Couscous

Durum

Graham Flour

Kamut

Malt

Malt Extract

Malt Flavouring

Malt Syrup

Rye

Semolina

Spelt

Wheat

Wheat Bran

Wheat Germ

Wheat Starch

Foods to Question

Milk Products:

Milk drinks
Chocolate milk and other flavoured drinks may contain wheat starch or barley malt.

Cheese Spreads or Sauces (e.g. Nacho)
May be thickened/stabilized with wheat. Flavourings and seasonings may contain wheat.

Flavoured or frozen yogurt
May be thickened/stabilized with a gluten source. May contain granola or cookie crumbs.

Grains

Buckwheat Flour
Pure buckwheat flour is gluten-free. Sometimes buckwheat flour may be mixed with wheat flour.

Rice Cereals
May contain barley malt extract.

Corn Cereals
May contain oat syrup or barley malt extract.

Buckwheat Pasta
Some "soba" pastas contain pure buckwheat flour which is gluten-free but others may also contain wheat flour.

Rice Cakes, Corn Cakes, Rice Crackers
Multigrain often contains barley and/or oats. Some contain soy sauce (may be made from wheat).

Meats/Alternatives

Baked Beans
Some are thickened with wheat flour.

Imitation Crab
May contain fillers made from wheat starch.

Dry Roasted Nuts
May contain wheat.

Processed Meat Products
May contain fillers made from wheat. May contain HPP or HVP made from wheat.

Imitation Meats
Often contain wheat or oats.

Fruits/Vegetables

Dried Fruits
Dates and other dried fruits may be dusted with wheat flour to prevent sticking.

Fruits/Veg's with sauces / Fruit Pie Fillings
Some may be thickened with flour.

Soups

Canned Soups, Dried Soup Mixes, Soup bases and Bouillon Cubes
May contain noodles or barley.
Cream soups are often thickened with flour.
May contain HPP or HVP (from wheat).
Seasonings may contain wheat flour, wheat starch or hydrolyzed wheat protein.

Fats

Salad Dressings
Seasonings may contain wheat flour or wheat starch.

Desserts

Milk Puddings/Mixes
Starch source may be from wheat.

Miscellaneous

Beverages
Some instant teas, herbal teas, coffee substitutes and other drinks may have grain additives.
Non-dairy substitutes (e.g., rice drinks and soy drinks) may contain barley, barley malt extract or oats.

Potato, Tortilla Chips and Soy Nuts
Some potato chips contain wheat.
Seasoning mixtures may contain wheat flour, wheat starch or hydrolysed wheat protein.

Baking Powder
Contains starch which may be from wheat.

Seasonings, Seasoning Mixes
May contain wheat flour, wheat starch or hydrolysed wheat protein.

Worcestershire Sauce
May contain malt vinegar which is not gluten-free.