Warning: Avoid these foods containing gluten if you have celiac

Foods containing gluten are taboo if you have celiac disease or an intolerance to gluten. But how do you know what to avoid?

The quick answer is that wheat, rye and barley contain gluten and therefore should not be part of a gluten free diet. But it is not always easy to know if a food contains these grains, is it?. 

Of these three grains, wheat is the one most often used in the Western world. Most baked goods such as bread, cakes, cookies, pastries and pasta available in the stores use wheat flour as the major ingredient. 

There are gluten free alternatives around though, it is just a case of learning how to check food labels. But not all packaging is easy to understand and gluten is good at hiding! 

The lists on this page will help answer such questions as...

• Are baked beans gluten free?
• Is curry gluten free?
• Does gravy have gluten in it?
• Is pepper gluten free?

Not all foods containing gluten will list it as such in the ingredients. You will also need to watch out for gluten in disguise! It is a sneaky enemy.

You might find some surprises in this next list, for example consider the following...

• Gluten/flour is often used to bulk out a product at low cost.
• It can help bind ingredients together, or keep them separate!
• Many sauces start with a roux, made from flour and fat.

I have put an asterisk beside oatmeal. For more information check out my are oats gluten free page.