Gluten Free Living
Gluten Free Living
A Nutritionists Guide
What to look for (and avoid) on food ingredient labels:
Legally in Australia, if the food contains any gluten, the allergy statement will read “contains Gluten”.
If the allergy statement does not include gluten, then it should be gluten free. If you are particularly sensitive, or if you are outside of Australia then it is best to check the ingredients. If none of the words (listed in box) appear in the ingredient list, the food is most likely glutenfree.
Gluten may be hidden in many foods and so it is important to always read ingredients labels carefully and check the allergy statement before purchase. If it says "May Contain Traces Of Gluten" then this is not to be worried about, this is for allergy sufferers but is not significant enough to affect those with food intolerance.
If avoiding gliadin/gluten, you will need to avoid:- wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, malt, malt flavouring, malt vinegar, bran, triticale, dextrin.
Alternative foods to eat and useful tips for gluten-free baking
Although gluten is present in many products that are significant sources of nutrients, there are alternative food products that provide equivalent vitamins and minerals. Whilst it may be challenging, you can use these alternatives to ensure an enjoyable, varied and healthy diet:
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Breads – gluten-free bread is now widely available and generally made from a combination of rice, potato, corn, soy or tapioca flour. Most of these breads contain the essential B vitamins, iron and folic acid. Examples of fresh breads available in supermarkets include Country Life, Burgen, Simply Gluten Free, Genius. Crackers or crispbreads such as corn cakes and rice crackers or ricecakes can be used in place of bread for meals and snacks.
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Pasta – choose pasta made from chickpeas, rice, quinoa, corn or buckwheat, which all contain B vitamins. Noodles are also available in buckwheat or rice too.
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Biscuits – a wide range of biscuits are available that are made from alternative flours and can be either sweet or savoury.
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Breakfast cereals – there are a wide selection of cereals available that do not contain gluten, such as gluten-free muesli, millet puffs, brown rice puffs, puffed buckwheat, and quinoa flakes. These all provide a good source of B vitamins and iron.
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Batter and breadcrumbs – are made from wheat flour. Use a gluten-free bread or corn flakes to make bread crumbs instead.
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Sausages – usually contain wheat rusk but rice rusk is used in some gluten-free alternatives that are available in some supermarkets, butchers shops and meat producers at farmers markets.
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Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes – many contain soy sauce which is produced using wheat. At home, try Japanese Tamari soy sauce which is made without wheat and is therefore gluten-free.
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Gravy – if you like to make gravy with meat juices you can continue to use vegetable stock or gluten-free stock tablets such as Kallo or Knorr and thicken with corn flour. If a brown gravy is preferred add a little tamari. Allergycare do gluten-free instant gravy powder too.
Food intolerances can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing. Symptoms may take hours or even days to appear, making it very difficult to pin-point the problem food. Some people may suspect there is a food intolerance, others just simply feel exhausted, flat, depressed and bloated with no idea why or what to do about it.
If you've reached this page then you now have some answers to where your symptoms are coming from and have been advised your body is currently reacting to gluten. This may be a challenge for some to come to terms with, it is often our favourite foods that we react to most. However remember that these changes are temporary, we need to repair your digestive system and rebalance your immune system. This is done by first removing your problem foods, then we work on restoring health and aiming to reverse your intolerances by working on the underlying factors causing your intolerances.
However right now you just need to know how to continue living a happy life and enjoying your meals without inflamming your irritated digestive system with gluten, so here we go:
If your results have shown a moderate or severe reaction to gliadin (found in gluten), then
it is recommended that you avoid all foods that contain gliadin/gluten even if these foods
do not show a positive response. The grains that contain gluten include wheat, rye and
barley, and foods containing these grains should be avoided. Some people who are
intolerant to gluten are also sensitive to oats.
Foods to avoid
Gluten can be found in many foods such as:
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Any food that contains wheat, rye or barley
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Breads, rolls, chapattis, naan breads, crumpets, scones, pancakes, wafers, cakes, biscuits
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Breakfast cereals
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Pizza, pasta, pastries and Yorkshire puddings
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Ice-cream, powdered drinks, malted drinks, chocolate bars, liquorices and puddings
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Beer, stout, lager and most spirits
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It is also found in many convenience foods such as soups, sauces, spices, malt drinks, processed meats and readymade meals, including burgers, oven chips, salami, sausages, meat or fish coated in bread crumbs or marinades, corned beef, pates and spreads, pizzas, crisps, commercial sauces, salad dressings, ham, gravy, stock cubes, herbs, spices, baking powder, tinned foods including beans, spaghetti and soup