The Gluten Free Blog

When you’re diagnosed with coeliac (or celiac) disease, or you’ve been advised to follow a gluten free diet, it feels like everything you’ve ever enjoyed is off limits.

But there are numerous foods that are naturally gluten free (although we recommend that you always check the ingredients list.)

Check out our list of gluten free foods.

Proteins

• Fresh meat
• Fish and shellfish
• Poultry and game

Green and fruity

• All fruit
• All vegetables
• Fresh herbs

Carbs for energy

• Rice
• Rice cakes
• Rice noodles (CARE: Some rice noodles have wheat added. Always check the ingredients.)
• Corn tortillas (CARE: Authentic corn tortillas are made without wheat or gluten. But always check the ingredients or ask your waiter.)
• Corn chips (CARE: Authentic corn chips are made without wheat or gluten. But always check the ingredients or ask your waiter.)
• Tapioca
• Pulses, lentils and beans
• Corn flakes
• Millet flakes
• Polenta

Flours for cooking

• Corn flour
• Gram flour
• Rice flour
• Tapioca flour
• Soya flour
• Buckwheat flour
• Millet
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese (not cheese spreads)
• Yogurt (the ones without the wheaty bits added)
• Milk
• Ice cream
• Fromage frais
• Cream

NOTE: If you’ve been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be lactose intolerant as well.

The body produces lactase which breaks down the sugars found in milk. But if your intestine is damaged by coeliac disease you may temporarily have lactase deficiency. So avoid dairy products for a while, follow a gluten free diet, allow your intestines to repair and slowly reintroduce dairy back into your diet.

Spreads

• Jam
• Marmalade
• Marmite
• Black treacle
• Honey
• Golden syrup
• Peanut butter

Snack attacks

• Nuts (CARE: Some dry roasted, ‘chocolate’ coated or ‘yogurt’ coated nuts contain whet or gluten.)
• Dried fruit (CARE: Some dried fruit coatings such as ‘chocolate’ or ‘yogurt’ contain wheat or gluten.)
• Popcorn
• Jelly

Cooking basics

• Bicarbonate of soda
• Cream of tartar
• Coconut milk
• Dried and fresh yeast
• Dijon mustard
• Horseradish sauce
• Garlic puree
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tomato Puree
• Tamari Sauce (a wheat free and gluten free soy sauce)
• Vegetable oil
• Sunflower oil
• Olive oil
• Cider vinegar
• Wine vinegar
• Distilled vinegar (not malt vinegar)
• Xantham gum (add to gluten free flours to get delicious breads and pastry)

Drinks

• Coffee
• Tea
• Herbal tea
• Fruit juice
• Fruit drinks (not barley water)
• Alcoholic drinks
• Wine
• Champagne
• Port
• Sherry
• Ciders
• Liqueurs
• Spirits, including whisky, are all gluten-free

Have we missed anything? Let us know.

People often think that a having a wheat intolerance is the same as having coeliac (or celiac) disease. Not so.

In fact, coeliac disease is actually an autoimmune disease where your body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. Not nice. And if you’re someone who’s suffering from coeliac disease this reaction is triggered by gluten – the wheat protein found in wheat, barley and rye. (Sufferers may also be sensitive to oats.)

So how do you know if you have coeliac disease? Signs and symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mildly irritating and uncomfortable to downright debilitating. And of course, some of the signs and symptoms of coeliac disease are also really similar to irritable bowel syndrome; wheat intolerance; stress; anaemia; chronic fatigue syndrome; and too many nights on the town!

One coeliac disease sufferer may have bloating and diarrhoea. Whilst another may have irritability and nausea. And of course it’s entirely possible to have no signs or symptoms of coeliac disease at all. But if not treated a sufferer will ultimately suffer malnutrition as the disease stops nutrients being absorbed.

So what are the some of the signs and symptoms of coeliac disease?

• Bloating
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Wind
• Indigestion
• Constipation
• Tiredness
• Mouth ulcers
• Depression
• Infertility
• Joint ache and bone pain
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Osteoporosis
• Muscle cramps
• Tooth discoloration
• Itchy skin

If you think you have coeliac disease or have any of the signs or symptoms above we recommend you seek medical advice from your doctor as soon as possible.

The Gluten Free Blog is for anyone who follows a gluten free diet: whether you have a plain old intolerance to wheat or you’re a sufferer of coeliac (or celiac) disease.

Discovering you have to follow a gluten free diet can be devastating and daunting. Suddenly spaghetti bolognese and croissants never looked more appetising.

But with a little knowledge and practise, it is possible to follow a gluten free diet that’s healthy nutritious and tasty, and contains all your favourite foods.

Got any recipes, tips, or advice you want to share? Leave a comment or get in touch.

“A gluten free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. It is recommended amongst other things in the treatment of coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten intolerance, dermatitis herpetiformis, migraines, Lyme disease and wheat allergy.” Wikipedia