Learning Materials
The Gluten-Free Diet
A gluten-free diet means avoiding all foods that contain wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, barley, and possibly oats--in other words, most grain, pasta, cereal, and many processed foods. Despite these restrictions, people with celiac disease can eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods, including bread and pasta. For example, instead of wheat flour, people can use potato, rice, soy, or bean flour. Or, they can buy gluten-free bread, pasta, and other products from special food companies.
Plain meat, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables do not contain gluten, so people with celiac disease can eat as much of these foods as they like. Examples of foods that are safe to eat and those that are not are provided below.
The gluten-free diet is complicated. It requires a completely new approach to eating that affects a person's entire life. People with celiac disease have to be extremely careful about what they buy for lunch at school or work, eat at cocktail parties, or grab from the refrigerator for a midnight snack. Eating out can be a challenge as the person with celiac disease learns to scrutinize the menu for foods with gluten and question the waiter or chef about possible hidden sources of gluten. Hidden sources of gluten include additives, preservatives, and stabilizers found in processed food, medicines, and mouthwash. If ingredients are not itemized, you may want to check with the manufacturer of the product. With practice, screening for gluten becomes second nature.
A dietitian, a health care professional who specializes in food and nutrition, can help people learn about their new diet. Also, support groups are particularly helpful for newly diagnosed people and their families as they learn to adjust to a new way of life.
The Gluten-Free Diet: Some Examples
Following are examples of foods that are allowed and those that should be avoided when eating gluten-free. Please note that this is not a complete list. People are encouraged to discuss gluten-free food choices with a physician or dietitian who specializes in celiac disease. Also, it is important to read all food ingredient lists carefully to make sure that the food does not contain gluten.
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta: 6-11 servings each day | |||
| Serving size = 1 slice bread, 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta; 1/2 bun, bagel, or English muffin |
• Breads or bread products made from corn, rice, soy, arrowroot corn or potato starch, pea, potato or whole-bean flour, tapioca, sago, rice bran, cornmeal, buckwheat, millet, flax, teff, sorghum, amaranth, and quinoa • Hot cereals made from soy, hominy, hominy grits, brown and white rice, buckwheat groats, millet, cornmeal, and quinoa flakes • Puffed corn, rice or millet, and other rice and corn made with allowed ingredients • Rice, rice noodles, and pastas made from allowed ingredients • Some rice crackers and cakes, popped corn cakes made from allowed ingredients |
• Breads and baked products containing wheat, rye, triticale, barley, oats, wheat germ or bran, graham, gluten or durum flour, wheat starch, oat bran, bulgur, farina, wheat-based semolina, spelt, kamut • Cereals made from wheat, rye, triticale, barley, and oats; cereals with added malt extract and malt flavorings • Pastas made from ingredients above • Most crackers |
Use corn, rice, soy, arrowroot, tapioca, and potato flours or a mixture instead of wheat flours in recipes. Experiment with gluten-free products. Some may be purchased from your supermarket, health food store, or direct from the manufacturer. |
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Vegetables: 3-5 servings each day | |||
| Serving size = 1 cup raw leafy, 1/2 cup cooked or chopped, 3/4 cup juice |
• All plain, fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables made with allowed ingredients | • Any creamed or breaded vegetables (unless allowed ingredients are used), canned baked beans • Some french fries |
Buy plain, frozen, or canned vegetables and season with herbs, spices, or sauces made with allowed ingredients. |
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Fruits: 2-4 servings each day | |||
| Serving size = 1 medium size, 1/2 cup canned, 3/4 cup juice, 1/4 cup dried | • All fruits and fruit juices | • Some commercial fruit pie fillings and dried fruit | |
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Milk, yogurt, and cheese: 2-3 servings each day | |||
| Serving size = 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 oz natural cheese, 2 oz processed cheese |
• All milk and milk products except those made with gluten additives • Aged cheese |
• Malted milk • Some milk drinks, flavored or frozen yogurt |
Contact the food manufacturer for product information if the ingredient is not listed on the label. |
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Meats, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, and nuts: 2-3 servings or total of 6 oz daily |
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| Serving size = 2-3 oz cooked; count 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked beans, 2 tbsp peanut butter, or 1/4 cup nuts as 1 oz of meat |
• All meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish; eggs • Dry peas and beans, nuts, peanut butter, soybean • Cold cuts, frankfurters, or sausage without fillers |
• Any prepared with wheat, rye, oats, barley, gluten stabilizers, or fillers including some frankfurters, cold cuts, sandwich spreads, sausages, and canned meats • Self-basting turkey • Some egg substitutes |
When dining out, select meat, poultry, or fish made without breading, gravies, or sauces. |
Food Categories |
Foods Recommended |
Foods To Omit |
Tips |
| Fats, snacks, sweets, condiments, and beverages | |||
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• Butter, margarine, salad dressings, sauces, soups, and desserts made with allowed ingredients • Sugar, honey, jelly, jam, hard candy, plain chocolate, coconut, molasses, marshmallows, meringues • Pure instant or ground coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, wine (made in U.S.), rum • Most seasonings and flavorings |
• Commercial salad dressings, prepared soups, condiments, sauces and seasonings prepared with ingredients listed above • Hot cocoa mixes, nondairy cream substitutes, flavored instant coffee, herbal tea, alcohol distilled from cereals such as gin, vodka, whiskey, and beer • Beer, ale, cereal, and malted beverages • Licorice |
Store all gluten-free products in your refrigerator or freezer because they do not contain preservatives. Remember to avoid sauces, gravies, canned fish and other products with HVP/HPP made from wheat protein. |