Gluten Free

Gluten free eating has become a subject of interest. People are being diagnosed with Celiac and other diseases. Books like Wheat Belly tell us to stay away from grains - something the Paleo people have been telling us for a while. People are experimenting with Gluten free products. They are expanding on the supermarket aisles. However, the tend to be expensive and have other bad ingredients to make for the missing gluten. These products are not for weight loss generally.

For more reading:

Gluten-Free, Whether You Need It or Not, New York Times

“Many advocates of gluten-free diets warn that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a wide, unseen epidemic undermining the health of millions of people. They believe that avoiding gluten — a composite of starch and proteins found in certain grassy grains like wheat, barley and rye — gives them added energy and alleviates chronic ills. Oats, while gluten-free, are also avoided, because they are often contaminated with gluten-containing grains.”

Shopping for Gluten Free

As you walk around the supermarket checking the labels for gluten free products, you know you have to avoid products with rye, barley or wheat in the ingredients. However, sometimes it is not so obvious.

Safe products include fruits, veggies, meats, dairy products, eggs, nuts, rice. You can even have grains like amaranth, millet, and quinoa which have no gluten. If the label says "Gluten Free" then the producer has made sure that there can be no gluten in their product. However, gluten can be hiding under various names on the ingredient list: triticale, modified food starch, semolina, spelt, and malt. These are also indicators of gluten.

Gluten can also be found in some common foods that you might not suspect like; processed meats like cold cuts and sausages, soups, beer, salad dressings and energy bars.

You also need to makes sure that items that don't usually have gluten - like oats - are not produced in plants that are also used to make gluten containing products.

A handy app that can help you make smart choices is the Gluten Detective from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.