There are many gluten free cocoa powders that don’t have gluten as an ingredient.

But if you’re very sensitive to gluten, it’s safer to use unsweetened cocoa powder for baking and hot chocolate making that isn’t processed on or near to equipment that is also used to process gluten ingredients.

That way, you avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

Many food companies use gluten ingredients in at least some of their products, hence the risk.

Two popular, high quality, reasonably priced cocoa powders on the market that are truly gluten free as of this writing are :

1. Ghiradelli Cocoa Powder

Ghiradelli Cocoa Powder  – good price on Amazon via this link

There is a risk of cross-contamination with peanuts, soy, tree nuts and milk in Ghiradelli cocoa powder, but not gluten.

See Ghiradelli’s comprehensive list of cross contamination risks for most of their products here

2. E. Guittard Cocoa Rouge Cocoa Powder

E. Guittard Cocoa Rouge Cocoa Powder – good price for 3 on Amazon via this link

E. Guittard cocoa powder may have cross-contamination with peanuts, but that’s it, according to their website here

If you know of other good, reasonably priced cocoa powders that are truly gluten free – no chance of cross contamination – please leave a comment. They can be hard to find.

Have you tried macadamia nut oil yet?

Macadamia Nut Oil

NOW brand gets great reviews. Buy it on Amazon here or iHerb here

NOTE New customer for iHerb? You can use the code AJU110 to get $5 OFF your purchase.

I’ve tried several brands of macadamia nut oil.

There is some variation in taste but, wow, mac oil is flavorful, yet mild enough to go with many different foods.

The price can be pretty reasonable, often much less than good quality extra virgin olive oil.

It’s often claimed that olive oil is the healthiest oil for humans to consume.

To be precise, it’s extra virgin olive oil that is supposed to be so healthy.

Although extra virgin olive oil has properties that may be positive for health, some of the beneficial compounds are partly (or entirely) destroyed by heat.

Therefore, to get all of the potential benefits, you need to add extra virgin olive oil to food after cooking, or to heat it minimally.

The truth is that the best extra virgin olive oil is probably neutral at best, neither particularly good or bad for health. If you like olive oil, then using a small amount of a good quality extra virgin olive oil, unheated, or minimally heated, is better than using most other vegetable oils. But there are better choices, like macadamia nut oil.

Olivado Macadamia Nut Oil - one of my favorite brands

Why Macadamia Nut Oil is Better than Olive Oil

1. Better Fatty Acids for Health + More Vitamin E to Prevent Rancidity

Macadamia nut oil is higher in ‘healthy’ monounsaturated fat than olive oil – a whopping 80% of the fat in the oil is mono compared to ~ 74% in olive. Both mac and olive oil are FAR higher in mono than canola *, which only contains ~ 58% monounsaturated fat.

Macadamia nut oil is the best plant source of palmitoleic acid, an omega-7 monounsaturated fat. This is the most prominent fatty acid in human sebum.

Palmitoleic acid has positive effects on blood lipids, without the oxidative potential of the unsaturated fatty acids, like omega-6. It also makes an effective moisturizer if you want to use the oil topically.

Mark Sisson author of The Primal Blueprint says that he shaved with macadamia nut oil to great effect. 6 drops applied to his shower-softened facial hair was all that he needed.  He also liked the way that he could see where he was going with his razor – no foam.

Okay, shaving with mac oil is a bit extravagant, but I wanted to mention it because if you don’t like the mac oil you buy for some reason, it isn’t a total waste – you can use it on your skin.

Macadamia nut oil contains a good ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fat – a better ratio than olive oil, and very little omega- 6 overall compared to olive oil (~ 3% vs ~ 8% in olive oil) Most people get far too much omega 6 thanks to the increased use of crappy vegetable oils like corn and soy and safflower in the last few decades.

Macadamia nut oil contains more vitamin E than olive oil. This, with the low level of polyunsaturated fats it contains, makes it less prone to go rancid. The shelf life after opening is about twelve months without refrigeration.

2. More Versatile

Mildly nutty, yet intriguingly buttery, macadamia nut oil marries well with many foods. Unlike extra virgin olive oil, which has a strong flavor, macadamia nut oil is a LOT more versatile.

Devoted fans of olive oil may like the taste of the oil in different dishes, even cake, but I sure don’t, and I’m not alone.

You can use macadamia nut oil in some cake and quick bread recipes that call for oil because it’s far milder than olive. For example, it would probably work well in some of the gluten free cake recipes on the sites I mention in my post Gluten Free Cake Recipes: 7 Good Online Resources. However, if you want an unflavored cooking oil to safely bake with, I recommend that you melt some unflavored coconut oil and use that instead.

I particularly like how macadamia nut oil tastes with fish, poultry and lamb dishes, and carrots.

People love it in home made salad dressing.

Sometimes I have mixed 2 parts coconut oil and 1 part macadamia nut oil together to flavor tuna salad. Very nice.

And if you like to make your own mayonnaise, it’s a great oil to use, apparently. I haven’t tried that yet.

3. Higher Smoke Point

Smoke point is the temperature that oil burns and develops off flavors.

Macadamia nut oil smokes at ~ 450°F, compared to extra virgin olive oil’s ~4oo°F.

Also, unlike extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil keeps it’s flavor at that high heat.

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Better Fat Choices: Quick Advice About Fats

Get most of your dietary fat from truly outstanding choices, namely:

* Coconut oil

There are healthy unflavored kinds if you don’t like a coconut taste. See Where to Buy Coconut Oil to learn more.

* Butter or ghee. See Is Butter Healthy?

* Fat from the meat on naturally raised grass-fed ruminants (cows, bison, sheep)

100% grass-fed is best, but if you can’t get that, then naturally raised grain finished meat is ok.

For flavor, on occasion, use the following plant oils:

* Macadamia nut oil

* Extra virgin olive oil, but ideally you should favor mac oil!

* ALERT: canola oil is junk, even the organic non-GMO stuff. It’s far too high in omega-6 and it’s closer to a frankenfood than most people realize. Toss canola oil ASAP if it’s in your home, don’t buy foods that contain it, and  inform restaurants and manufacturers that you don’t want them to use canola either.

One of the challenges with gluten free diets, or any “healthy” diet, is finding tasty, nutritious ways to meet carbohydrate needs.

In their natural form, potatoes are gluten free. They’re also quite high in nutrients, as you’ll see under ‘Potatoes & Health’ later in this post.

You can also buy gluten free potato flour to create gluten free baked goods.

Note: potato flour is made of dehydrated whole potatoes, while potato starch is just the starchy (carbohydrate) part of the potato. Both products can be used in gluten free baking, but they serve different functions. Don’t get confused when reading a recipe that calls for one and use the other instead; they are not interchangeable.

The gluten free potato flour below gets good reviews, and it’s a good price via Amazon, below. Click to view.

And here is gluten free potato starch from the same company, also well reviewed. Click on the image, or the link, for a good price.

Why You Should Be Careful When Buying Potato Containing Foods

Sometimes processed potato foods, like potato chips, are not gluten free, and often they contain questionable additives, unhealthy oils, etc.

Remember, if in doubt about the gluten free status of any product, contact the manufacturer directly to verify.

Your best bet, if you want to be safe, is to stick with good old plain potatoes that you buy whole, or grow yourself. The potato flour and starch mentioned above are also good choices.

Good Inexpensive Potato Tools

Below is my favorite vegetable peeler.

I’ve used many peelers over the years. This is the best by far! This one stays sharp FAR longer than more expensive options.

Best potato peeler Click to view – Nice 3 for 1 deal!

I also like the potato masher below (and low prices via the links in this post):

best potato masher

Potatoes & Health

Potatoes have many good qualities that make them both healthful and suitable for gluten free diets.

Potatoes have a long history of use by humans. However, if you follow a Paleo diet, they are usually considered a no-no. Yet tubers, such as potatoes, have been eaten by healthy hunter-gatherer tribes for a long time, so even if they aren’t technically “Paleo”, they seem to be one of the safer carbohydrate sources available.

Potatoes Contain:

• complete protein – the protein content per potato, is low, but because it’s complete,  you don’t have to be concerned about eating other protein sources to get all of the essential amino acids, like you have to do with grains and legumes.
• essential minerals – potatoes contain good amounts of magnesium, copper and potassium, and thanks to their low phytic acid content, unlike grains and legumes, the minerals are well absorbed by the body.
• virtually no omega-6 – potatoes are very low in fat, and won’t add to your omega-6 or omega-3 load like some grains. But be sure to eat them with a healthy fat like coconut oil or butter. See my post: Where to Buy  Coconut Oil

Potatoes are also:

• highly digestible. When peeled and steamed or boiled, the carbohydrates and protein in potatoes is very easy to digest compared to most other gluten free starch sources.However, the skins are hard to digest.  If you have any digestive issues, fiber might be even harder for your body to process. While potato skins do have trace nutrients such as potassium, they also contain the compounds commonly found in nightshade plants, which can be allergenic for some people.  Removing the skin with a potato peeler, cooking the potatoes until very soft, then eating them with butter (or ghee) or coconut oil is advised.

• easy to prepare. You can wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven, boil them, steam them, slice them up to make french fries or potato chips – either baked or deep fried (again, use coconut oil or ghee – both are heat stable enough to deep fry with).

• low in Calories, relatively speaking, yet high in satiety when combined with a healthy fat. If you’re reducing Calories to lose weight, each medium sized potato is really very low Calorie for it’s size, around – only 25/oz, thus a medium sized potato runs about 150-200 Calories.  If you want to increase your food intake to gain weight, you can eat more of them, and/or add larger amounts of healthy fat such as butter, cream, coconut oil or high quality cheese.

What Isn’t Good About Potatoes?

• high on the glycemic index, so they can raise blood sugar excessively, BUT that doesn’t matter much if you eat them with a good amount of fat and/or protein.
• allergenic. Potatoes are in the nightshade family, along with peppers and tomatoes. Digestive problems and aching joints are common complaints from people who react to nightshades. I, sadly, get joint pain if I eat potatoes, and itchy skin too, so I must avoid them.  If you think you might be allergic to potatoes, but you’re unsure, try peeling them (a good idea even if you aren’t allergic) and cooking them until soft and eating them with coconut oil or butter. If you still seem to react to them, you can try a different variety perhaps, but it may be that you have to avoid them as I do.

Are Potatoes with Greenish Skins Poisonous?

Yes, they contain a toxic substance called solanine. The greenish hue you see in the skin simply alerts you of solatine’s presence. The green actually comes from chlorophyll.

Solanine serves an important purpose: it’s part of the plant’s defense against insects, disease, and predators. Potato leaves and stems are naturally very high in it, so don’t eat potato leaves and stems if you’re growing your own potatoes (you won’t see leaves and stems on store bought potatoes).  Solanine develops in potatoes when spuds are subjected to light, or very cold or warm temperatures. So please store your potatoes in a cool, dark place.

Why is solanine a toxin? Solanine can interfere with the body’s ability to use a chemical that aids in the transmission of impulses between cells. If you eat solanine in large enough amounts, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and even paralysis of the central nervous system.

However, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever ingest enough solanine to do serious damage to yourself. A healthy adult would have to eat about 4 1/2 pounds of green potatoes at once to experience any serious neurological symptoms. That said, at lower doses, they can make you sick, so definitely toss potatoes that have green eyes, sprouts, or greenish skins, particularly if you will be serving them to children or people who are not in good health.

Even though I’ve been gluten free for several years, and I don’t miss gluten at all, sometimes I will dream about gluten foods …

This isn’t that uncommon in people who go gluten free. I’ve read many reports of “gluten dreams”.

Perhaps it’s because gluten foods often played a huge role in our diets for years.

We have many positive and negative associations with them. They can represent so many things to us.

For example, many of the so-called “comfort foods” that people like are gluten heavy, like cake and cookies.

In my dreams, I’m biting into a gluten food like bread and then I realise that I shouldn’t be eating it so I spit it out!

Funny how, even in my dreams, I’m aware of the dangers of gluten for me.

What about you?

Have you ever had gluten dreams after going gluten free?

Are they good, bad, strange? Did they make you want to eat gluten again?

Did you know that the nutrients in nuts, seeds, beans (legumes) and whole grains are not easy for humans to digest and get nutrients from unless the foods are properly prepared in specific ways first?

Traditionally, these foods are prepared in specific ways to improve their digestibility. Now, with the help of science, we can understand how and why.

This has not been the focus of the food industry. For the most part, the food industry churns things out as quickly as possible with little regard of how food is actually processed by the body.

Want technical information about the various problems with improperly prepared/processed nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains? Please see: Plants Bite Back

To learn how and why to prepare these foods in specific ways, I recommend Nourishing Traditions

The information in the sidebars of this book alone make it a worthwhile buy.

And this is great, for FREE you can download the chapter devoted to healthy snacks. It includes directions about how to prepare nuts properly. Get the free Snack chapter here: Snacks

Yes, there are some gluten grain based recipes in that chapter, but the majority of the recipes are gluten free.

Based on what I’ve learned in my health and nutrition research over the past 15 years, the consumption of most nuts and seeds should be minimal and only IF they aren’t rancid and they’re properly prepared as outlined in the book, unless you are allergic in which case you shouldn’t eat them at all.

As for beans and grains, I encourage everyone to be very cautious, whether they have overt digestive problems or not (also, please see my alert below about gluten grains below). Potatoes and tubers are better tolerated than grains, overall. See my post: Potatoes

Whether you agree or not about the healthfulness of grains and beans compared to other whole foods, if you’re going to eat them at all, you should improve the digestibility and reduce some of the problematic compounds with the methods outlined in Nourishing Traditions. Also, Nourishing Traditions has PLENTY of nutritious recipes to choose from, not just recipes for grain based dishes, plus health and historical information that you’ll probably find interesting and potentially life changing.

!Alert! There is no solid evidence that the methods discussed in the book will make gluten grains safe to eat if you are Celiac or gluten intolerant.  Sometimes that is claimed, but even if you lessen digestive distress, gluten foods can do ‘silent’ damage internally and/or affect people in other ways.

Interested in creating your own fermented foods, like yogurt and pickles? Wild Fermentation is great:

Wild Fermentation

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is sometimes called the SCD.

The SCD is a nourishing whole foods diet that has helped many people with gluten issues, allergies and digestive problems.

The SCD is sometimes referred to as the original gluten free diet. It’s similar to  Paleo Diets because it eliminates  grains.

What I always find interesting is that most of the foods that you are supposed to avoid on the SCD are foods I’ve had trouble with – not just gluten foods, certain fruits and vegetables.

Learn how to properly follow the SCD from the original book:

Check out this respected SCD recipe book:

And here’s a nice collection of simple, nourishing recipes that are kid-friendly:

Pecanbread Recipes

Note: I don’t agree with the SCD author’s belief that once you follow this diet for a year, you can go back to eating gluten again. I’ve known many people who have definitely not experienced that.

Unless you can regularly be scanned and tested to make sure you aren’t being affected by gluten for sure (I can’t imagine how much it would cost to be checked so much, so often, and so many body systems), then based on current findings and research,  it’s best to avoid gluten if you have ever been sensitive to it.

Also, I do not like the heavy reliance on almonds in the SCD diet. I think that limiting the use of nuts is best, except for special occasions because they are hard to digest and are very high in PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids).

Concerned about what & where you’ll eat while traveling? Here are 7 tips that can help.

7 Tips for Safe Gluten Free Travel

1. Contact the Celiac Organization in the Area You’re Traveling To

Ideally you should do this a few weeks before your trip. Celiac organizations should be able to help you find good gluten free food and restaurant options.

Note: See the list of Celiac organizations for some of the most popular travel destinations at the end of this post.

You can also get free Gluten Free Cards at http://glutenfreepassport.com/airlines-tips/translation-cards that will help you communicate your dietary needs in a foreign language.

And be sure to search Google with the name of the place you’re traveling to + gluten free to see if any helpful resources come up in the listings.

2. Book a Hotel, Motel, B&B or Rent a Condo with a Kitchen or Kitchenette so you can cook some, or all, of your own meals.

3. Request Gluten Free Meals When Flying, Taking a Train or Cruise Long Before You Board

Trains can be the trickiest, unless you’re traveling in style so to speak (so you’ll have full restaurant style service, not the usual cheap cafeteria type fare which means sandwiches and other cheap baked goods).

Cruises usually are the easiest because they employ professional chefs who are used to accommodating special requests. But always make your requests ahead of time, meaning several weeks before you embark, just to be safe.

Many airlines have gluten-free meal options, but not all. The selection & quality varies. The standard code for a gluten-free meal in airlines is GFML (Gluten Free Meal) – this indicates no wheat, rye, barley or their derivatives will be included with the meal

Airlines that offer gluten-free meals need advance notice so the meal will be ready for your trip. The notice required will be anywhere from 24 to 96 hours before the flight takes off. Call them well ahead of time to confirm.

4. Pack Nourishing Snacks. No matter which way you travel, even if you have been assured you’ll get gluten free meals en route, pack healthy, filling snacks that don’t need refrigeration or special preparation just in case.  Canned meat or seafood (make sure you have a can opener!) and dried fruit and nut/seed mixes, or fruit and nut snack bars like Larabars are good choices. Don’t forget to pack some napkins and light weight cutlery just in case too.

5. Create a “Pantry in a Suitcase” or Bag with staples that you might not be able to find at your destination. Or, if you’re going somewhere for an extended period of time, ship your favorite non-perishable gluten free foods to your destination.

Note: when traveling internationally, make sure that the foods you’re bringing won’t be stopped at the border. Check regulations beforehand.

6. Visit the Local Grocery Store at Your Destination ASAP. Load up on a few safe, staple items. That way, if you run into problems when dining out and need something to eat, you’ll have something on hand. It’s also a good idea to pick up some sandwich bags and anything else that will help you wrap up food you want to save for another day.

7. When in Doubt, Don’t Eat It. If you have any worry at all that something isn’t safe to eat, don’t eat it. Hopefully you’ll have a snack as a backup because you followed the other tips on this page, but if must wait for a few hours, or even overnight, before you can eat or drink something with calories again, chances are good that you’ll be okay, just uncomfortable at worst. Avoiding gluten, if you’re sensitive to it, is far more important than the money you spent on the questionable food, or the risk of social awkwardness.

Contact Info for Celiac Organizations in Popular Travel Destinations

Andorra

• Associacio de Celíacs d’Andorra – ACEA

Argentina

• Asistencia al Celiaco de la Argentina – ACELA

Australia

• The Coeliac Society of Australia

Austria

• Österreichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Zöliakie

Belgium

• Société Belge de Cœliaquie
• Vlaamse Coeliakie Vereniging

Brazil

• Associação dos Celíacos do Brasil – ACELBRA

Canada

• Canadian Celiac Association
• Fondation Quebecoise de la Maladie Coeliaque

Croatia

• Croatian Society for Coeliac Disease

Czech Republic

• Spolecnost pro bezlepkovou dietu o.s.

Denmark

• Dansk Celiaki Forening

Finland

• Finnish Coeliac Society

France

• Association Française Des Intolérants Au Gluten

Germany

• Deutsche Zoliakie – Gesellschaft e.V.

Iceland

• Samtok Folks meo Glutenopol
  Email: magnus@esso.is

Ireland

• Coeliac Society of Ireland

Israel

• The Israeli Celiac Association

Italy

• Associazione Italiana Celiachia – AiC

Netherlands

• Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging

New Zealand

• Coeliac New Zealand

Norway

• Norsk Coliakiforening

Poland

• Polskie Stowarzyszenie Osob z Celiakia i na Diecie Bezglutenu

Portugal

• Associação Portuguesa de Celiacos – APC

Russia

• Saint Petersburg Coeliac Society

Slovenia

• Slovensko Drustvo za Celiakijo

South Africa

• Coeliac Society of South Africa
  Email: coeliac@netactive.co.za

Spain

• Federación de Asociaciones de Celíacos de España – FACE
• S.M.A.P. Celiacs de Catalunya

Switzerland

• Association Romande de la Coeliakie
• Gruppo Celiachia della Svizzera Italiana
• IG Zoliakie der Deutschen Schweiz

United Kingdom

• Coeliac UK

United States

• Celiac Disease Foundation
• Celiac Sprue Association
• Gluten Intolerance Group
• National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Uruguay

• Asociacion Celiaca del Uraguay – ACELU

A common concern about gluten free diets is that gluten free foods can be costly compared to foods made with gluten grains.

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be the case if you follow one or more of the following 5 tips:

Tip #1 Choose Whole and Minimally Processed Gluten Free Foods

Choosing minimally processed/whole gluten free foods instead of highly processed gluten free foods can save you money.

Whole and minimally processed gluten free foods include fresh/frozen minimally processed meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fats, and gluten free grains.

They are often far cheaper than the processed gluten free foods, and your diet will probably be much healthier as a result. Minimally processed foods are less likely to contain questionable additives that can be allergenic for some people, or potentially toxic.

Being healthier overall can save you a lot of money in the long run. Good health means saving money on health care costs, insurance, supplements, medications, both rx and over the counter, etc.

See Gluten Free Foods List: Keep This One On Hand

Tip #2 Make Gluten Free Meals and Baked Goods from Scratch

Gluten free packaged dinners and baked goods are usually far more expensive than standard gluten based products. By making your own gluten free meals and baked goods, you can save money.

Tip #3 Buy Gluten Free Foods in Bulk

Cost savings can be high if you purchase staple gluten free ingredients in bulk from either a reliable online vendor (check out the list of 5 good online vendors at the bottom of this post) or your local store. Don’t be shy to ask store owners and managers for a discount if you’re unsure if they offer one.

CAUTION: be careful when buying food sold in bulk bins, unless the store is devoted to gluten free foods and can assure you that there is no cross contamination with gluten foods

Tip: #4 Grind Your Own Gluten Free Flour

Gluten free flour and flour mixes can sometimes be costly. If you invest in a good grain mill and buy gluten free grains in bulk online, or off, you can easily grind your own fresh gluten free flour as needed. Over the course of a few months, the savings can be tremendous.

Learn more about the best grain mills here: Gluten Free Grain Mills

Tip: #5 Apply for a Subsidy (if Available in Your Country)

If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease find out if your country offers a subsidy for gluten free foods. For example, at the time of this writing Canadians with Celiac Disease are entitled to claim the incremental costs associated with the purchase of gluten-free products as a medical expense.

If you are a Canadian who might qualify, find out more about this here

5 Good, Reliable Online Vendors for Gluten Free Foods

iherb – Use the coupon code AJU110 at checkout to get $5 OFF your first order if you’re a new customer

Amazon

Well -  Use the coupon code glutenfree at checkout to get $10 OFF an order of $40 or more

Gluten Free Mall

Natural Candy Store

Keep the basic list below on hand as a reference so you can avoid foods containing gluten when shopping and eating out.  Contact your local Celiac group for detailed lists of foods in your local area.

If you live in the US, you can get up-to-date listings for various processed food, restaurant food and medications here: Clan Thompson’s Gluten-Free Food & Drug Lists.

You might also be interested in my post Gluten Free Foods List

Foods Containing Gluten – Gluten Grains

Wheat – all varieties including spelt, kamut, durum, semolina, graham, faro, emmer, einkorn. Avoid all forms including whole grains, refined, berries, germs, brans, flours, sprouted and fermented. Note: more research needs to be done on ancient varieties of wheat like einkorn, but until it has been shown that it’s safe for Celiacs and gluten intolerant people, it’s best to avoid it.

Barley -  all varieties and forms including anything that has ‘malt ‘as an ingredient. Malt foods include malt vinegars, malted milk drinks and candies, beer, and brown rice syrup.

Rye – all varieties and forms

Triticale – a hybrid of wheat and rye created in laboratories during the late 19th century

Gluten is used as an additive and/or ingredient in thousands of processed foods and personal care items. Always check labels and confirm with manufacturers to find out if they are using gluten in their products.

Note: Sometimes you will see “corn gluten” or “rice gluten” listed as an ingredient in foods. Gluten in both of those cases refers to the protein part of corn and rice,  NOT the problematic proteins found in the gluten grains that gluten intolerant people must avoid.

Perhaps you’ve also seen the term “glutinous” to describe rice. Glutinous in that case simply means sticky. Glutinous rice is also called “sweet rice” or “sticky rice”. Glutinous rice isn’t a gluten grain.

Potential Sources of Gluten In Processed Foods and Drinks

If the label lists any of the foods/ingredients/additives below and the product isn’t certified gluten free, be cautious. Please confirm with the manufacturer that gluten is not present before purchasing and consuming.

baking powder

beer (unless labeled gluten free, ALL beer must be avoided)

breading mixes

brown rice syrup

canned meat/fish in broth

caramel color (usually from corn, but check)

cheese sauce

cocoa mixes

condiments like ketchup and mustard (gluten is often used as a stabilizer)

dry-roasted nuts

deli meats

dextrin (usually from corn but confirm)

emulsifiers

frozen french fries (can be in the coating)

frozen burgers

gravy

hot dogs

hydrolyzed plant protein (HVP)

licorice (both black and red)

modified food starch

mono and di-glycerides

natural flavorings

rice products with seasoning packets + some imported rice (may have been dusted with wheat flour)

seiten (powdered wheat gluten found in many vegetarian products, including meat and cheese substitutes)

stabilizers

starch

soy sauce (usually made by fermenting soy and wheat. You can buy wheat free tamari instead)

sausages (wheat is often used as a ‘filler’. The package may not list it if it isn’t a standard brand. Ask if in doubt)

spice and herb blends (pure spices and herbs are gluten-free, but when assembled into mixes sometimes gluten is added)

texturized vegetable protein (TVP)

Remember, ANY processed or restaurant food can contain gluten either because gluten foods are in the ingredients or via cross contamination during processing and cooking. Ideally you should buy products that are certified gluten free or are very unlikely to be contaminated. Please see my post Gluten Free Foods List

You can also purchase a gluten testing kit to test foods that you’re unsure about.

To make sure that you’re following a gluten free diet 100% you should have a gluten free foods list on hand as a reference.

Below is a basic list of gluten free foods, but I suggest that you contact your nearest Celiac support group (search in Google or your search engine of choice for Celiac + your region) for gluten free food lists that are more detailed and specific to the country and region that you live in.

Tip: to simplify a gluten free diet and improve your health even more consider a hunter-gatherer diet.

This is the kind of diet that I follow and do best on. Perhaps you will too. 

Gluten Free Foods List (Basic)

Alert: PLEASE check with manufacturers to make sure that their products have been tested for cross-contamination with gluten grains!

Fruits and Vegetables – fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juiced, including tubers like potatoes

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels for added ingredients.

Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Eggs

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels for added ingredients.

Dairy Products (butter and ghee, milk, cream, cheese, whey, colostrum).

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels for added ingredients.

Nuts & Seeds (including coconut)

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels for added ingredients.

Beans (all kinds, including peanuts – peanuts belong to the legume family and are therefore not a true nut)

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels for added ingredients.

Fats and Oils

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed and NOT derived from gluten grains. Check labels for added ingredients.

See my posts on butter and coconut oil – 2 fats that are easy to digest and packed with valuable nutrients that can be of particular benefit to anyone with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease.

Coffee & Tea

Usually GF. Check labels for added ingredients.

Gluten Free Grains and Grain-like Seeds (whole, flour, flaked)

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. As always, check labels for added ingredients and contact manufacturers to make sure that they have tested their products properly for gluten contamination.

• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Millet
• Amaranth (a seed)
• Quinoa (a seed that is very grain-like. It’s actually a pseudocereal because it isn’t a grass. The best companies wash and dry quinoa before packaging. Unwashed quinoa has a soapy film coating that can taste very bitter. I hate rinsing quinoa myself because it’s such a tiny grain easily lost in the drain. I highly recommend buying quinoa from companies that wash quinoa well before packaging. Bob’s Red Mill quinoa is a good choice)
• Rice – white, brown, sweet, etc
• Wild Rice
• Sorghum
• Teff
• Oats *

* A number of gluten free and Celiac organizations approved moderate consumption of certified gluten free oats. Other organizations continue to state that oats should be avoided. According to tests, oats that are not certified gluten free often contain traces of gluten. Why? Oats are usually processed alongside wheat. Keep this in mind if you decide to eat oats; choose certified gluten free oats to stay on the safe side.

A good brand of gluten free oats is given here

And please read my post How to Make Nuts, Seeds, Beans and Whole Grains a Bit Safer

Gluten Free Bean Flours

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels.

• Pea
• Fava bean
• Garbanzo (chickpea) – sometimes called “gram” flour, not to be confused with “graham” flour which is from wheat.
• Garfava – combination of garbanzo and fava bean flour
• Romano
• Soy (don’t use soy flour, even in small amounts. There are many health risks with consuming modern forms of soy. Read The Whole Soy Story to learn more)

Gluten Free Nut Flours

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels.

• Almond
• Chestnut
• Coconut
• Hazelnut
• Pecan

Gluten Free Root Vegetable Starches/Flour

Usually GF if plain/minimally processed. Check labels.

• Arrowroot
• Tapioca
• Potato (starch and flour)

Want a more comprehensive list that includes gluten free additives and other ingredients? Visit Safe Gluten Free Food List.

You can also purchase software for PCs and Macs from Gluten Free Mall with detailed gluten free food lists and gluten free drug lists.

Download a free trial here:

Gluten-Free Food & Drug Product Lists

Note: This resource is US based so it may not apply to the foods you eat if you live outside of the US. With the growing number of food products on the market and regional variations, it’s impossible to have one guide that will serve all, unfortunately. The best you can do is use the resources I’ve provided and get the rest from the nearest Celiac support group in your area.