- Jasmine Blake, MS, HHP
What is Gluten? Gluten-Free Foods List
Updated: Mar 30
What is the Gluten Protein?
In plants, there are three parts to whole grain. These parts are called the bran, the endosperm, and the germ (embryo). The bran contains some vitamins and fiber. The embryo contains some vitamins, fats, proteins, and minerals. Also, the embryo is the part of the plant that will grow into stems, leaves, and roots. The endosperm contains carbohydrates and proteins, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
The endosperm acts as a storage for food. In grains, gluten is one kind of protein. It is located in the endosperm area of a developing plant embryo. During manufacturing, the grain is processed into flour. The embryo and the bran are stripped away, along with all their nutrients. This process leaves only the endosperm. The only things remaining are the carbohydrates and the gluten protein.
Gluten in Food
Gluten is a substance we all commonly know. It is found in many foods we eat like cereal and grains. It is what adds shape to bread, cakes, and tortillas when baking; and holds the formation of these food items together. This reason is that gluten is responsible for the elasticity of the dough. Without gluten things like cake, pie, donuts, bread, croissants, and muffins would not exist in their puffy form. While most people love eating these items, it is good to be to know if a food product does contain gluten.
People can tell if a product has gluten because when they eat it, it will feel soft like bread, or chewy and gooey like a tortilla. Food items without gluten are different. Food products without gluten are considered gluten-free. When eating them, they feel harder in texture, are often crumbly when we touch them, and most gluten-free food items cannot stay together for long. [1]. Some people can tell by eating food products whether the product has gluten in it or not. Some people cannot tell. Others, whether they know the difference or not, prefer to know precisely which types of grains contain the gluten protein.
How to Recognize Gluten Containing Foods
Since recognizing gluten is not so easy, and gluten is found in many types of grains, knowing the types of grains that contain it is a good source of information. Wheat is the number one grain that contains gluten. It is loaded with gluten proteins. Gluten is also in barley, rye, triticale (which is a cross between barley and rye), and other several other grains. Recognizing gluten is often hard, and becoming educated on which products and foods have gluten is vital. A quick and easy way to know if a person is eating gluten is knowing the names of the grains that are out in the market.
Different types of grains with gluten are:
Spelt
Triticale
Semolina
Kamut
Durum
Wheat
Rye
Barley
Couscous
Bulgur
Einkorn wheat
Emmer wheat
Farro
Farina
It is essential to know that not all foods in grocery stores that are labeled “Gluten-Free” are actually gluten-free. Although this is not entirely federally regulated yet, there are methods for figuring out how to tell if a product is truly gluten-free or fraudulent. Any label with food in the above list and any label that says “bran germ” is considered to be a product that contains gluten. Also, any of these could be listed under the "ingredients" section on a food label. This means there is gluten in the product. Additionally, any food label that claims to have a gluten-free product should have a United States Department of Agriculture stamp on it. Anything without the "USDA gluten-free" stamp is considered NOT legit.
What is Cross Contact?
Although a person can learn to identify and recognize gluten, other non-gluten-containing products can have gluten residue in them. This process is called cross-contact. Cross contact is when the particle of one thing is rubbed onto another thing, and its food particles mix. This type of contact can happen in a restaurant, supermarket, or a manufacturing plant. Food products like oats and other grains could have gluten particles on them if they get produced in the same factory. Also, if eating out and a product with gluten is made, and the surface is not sanitized and cleaned before making the next food product, gluten could transfer to that food. These foods listed below are considered non-gluten-containing foods, but people should still do their research on where these foods were manufactured before purchasing them. As well, people should ensure that these foods are made safely during prepared food purchases.
The list is as follows:
Oats
Rice (brown, white, and wild)
Indian Rice Grass
Cornmeal, corn products
Potato flakes
Dried Beans
Legumes
Amaranth
Arrowroot
Millet
Sorghum
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Kasha
Tef/teff
Foods NOT Allowed when Following a Gluten-Free Diet
Grains such as:
Spelt
Triticale
Semolina
Kamut
Durum
Wheat
Rye
Barley
Couscous
Bulgur
Einkorn wheat
Emmer wheat
Farro
Farina
Gluten-Free Foods with labels without the Federal Stamp and Other Products such as:
Wheat Flour, Self Rising Flour, Graham Flour, or Enriched Wheat Flour
Beer, Ale, Porter, or Stout
Processed Foods often contain some kind of gluten
Croutons
French Fries
Kinds of pasta
Seasoned Snack foods such as Potato and Tortilla Chips or Pretzels
Pizza
some Seasoned Rice Mixes
Gravies or Thickeners regardless of drinking or using for food
some Salad Dressings
some Sauces including some Soy Sauces
Malt and Malt Flavorings
Vegetables in certain sauces
some Soups or Bouillon soup mixes
Gluten stabilizer,
Teriyaki sauce
Emulsifiers
Pieces of bread or any kind of baking products not made from home out of gluten-free products
Matzo
Cereals
Cakes, Pies, Muffin, Donuts, or any kind of Sweets associated with baking
Candies or Chocolate Bars,
Cookies or Crackers
Gluten-Free Foods that are Allowed when Following a Gluten-Free Diet
Raw Fruits and Veggies, Meats, and Grains
Any kind of Fruit
Any kind of Green Leafy Vegetable
Any Kind of Stalk, Vine, Night Shade or other Vegetable
Any kind Meat
Any nut or seed that is NOT a Gluten Grain Seed
Rice (brown, white, and wild)
homegrown Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, and Seasonings
Starches like:
Cor and some Popcorns
Potato
Dried Beans
Legumes
Any kind of Root Vegetable like Amaranth or Arrowroot
Acceptable Grains that is NOT a Gluten Grain
Millet
Sorghum
Quinoa
Buckwheat/kasha
Tef/teff
Anything with a Federally Labeled Gluten-Free stamp
Anything YOU make at home (homemade) or a company makes; as long as it is made of Gluten-FREE products and foods
Reference:
Gluten Sensitivities. (2017). Medicine Plus. Department of Health and Human Services: Office on Women's Health. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/glutensensitivity.html
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