Nutrition Corner

The Frum Celiac

Focused on helping the Orthodox and Kosher celiac community

Nutrition Corner

Basic Celiac Nutrition
By Anne Lee MS Ed., R.D.

When one thinks about starting a diet, it is usually with such a feeling of regret, deprivation, and restriction. In some ways starting a gluten free diet is almost a sense of relief. For many people finally being diagnosed with celiac or gluten sensitivity is an answer to their persistent symptoms despite normal test findings or even why their child has not grown. Once the relief sets in the diet may seem daunting at first.

In reality though, the diet is really a very healthy one. Instead of the emphasis on wheat the diet emphasizes other grains, fruits and vegetables. The only foods excluded are those made with wheat, rye, and barley. This means that grains like buckwheat, quinoa, rice, and potato are all safe. This means many favorite dishes like kasha, potato latkes are safe.

Naturally Gluten Free Foods

Dairy

Milk

Cheese

Yogurt

Butter, Margarine

Eggs

Ice Cream – many are safe, but read the label carefully (No cookie dough, cookies and cream, or brownie flavors)

Fruits, Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Canned fruits and vegetables (without cream style sauces)

Frozen fruits and vegetables without sauce

Protein Foods

Meats, Poultry, Fish – in natural or naked state

Beans, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds

Nut butters

Hummus

Deli meat

Fats and Oils

Vegetable oils

Vegetable spray (not baking spray)

Butter, Margarine

Salad dressings – many are safe, but read the label carefully

Starches, Cereals, Grains

Buckwheat

Corn (all varieties)

Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Legumes (including chickpea, lentil)

Millet

Oats (These are a safe grain, but they may be contaminated anywhere along the growing to processing path – be sure to use a gluten-free brand)

Potatoes and tubers (including parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, yucca)

Quinoa

Rice (brown, white, wild)

Teff

Flours

Corn; starch, meal

Garbanzo bean (chickpea flour)

Potato starch

Rice flour (white, brown)

Sorghum flour

Soy flour

Tapioca starch

Sauces, Seasonings

Spaghetti sauce

Spices

Mayonnaise

Pickles, Olives, Relish

Ketchup

Mustard (most are safe, but read the label carefully)

Things to Replace

Breads

Cereals

Pastas

Crackers

Read labels carefully and now you see there are a lot of things you can eat!

The foods that are not safe are:

Barley (including malt)

Rye

Wheat (all forms including kamut, semolina, spelt, triticale)

You do need to be careful when reading labels as wheat, and barely malt may be hidden in many foods. Below is a list of ingredients that may be hidden sources of gluten.

Hidden Sources of Gluten

Carmel Color*

Dairy substitutes

Dextrin*

Glucose syrup*

Herbal supplements

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)

Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)

Licorice

Lipstick

Malt or malt flavoring

Maltodextrin*

Modified food starch*

Playdough

Prepared cake frosting

Prescription/over-the-counter-drugs

Soy sauce

Stamps and envelopes

*These ingredients are predominately corn based, however, they may be barley or wheat starch hydrolysate based.

So as you can see there are many foods that are safe, delicious, as well as nutritious on the gluten free diet. Think of this new diet as an inspiration to eat healthy rather than a prescription of restrictions! Eating gluten free will encourage you to avoid those fat drenched baked goods and snack on some healthy naturally gluten free fruits and vegetables, or even cookies made with garbanzo bean flour! Now that delicious!

Eat well and enjoy!