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Wheat or Gluten Allergy Diet

General guidelines for wheat or gluten allergy:

See also ...
Handouts/Teaching sheets

The key to an allergy-free diet is to avoid giving your child the foods or products containing the food he/she is allergic to. The items that your child is allergic to are called allergens.

A wheat allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the protein found in wheat. Wheat products are found in many foods. In order to avoid foods that contain wheat, it is important to read food labels.

FOODS ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Beverages Coffee, tea, fruit juices, decaffeinated coffee, carbonated beverages, all milks, cocoa

Cereal beverages, coffee substitutes

Beverages made from wheat products: beer, ale, root beer

Instant chocolate drink mixes

Breads & Cereals

Ry-Krisp, rice wafers

Pure corn, rice, arrowroot, barley, potato, or rye bread made without wheat flour or wheat products

Cornmeal, cornstarch, soybean, flour, barley flour, oat flour, rice flour, potato starch, arrowroot flour

Oatmeal cream of rice, puffed rice, or other cereals made from pure corn, oats, or rice to which no wheat has been added

Whole wheat, enriched, or white bread, rolls, or bread crumbs

Graham or gluten bread

Donuts, sweet rolls, muffins, french toast, waffles, pancakes, dumplings, bread stuffing, rusk, popovers

Prepared mixes for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, breads, and rolls

Cornbread, potato, or soybean bread unless made without wheat flour or wheat products

Cereals made from farina, wheat, or those with wheat products or malt added

Pretzels, crackers

Semolina, spelt, or triticale

Desserts

Custards, Bavarian creams

Oatmeal, arrowroot, rice, or rye cookies made without wheat products

Cornstarch, tapioca, or rice puddings

Water or fruit ices, meringues

Gelatin

Cakes, pastries, commercial frosting, icing, ice cream, sherbet, ice cream cones

Cookies, prepared mixes, or packaged pudding containing wheat flour

Graham crackers, donuts

Eggs Eggs prepared any way without wheat products Souffles or creamed eggs made with wheat products
Fats

Butter, margarine, animal, or vegetable fats and oils, cream

Salad dressings or gravy prepared without wheat flour or products

Any salad dressing thickened or gravy with wheat flour or products
Fruit All fresh, canned, dried, or frozen fruits and fruit juices Strained fruits with added cereals
Meat, Fish, Poultry

Baked, broiled, boiled, roasted or fried: beef, veal, pork, ham, chicken, turkey, lamb, or fish

"All meat" wieners or luncheon meats prepared without wheat flour fillers or wheat products

All breaded or floured meats, meats containing filler such as meatloaf, frankfurters, sausage, luncheon meats, bologna, or prepared meat patties

Milk & Milk Products Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, some cottage cheese

Malted milk, milk drink containing powdered wheat cereal or products

Cottage cheese with modified starch or other wheat containing ingredients

Potatoes & Substitutes

White and sweet potatoes

Rice

Scalloped potatoes

Noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, and other pasta products prepared with wheat or semolina flour

Soup

Clear bouillon, consommé, or broth

Homemade soups made without wheat products

Cream soups unless made without wheat flour

Soups with noodles, alphabets, dumplings, or spaghetti

Soup thickened with wheat flour

Sweets Corn syrup, honey, jams, jellies, molasses, sugar Chocolates, chocolate candy containing malt, candy with cereal extract
Vegetables All fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables, and vegetable juices

Vegetables combined with wheat products

Breaded or floured vegetables

Miscellaneous Salt, chili powder, condiments, flavoring extracts, herbs, nuts, olives, pickles, popcorn, peanut butter

Malt products, Worcestershire sauce, gravies thickened with wheat flour

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), meat tenderizers containing MSG, prepared oriental food seasoned with MSG, soy sauce


Information for using wheat substitutes:
1-cup wheat flour equals:
  • 1 cup rye meal
  • 1 - 1 1/4 cups rye flour
  • 1 cup potato flour
  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats or oat flour
  • 1/2 cup potato flour plus 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 5/8 cup potato starch
  • 5/8 cup rice flour plus 1/3 cup rye flour

How to read a label for an wheat-free diet:
Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:
  • bread crumbs
  • bran
  • cereal extract
  • couscous
  • cracker meal
  • enriched flour
  • farina
  • gluten
  • graham flour
  • high gluten flour
  • high protein flour
  • spelt
  • vital gluten
  • wheat bran
  • wheat germ
  • wheat gluten
  • wheat malt
  • wheat starch
  • whole wheat flour

Other possible sources of wheat or wheat products:
Ingredients that may indicate the presence of wheat protein include the following:
  • gelatinized starch
  • hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  • kamut
  • modified food starch
  • modified starch
  • natural flavoring
  • soy sauce
  • starch
  • vegetable gum
  • vegetable starch
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