A reader wrote: “I am Celiac as well. What type of grains would be the healthiest to grind other than wheat to make bread?”

Here’s a quick summary of gluten-free options for those diagnosed with Celiac Disease:

1. Safe Gluten-Free Foods

Not all grains contain gluten. “Wheat-free” does not mean gluten-free.

It’s important to read labels and contact the manufacturer for information if there’s any question whether a specific food contains gluten. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (see information below) offers the following list of safe gluten-free foods:

• Grain, starches, flour products, and breads made from these ingredients: buckwheat, rice, corn, potato, tapioca, bean, sorghum, soy, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, quinoa, millet, nut flours.
• Cereals:
  –Hot cereals made with hominy, brown rice, white rice, buckwheat groats, millet, cornmeal, and quinoa flakes.
  –Cold cereals made with puffed corn, rice, millet, and other rice and/or corn cereals made with non-gluten ingredients.
• Pastas made from rice and other non-gluten ingredients.

2. Foods You Should Avoid

• Wheat (durum, semolina)
• Rye
• Barley
• Spelt
• Oats (oats do not contain gluten, but are sometimes contaminated with glutens during processing)
• Triticale
• Kamut
• Farina

3. Watch out for Hidden Glutens

It’s relatively easy to avoid breads and other products made with grains that contain gluten, but sometimes gluten hides in other food ingredients.

• Be cautious of foods containing textured vegetable protein (TVP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), caramel color, soy sauce, malt flavoring. and modified food starch.
• Products containing imitation seafood, vitamin supplements, and some prescription medicines often contain fillers made with gluten.

4. Creating A Gluten-Free Kitchen

With a little creativity, you can convert standard recipes to gluten-free recipes. Here are some ideas for substitution:

Instead of: flour-based thickeners
Substitute: cornstarch, arrowroot or sweet rice flour

Instead of: flour in baked goods
Substitute: gluten-free flours such as rice, potato or bean flours with the addition of small amounts of xanthan gum for texture

Instead of: 1 C. wheat flour
Substitute:

• 7/8 C. rice flour
• 5/8 C. potato starch flour
• 1 C. soy flour plus ¼ C. potato starch flour
• ½ C. soy flour plus ½ C. potato starch flour
• 1 C. corn flour
• 1 scant C. fine cornmeal
• 1 C. gluten-free flour mix:
• 2 parts white rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch flour and 1/3 part tapioca flour

5. Gluten-Free Products

Listed below are a few of the brands and product lines available at different grocery stores:

Amy’s frozen entrees
Arrowhead Mills baking mixes, cereals
Bob’s Red Mill baking mixes
Casbah rice pilafs
Country Choice cookies
DeBoles pastas
Edward & Sons rice snacks
Fantastic Foods rices
Glutano pastas, cookies, breads, cereals, snacks
Gluten-Free Pantry baking mixes
Hain rice cakes
Health Valley cereals, rice crackers, soups
Lundberg Family Farms rice chips/cakes, noodle and rice mixes
Nature’s Highlight snacks
Nature’s Path cereals
Pacific Organic soups
Pamela’s cookies, baking mixes
Soy Dream non-dairy beverages
Tinkyada brown rice pastas

6. Support and Information

If you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease you should schedule a consultation with a registered dietitian. Organizations such as the Celiac Disease Foundation and others offer tips on coping, recipes, sources for gluten-free products, and information about local support groups in your area.

7. Resource Information

Celiac Sprue Association
www.csaceliacs.org
P.O. Box 31700
Omaha NE 68131-0700
Telephone: (877) 272-4272

Celiac Disease Foundation
www.celiac.org
13251 Ventura Blvd., #1
Studio City CA 91604
Telephone: (818) 990-2354

Gluten Intolerance Group
www.gluten.net
15110 10th Ave. SW, Suite A
Seattle WA 98166-1820
Telephone: (206) 246-6652

The American Dietetic Association
National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics
www.eatright.org
Consumer Nutrition Hotline: (800) 366-1655

8. Sources for Medical Information

A variety of medical journals and sources for research are available on the Internet:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
www.ajcn.org

Medscape, Inc.
www.medscape.com

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov

Healthfinder®,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
www.healthfinder.gov

Finally, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has as its mission to raise awareness and funding for celiac disease; to fund research, education, and screening; to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by this auto-immune disease through research grants and direct assistance to celiac organizations.
www.CeliacCentral.org