Gluten-Free Diet Guidelines

Written By Jaclyn Graham

GLUTEN-FREE RESOURCES

Visit the Government of Canada’s Recall and Safety Alerts site to check their searchable database if a food item you tend to purchase has been recalled. At times gluten-free certified foods may become contaminated, which may or may not be listed on their packaging, in which a recall should be issued.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is a good resource to use if you need to report a potential allergic reaction to a food.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

This information is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. Work with a qualified healthcare provider to decide which ones are important right now for your health and manageable, and which ones may be reserved for later. A consultation is recommended since your healthcare provider will also be able to adjust these suggestions specific for your needs and after a thorough assessment, as these suggestions are not a replacement for diagnosis or treatment.

Starting a Gluten-free Diet

  • Starting a gluten-free diet can be cumbersome and overwhelming as you search for brands and products that taste good and are easy to replace gluten-containing products in your diet such as pastas and breads. My hope is to make it a whole lot easier with this document!

  • If you are going 100% gluten-free due to a non-celiac gluten intolerance or Celiac disease itself, then you will also want to be careful to avoid cross-contamination when cooking at home and eating out.

  • Use different cutting boards or wash them well with soap and water, clean surfaces well, don’t share surfaces for food prep when gluten-containing foods are in home, use a separate toaster.

  • Let your service provider at restaurants know that you are gluten-free so that they can ensure the cook/chef is aware as they prepare your food.

 The EASIEST way to go gluten-free without getting to know your grains is to assume that everything may contain gluten (within reason – fruits get an automatic pass in 99% of cases), until proven otherwise.

What does this mean? The product must say gluten-free right on the label. Check the back or front for this information. Wheat-free isn’t enough since many grains other than wheat can contain gluten.

 For your reference the gluten-free grains/flours are as follows:

  • Brown and white rice

  • Amaranth

  • Buckwheat

  • Corn

  • Millet

  • Sorghum

  • Teff

  • Quinoa

  • Arrowroot

  • Oats (but oats CAN be cross-contaminated with gluten, so a gluten-free label is required)

And here are the most common sources of gluten in grains/flours:

  • Wheat

  • Triticale

  • Farina

  • Wheat berries

  • Wheat germ

  • Barley

  • Rye

  • Spelt

  • Kamut

For many who don’t need to go gluten free, flours that contain gluten may offer an important sources of nutrients from their diet. A gluten free diet should only be initiated under the direction of a qualified healthcare provider who can ensure nutritional adequacy.

TOP SNEAKY WAYS GLUTEN SHOWS UP:

Other than the obvious (pasta, bread, and other baked goods), gluten shows up as ingredient in a lot of sauces and condiments such as soy sauce, bbq sauce, mustard, malt vinegar (so salt and malt vinegar potato chips are out), but also oats, deep fried foods (even deep fried cauliflower at a restaurant needs to be fried in a separate fryer to be gluten-free), corn-wheat blend tortilla wraps, alcohol and medications or supplements unless otherwise labeled.

CROSS-REACTORS (please note: doesn’t apply to everyone, so just be aware)

You will also want to make note of any foods that aggravate symptoms if going gluten-free doesn’t do the trick completely. These don’t apply to everyone, and it’s not an all or nothing list. Just be mindful of your symptoms and consider keeping a diet and symptom diary to track patterns:

 Primary cross-reactors:

 DAIRY

Alpha-Casein & Beta-Casein

Casomorphin

Milk Butyrophilin

Milk Chocolate

Whey Protein

GRAINS

 Corn

 Millet

 Oats

 Rice

Yeast

 Secondary cross-reactors: (seen less often)

Coffee (especially instant)

Sesame

Buckwheat

Sorghum

Hemp

Amaranth

Quinoa

Tapioca (also called yucca and cassava)

Teff

Soy

Egg

White potato

 

GLUTEN-FREE IN NIAGARA:

Fast Food and Restaurants - let your server know if you have a sensitity to gluten, allergy, or Celiac.

  • The Keg

  • Wind – in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls

  • Commisso’s in Niagara Falls offers the most extensive array of gluten-free foods in the region

  • Zehrs, Great Canadian Superstore, and Sobeys also have a fair amount of selection

  • Costco – offers pasta, crackers, frozen pizzas, popcorn

Do you have a favourite place to visit for a gluten-free meal in the Niagara Region, Ontario? Please let us know! Email us at info@wnhn.ca

Jaclyn Graham
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