Common Foods and Ingredients With Gluten Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Diets Gluten-Free Common Foods People on a Gluten-Free Diet Should Avoid By Victoria Groce Victoria Groce Victoria Groce is a medical writer living with celiac disease who specializes in writing about dietary management of food allergies. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 17, 2020 Fact checked Verywell Fit content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology, health and lifestyle content. Learn about our editorial process Print Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Around 1% of the U.S. population is gluten-intolerant due to celiac disease. Gluten intolerance can also occur due to a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or NCGS. Since most cases of NCGS are self-diagnosed, it's unclear how common the diagnosis truly is. Following a gluten-free diet can help these individuals reduce symptoms. If you think you're gluten-intolerant, it is important to get a diagnosis from a medical professional. A 2015 study in the journal Digestion found that 86% of those who believe they're gluten-sensitive can actually tolerate it. This means their symptoms were due to a cause unrelated to gluten. Concerned individuals should speak to their doctor before starting a gluten-free diet. Grain Products With Gluten You Should Avoid Celiac disease patients and the gluten-intolerant should avoid all food products with wheat, rye, or barley in the ingredients list, or that indicate manufacturing in the presence of wheat, gluten, or gluten-containing ingredients. Some celiac patients also need to avoid oats. If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, avoid any food containing the following: Wheat berries, wheat bran, and wheat germ. Barley, barley malt, barley flour, or any form of the word barley. Rye, rye flour, pumpernickel flour, or any form of the word rye. Oats, oatmeal, oat flour, oat groats, or any form of the word oats, if your doctor advised you to avoid oats. If your doctor permits oats on your gluten-free diet, look for gluten-free oats. Flour, including instant, bread, cake, enriched, graham, and all-purpose flours. Flours made from safe grains include corn flour, millet flour, and rice flour. Triticale Einkorn Spelt Semolina Durum Bulgur Kamut Couscous Malt, unless specified as being made from a non-gluten source (such as corn). The Best Gluten-Free Breads You Can Buy Common Food Products Containing Gluten Now that you know the grains you should avoid, you'll need to learn which food products commonly contain these ingredients. Be especially alert for the presence of wheat and gluten in the following: Breads, pastries, cakes, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, pretzels, and all other baked goods. Breakfast cereals, both hot and cold. Pasta, including gnocchi, spaetzle, chow mein, lo mein, and filled pasta. (Gluten-free alternatives are rice noodles, pure buckwheat soba noodles, and pasta from allergy-friendly manufacturers.) Cream-based soups, gravies, and thickened sauces. Breaded meats or vegetables, such as fried chicken or jalapeno poppers. Dumplings, meatballs, lunch meats, meatloaves, and similar foods are often held together with breadcrumbs or flour. Beer. (Gluten-free beers are available.) Salad dressings, Worcestershire sauce, and other condiments. Soy sauce. (Look for wheat-free tamari as an alternative.) The Ultimate List of Gluten-Free Foods Caution These Ingredients Contain Gluten Too Consumers should look out for the following ingredients on the label and avoid any foods, supplements, or vitamins containing the following unless the label indicates they are from a non-gluten source: Hydrolyzed vegetable proteinModified food starchVegetable starch or vegetable proteinGelatinized starch or pregelatinized starch Natural flavorings Dining out Gluten-Free Dining out poses a challenge for those with a gluten allergy because it’s not always clear whether or not dishes contain gluten. There is a new trend towards restaurants catering to their gluten-free population and even having a separate menu with items free of gluten. When in doubt, ask your server how a dish is prepared and ask for substitutions whenever possible. 5 Rules To Follow for Safe Gluten-Free Restaurant Dining 3 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. Celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and food allergy: How are they different? 2020. Capannolo A, Viscido A, Barkad MA, et al. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Among Patients Perceiving Gluten-Related Symptoms. Digestion. 2015;92(1):8-13. doi:10.1159/000430090 Celiac Disease Foundation. Gluten in medicine, vitamins & supplements. 2020. Additional Reading Celiac Disease Foundation. Sources of Gluten. 2020. By Victoria Groce Victoria Groce is a medical writer living with celiac disease who specializes in writing about dietary management of food allergies. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Is Rye a Safe Option for Your Gluten-Free Diet? Is Oatmeal Gluten-Free and Can Celiacs Eat Oats? How Safe Is Corn When You're Gluten-Free? Can You Trust Cornstarch If You're on a Gluten-Free Diet? Is Yogurt Gluten-Free? Is Rice Always Gluten-Free? (No, Sometimes It's Not!) Is All Vodka Really Gluten-Free? Wine Is Mostly Gluten-Free With Important Exceptions Eating Gluten-Free and Ordering Sushi? Don't Make These Mistakes! Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Services of 2022 6 Gluten-Free Ketchup Brands to Know The 6 Best Gluten-Free Vitamin Brands, Chosen by a Dietician 7 Fiber Supplements That May Be OK If You're Gluten-Free Cornstarch Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits The Best Self-Rising Flour Substitutes Spaghetti Nutrition Facts: Calories and Health Benefits When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All