Are you allergic to wheat and trying to follow a wheat-free diet? If so, it's probably obvious that you should avoid any food with wheat in the ingredients list. But you should also stay away from foods with labels that indicate that they have been manufactured in the presence of wheat or wheat-containing ingredients.
(Note: If you are celiac or gluten-intolerant, please see Foods to Avoid on a Gluten-Free Diet for an unsafe ingredient list covering all gluten-free grains.)
Avoid any food containing the following:
- Wheat, wheat berries, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheatgrass, or any form of the word wheat (other than buckwheat, which is an unrelated plant)
- Flour, including instant, bread, cake, enriched, graham, and all-purpose flours. Flours made from safe grains (e.g., corn flour, millet flour, rice flour) are OK.
- Semolina
- Durum
- Bulgar or bulghar
- Kamut
- Cracker meal
- Couscous
- Tabbouleh
- Tempura crumbs
Also avoid foods containing the following, unless the label indicates they are from a non-wheat source:
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Modified food starch
- Vegetable starch or vegetable protein
- Gelatinized starch or pregelatinized starch
- Natural flavorings
- Soy sauce (look for wheat-free tamari as an alternative)
Be especially alert for the presence of wheat in the following:
- Breads, pastries, cakes, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, pies, pretzels, and all other baked goods. The vast majority are made from wheat flour; look for alternatives by allergy-safe manufacturers
- Breakfast cereals, both hot and cold
- Pasta, including gnocchi, spaetzle, chow mein, lo mein, and filled pastas. Rice noodles, pure buckwheat soba noodles, and pastas from allergy-friendly manufacturers are good alternatives for home cooking
- Snack foods, especially if seasoned or highly processed
- Soups, gravies, and thickened sauces
- Breaded meats or vegetables, such as fried chicken or okra
- Dumplings, meatballs, lunch meats, meat loaves, and similar foods (often held together with breadcrumbs or flour)
- Beer
- Salad dressings, Worcestershire sauce, and other condiments
Sources:
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University. Wheat Allergy Diet. 2008. 23 Oct. 2008. Murphy, Terri. Pediatric Advisor 2006.2: Wheat Allergy. McKesson Corp., 2006. 23 Oct. 2008.
