Gluten Free Guide for Newbies

Are you recently diagnosed celiac or trying a gluten free diet?

Read below for tips on what to eat and how to (mostly) avoid getting glutened.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, gluten issues are so common these days that it is rare to encounter a restaurant that isn’t familiar and can’t advise what’s safe to eat (if anything.)

I always recommend informing restaurant servers right away if you have a gluten intolerance or if you are celiac and let them guide you through safe options.

Here’s a list of foods and sauces to be extra cautious with that either always or often have gluten in them:

Soy Sauce

This one is so prominent in so many styles of asian cuisine that I recommend asking which dishes it’s in and if it can be omitted for whatever you order. The gluten content is rather high in soy sauce as well - be extra careful! If you miss the taste, ask the restaurant if they have tamari instead. The flavor is similar and it’s 100% gluten free. This is a great tamari for home use!

Other Sauces or Dressings

If you’re ordering an entree that makes any mention of a gravy or sauce, you should ask if it contains flour or gluten. Some common offenders (in addition to soy sauce) are: gravy, bechamel, bbq, demi glace, and any roux based sauce (which includes many creamy or cheesy sauces.)

Scrambled Eggs and Omelettes

This one is especially sneaky and got me several times before I detected the pattern. Many chain diners and fast food restaurants add pancake batter or other things containing wheat to their eggs to make them extra fluffy. So order sunny side up eggs, or request that they use fresh cracked eggs with absolutely nothing added for your meal. Watch out for this at hotel buffet breakfasts as well.

Imitation Crab

This is often glutened due to wheat starch used as a binder. So no more California rolls unless the restaurant sources one that’s gluten free (there are a few) or has the option to make them real crab (which is better anyway!) This is my favorite gluten free imitation crab for home eats. Works great in salads and dips!

Chicken Wings

First, never order “boneless” wings as I’ve never seen a non-breaded boneless chicken wing. Second, be sure to ask if the wings are breaded or not and what sauces are used (again, you could be at risk of a soy sauce glutening here!) Chicken tenders, nuggets and sandwiches are almost always a no-go unless they are specifically noted as “grilled” and gluten free (again, sauce or seasoning can gluten you!

Ramen

Unless a restaurant offers a non-traditional rice noodle option, ramen is generally made with wheat flour. For a safer restaurant option, eat Pho instead.

Chips

The worst offender here is Pringles. Even the plain version is loaded with gluten. For other chips, both potato and corn, always read labels. Any flavored varieties especially are more likely to have gluten in them. If you are extra sensitive and/or celiac, it’s best to stay away from any that aren’t actually labelled gluten free.

Salads

Here you can get glutened with croutons, bread crumbs, and/or dressings. Again, always inform restaurant servers of your gluten issue and ask them for all the ingredients. And check the ingredients of any store bought dressing.

Soups

Similar to salads above, these often get garnished with croutons or bread crumbs, and thicker, creamy soups may be thickened with flour or a roux.

“Gluten Free” Pizza

Many pizza spots now offer a gluten free crust option, but many times this is prepared on the same floured surface as the other pies. It is rare that a place will have a separate prep station for gluten free pies, and for extra sensitive celiacs, even the flour in the air at a non-dedicated facility that does any baking at all can cause problems. Basically, you can try it, and I haven’t had a reaction from any of the local Portland GF pizzas, but your results may vary.

French Fries and Tots

I’ve seen a lot of breaded tots over the years, but it was only recently I discovered many restaurants serve battered fries (that contain gluten.) Always ask. This one also bring me to my next point…

Anything Fried

If the restaurant is not dedicated gluten free and you are extra gluten sensitive or celiac, always ask if they use a dedicated frier for gluten free items. If not, it’s recommended you pass.

Dumplings or Pot Stickers

For some reason, this one always slips my mind and I’ve darn near ordered them a couple times. I have yet to see a gluten free dumpling, but I hear there is a food truck now in Portland where I may be able to get them - review coming soon if so!

Meatballs

Unless specifically noted as gluten free, these normally contain bread crumbs as a binder. I love all varieties of Amylu Chicken meatballs!

Rice Krispies

Yes, unfortunately the original Rice Krispies, along with Rice Krispies Treats, are not gluten free. Try a gluten free brand like Blake’s for the sweet treats (these are great for travel too!) And for rice cereal, Rice Chex are gluten free.

Hard Seltzers

While most of the big names - White Claw, Truly, etc. - are gluten free, there have been several on the market over the years that are actually made with a malt base. Always check labels!

Most malt liquor type beverages like Mike’s hard lemonade, Smirnoff Ice, etc. are off limits for those with celiac. Some have about the same gluten level as a beer, while others use a “gluten removed” process which can still cause a reaction in those extra sensitive. The latter is true of some beers marketed as gluten-free as well.

Unfortunately in the U.S., alcoholic beverages don’t have the same labelling requirements as food. So if it doesn’t have a gluten free label on it and the manufacturer doesn’t claim it to be gluten free on their website, it’s safe to assume it’s probably not safe for you to consume.

Oats

Unfortunately oats, while gluten free on their own, tend to encounter a lot of cross contamination with gluten-containing grains when growing, harvesting, and processing. If you are extra sensitive or celiac, only eat oats marked as gluten free.

Liquor

Many use a gluten containing grain as the base. While the distillation process removes gluten, there can be traces left behind. Sometimes this occurs due to additional flavoring or aging processes after distillation - for instance, aging distilled whiskey in an old stout beer barrel. So if you’re celiac and finding yourself with a bit of a reaction after having your favorite whiskey, start seeking out liquor made from corn, potatoes and other things that don’t have gluten in them to start with, and avoid liquors that are aged in barrels that could contain gluten or other flavorings.

Mexican Food

Generally Mexican restaurants offer a pretty good variety of naturally gluten free items, but you always need to ask. The most at-risk items are tacos, enchiladas, chips, etc. The chips with your chips and salsa might be made from flour, instead of corn, tortillas. The street tacos and enchiladas could also be made with flour tortillas instead of corn. Chile Relleno is another dish that tends to slip people’s minds. Usually the battering process involves flour. And if the restaurant uses both corn and flour tortillas for dishes, they are typically cooked on the same surface unless otherwise stated.

Medications and Supplements

Oddly, it’s generally easier to find out if your over the counter supplements contain gluten as most manufacturers clearly label the ingredients and often include additional labels like “gluten free” or “vegan”. With prescription medications, especially generics, it can be difficult to know what’s in them though. If you are celiac and extra sensitive, you may need to work with your doctor and pharmacist to ensure only specific brands are used to fill your prescriptions. Just allowing the insurance company to pick the cheapest generic may not be safe for you.

That’s all for the moment, but I plan to regularly update this page and would love to hear your suggestions! Tell me if something unexpectedly glutened you so I can add it here and we can hopefully spare someone else the pain!

For more positive notes on foods you should be able to enjoy, see my next post “Surprising Gluten Free Foods.”

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