When someone is diagnosed with Coeliac or gluten allergy and even a sensitivity, one of the first things that come to mind is how on earth they will ever be able to eat safely again.

Depending on the severity, this can become a very problematic area in one’s life. Very basically, anyone who is Coeliac or has a gluten allergy or sensitivity should never eat a source of gluten again. If gluten is consumed it can make you very unwell, and may even cause long term damage to health.

Once you have been diagnosed there are certain foods that you must avoid to stay healthy. Many people who are diagnosed as Coeliac are referred to a dietician who helps with food and diet.

However, people who are simply gluten sensitive or allergic to gluten are often left to flounder by themselves. Here are some pointers.

The key phrase to remember is BROWS:

Barley

Rye

Oats

Wheat

Spelt

These ingredients in any shape may be enough to set you back health wise, and make you ill.

Foods that contain gluten and are not safe to eat:

• Bread
• Pasta
• Cereal
• Biscuits or crackers
• Cakes and pastries
• Pies
• Gravies and sauces

This is assuming you are shopping and look at them in the regular food aisles at the supermarket.

Additionally remember that many processed foods contain gluten in the form of malt favouring and modified food starch.

Gluten free foods which are safe to eat:

• Most dairy products such as butter, cheese and milk
• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat and fish although not battered or breaded
• Potatoes
• Rice and rice noodles
• Gluten free flours such as rice flour, potato flour, corn flour and soy flour.

What makes food gluten free?

By law in the UK any food or food product labelled as gluten free can contain no more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.

Additionally, all allergy ingredients must be noted in bold in the ingredients. 

These days most supermarkets offer a selection of free from products, which may be good replacements if you want to enjoy similar foodstuffs. However, it pays to be extra careful and always check the ingredients before buying and eating any processed food.

Final thoughts

One of the places you may not suspect to find gluten is in some medications, so if you need to start a new medication, be sure to check that it is safe to do so.

Never be afraid to ask in a restaurant how their gluten free food is prepared. They should be willing to tell you what steps they take, and if not, you may want to reconsider eating there.

While there is a huge difference between the seriousness of Coeliac and gluten allergy, there are also great similarities so if you want to investigate other things that may affect you as gluten sensitive then this is a good site to head to. 

They are there to supply information about living gluten free, and they will also help with gluten sensitivities.

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/living-gluten-free/

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