Gluten is one a modern enemy of human health. In the recent years, gluten is the main cause of many people changing their diets to gluten-free – extremely restrictive, but necessary for their health and well-being. People with celiac disease suffer from the most extreme form of gluten intolerance. Today, gluten is almost everywhere: in basic food items such as breads and pasta, but in many other foods that are contaminated with gluten either by being manufactured in the same factories as gluten foods or by being stored close to gluten items. Many gluten-free foods are labeled as such, but there are unexpected foods that contain gluten on the supermarket shelves.
- Omelets in restaurants. Eggs are completely gluten free as long as they’re not added pancake batter. And while normally, your homemade omelet wouldn’t contain batter, restaurants do use it because they want to make the omelet fluffy. Batter is made of flour, so it contains gluten, so when eating out, it’s best to consult the waiter or the chef to make sure you’re getting a gluten-free meal.
- Some coffee blends and flavored types of coffee may contain gluten. Coffee is gluten-free by nature, but adding flavors and bulking agents can make them contaminated with gluten. Additions to coffee such as syrups or sprinkles contain gluten as well, so the safest alternative would be pure black coffee with milk.
- Gluten-free pasta labeled as such can be contaminated with gluten if it’s not cooked properly. Especially if you’re eating out, it’s likely to be cooked in the same pans and water as the regular pasta and this is enough for contamination. Before ordering, ask the waiter/chef if there’s a possibility for you to get completely gluten-free pasta.
- Soups usually contain thickening agents in the form of flour and this is a guaranteed gluten presence.
- Oats are naturally gluten-free as one of the rare grains that don’t contain gluten, but some brands can be cross-contaminated, so it’s essential to check the labels and warnings on the packaging.
- Salad dressings, especially if they’re store-bought or made in restaurants definitely contain gluten. They’re added flour, thickeners etc. and these contain gluten. Making your own gluten-free dressing is the best way to get a sure gluten-free product.
- Potato chips with flavors. Potato is gluten-free on its own, but once it gets flavored, that’s it for being gluten-free. Even if the potato chips is unflavored, it can still be cross-contaminated if produced in the same facility as other gluten-containing foods.
- Soy sauce. You wouldn’t expect gluten in soy sauce, but soy sauce is made with the help of fermented wheat and this automatically means gluten presence. The solution is to make your own soy sauce or to look for gluten-free one in stores.
- Ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauces, marinades etc. All of these contain thickeners, so there is no escape from gluten. There might be gluten-free condiments, but most of them are not.
If you’re Gluten Intolerant or Celiac, check this list and always check the Label.
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