A Starter Kit For Going Gluten Free
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD. Please consult your primary physician before making any changes to your diet.
Have you ever wondered what makes fresh sourdough bread so chewy and homemade pizza dough so stretchy? It’s a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, non-gluten free oats, and processed foods containing these ingredients such as bread, cereal, pasta, pancakes, pizza, bakery, and other packaged foods.
The Difference Between Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease
While many people don’t have to worry about gluten in their food, it can cause a spectrum of problems for sensitive individuals, ranging from non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) to celiac disease—an autoimmune condition where ingestion of gluten can lead to damage in the small intestine, creating iron deficiency anemia, joint pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and migraines.
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, some people experience symptoms of celiac disease, such as foggy mind, depression, ADHD-like behavior, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, bone or joint pain, and chronic fatigue, when they have gluten in their diet, but they do not test positive for celiac disease. NCGS is generally used to refer to this condition and removing gluten from the diet resolves symptoms.
Gluten Sensitivity: A More Recent Problem
When I was growing up in the 80s, you never heard of such a thing as gluten sensitivity. Although it can seem like a fad, I can tell you it is indeed a real thing.
Due to hybridization of wheat grown in the United States, the quality and type of proteins and starches in wheat have changed, creating a higher gluten content than ever before. The result is an overwhelming increase in the diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
Food allergies and sensitivities create an inflammatory state in the body, leading to weight gain and insulin resistance. So, if you suspect you are intolerant of gluten, it would be wise to eliminate it for a six-week trial to see if your blood glucose numbers and weight improve.
Naturally Gluten-Free Foods
I know the very thought of scanning food labels for the presence of gluten may feel overwhelming, but that’s where the Club Fx™ Pillars come in handy, particularly Pillar 1: Eat your greens, as many as you can every day and Pillar 2: Eat the rainbow, at least one fruit and two vegetables every day.
Fresh leafy greens, herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables are naturally free of gluten, and so are raw, unseasoned nuts and seeds, dry beans, peas, and lentils.
Like fresh produce, whole eggs and fresh cuts of beef, poultry, pork, lamb, and fish (without added ingredients) are also safe to consume on a gluten-free diet. And dairy-lovers, you can also rejoice because plain milk, butter, yogurt, and many cheeses are gluten free.
Gluten-Free Alternatives for Your Favorite Foods
Detecting gluten in products beyond the Produce department can get a little tricky, but if you stick with me, I promise to make it easy for you.
Here are some of my favorite gluten-free alternatives at Heinen’s:
Gluten-Free Pasta
- Explore Cuisine edamame and mung bean pasta
- Palmini hearts of palm pasta
- Banza chickpea pasta
Gluten-Free Bread & Wraps
- Food for Life sprouted gluten free bread
- Food for Life gluten free English muffins
- Food for Life gluten free pita bread
- Base Culture bread
- Siete almond flour or chickpea flour tortillas
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
- Bob’s Red Mill gluten free pizza crust mix
- Simple Mills pizza dough mix
Gluten-Free Cereal
- Grandy Organics coconola grain-free granola
- Grandy Organics apple crisp granola
- Heinen’s organic crispy rice
- Heinen’s organic multigrain flakes
- Lovebird cereal
- Mylk Lab oatmeal cups
Gluten-Free Crackers
- Better with Buckwheat crackers
- Mary’s Gone Crackers real thin crackers
- Flackers flaxseed crackers
Gluten-Free Cookies
- Siete grain free cookies
- Simple Mills almond flour cookies
Gluten-Free Pancakes
- Birch Benders paleo pancake mix
- King Arthur gluten-free pancake mix
- Simple Mills almond flour pancake and waffle mix
Gluten-Free Grains
- Heinen’s brown rice
- Heinen’s wild rice
- Heinen’s quinoa
- Buckwheat: Lil Bucks sprouted buckwheat crunch; Bob’s Red Mill organic buckwheat flour; Wolff’s kasha
- Bob’s Red Milll millet
- Bob’s Red Mill gluten free steel cut oats
- Bob’s Red Mill teff
Gluten-Free Snack Foods
- Brad’s kale chips
- Brad’s veggie chips
- Biena sea salt chickpea snacks
- Quinn pretzels
- Siete tortilla chips
- Lesser Evil Himalayan pink salt popcorn
- Lundberg thin stackers red rice & quinoa puffed grain cakes
Sneaky Gluten-Filled Ingredients
In addition to wheat, rye, barley, and non-gluten free oats, the following ingredients also contain gluten and should be avoided on a gluten-free diet. Be sure to keep this list handy when reading food labels.
- Durum
- Emmer
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Malt
- Malt extract
- Malt vinegar
- Distilled vinegar
- Brewer’s yeast
- Triticale (a cross between rye and wheat)
- Wheatberries
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Hydrolyzed plant protein
- Modified food starch
- Natural flavoring
- Caramel color
- Dextrin
- Maltodextrin
- Yeast extract
When in Doubt, Look for Gluten-Free Claims
Look for the “Gluten Free” claim on packaged foods whenever you’re unsure of the presence of gluten. The FDA has set strict requirements for this claim, stating that any foods carrying the label “Gluten Free,” “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” or “without gluten” must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This level is the lowest that can be reliably detected in foods using scientifically validated analytical methods.
Key Takeaway
Following a gluten-free diet can be simple when you stick to whole, minimally processed foods like fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood, unprocessed gluten-free grains, dry legumes, raw nuts and seeds, and plain dairy products.
Venturing outside of this healthy base can be tricky, but not impossible. If you’d like more help getting started on your journey, let one of Heinen’s knowledgeable Wellness Consultants take you on a free Club Fx™ Store Tour and introduce you to a whole new world of better-for-you gluten-free possibilities.
