Avoiding wheat in the Western world like navigating a mine field. If you are allergic to wheat or gluten, or have celiac, you need a really good map and you need to always double-and triple-check everything.
This article tells you what to avoid. For ideas on what to eat instead, see Gluten Free Foods
Note
This description is a work in progress. Note in particular that the lists may not be complete. I certainly intend to improve and expand on this article as time goes on. Do please add your comments to help add content or correct any inaccuracies that you notice.
Wheat Free Road Map
This article is a bit of a map. It is divided into four sections:
Synonyms to Wheat
See the Definition of Wheat.
(Almost) Always Contains Wheat
Most of these items always contain wheat. Some ususally are made from wheat.
- Bread (wheat-free bread does exist)
- Chappatis
- Fu
- Gnocchi
- Gravy mix
- Liquorice candy
- Manna
- Muesli
- Noodles (exception: rice noodles, commonly found in Asian food)
- Pasta
- Pitta bread
- Play dough
- Quorn products (mycoprotein food)
- Rusk
- Sauces in general. If you can’t verify the ingredients, assume they contain wheat).
- Scotch eggs
- Soy sauce (exception: some brands of tamari sauce)
- Stuffing
- Suet
- Soups (especially packaged or canned, check ingredients. Home-made soup may not have wheat. Always ask.)
May Contain Wheat
- Baking powder
- Beer/lagerBlue cheese (depending on mold source)
- Coffee substitutes made from cereal
- Chicken and beef broth (canned/cubed)
- Citric acid (verify before use)
- Corn starch (some brands add wheat flour)
- Curry powder (some brands add wheat flour)
- Dextrin (may be derived from wheat)
- Edible Starch (may be derived from wheat)
- Filler (could be anything!)
- Food Starch (may be derived from wheat)
- Falafel
- French fries (especially if manufacturered or seasoned. Always ask.)
- Gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch
- Gum base
- Hydrolyzed plant protein
- Ice cream
- Imitation bacon
- Imitation crab
- Meat, fish and poultry binders and fillers, e.g., deli meats, hot dogsPie fillings, puddings
- Medicines (always check with pharmacist)
- Miso
- Modified starch or modified food starch
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
- Mustard powder, prepared mustard (always check)
- Pepper, ground (avoid in restaurants). Whole pepper is fine.
- Prepared ketchup, mustard
- Salad dressings
- Sauces, e.g., chutney, soy sauce, tamari sauce
- Seasonings
- Spices, ground (always check)
- Starch (may be derived from wheat)
- Stock cubes
- Surimi (used to make imitation crab/lobster meat)
- Thickener (unless specified as other than wheat).
- Tortillas
- Vegetable protein
- Vitamines (always check with pharmacist)
- Yogurt (those thickened with starch or wheat are of low quality in any case)
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
QUORN
HI?
Quorn products and subsequently Mycroproteins….GOOD OR BAD?
thxs,
marco
Wheat-free: not Quorn (usually)
Quorn products usually contain wheat so read ingredients carefully or avoid.
Heloooooo – Quorn is infact microproteins they closely resemble morel mushrooms…they are full of protein and are NOT another soy item. This brand has been around for a long time is a leading meat substitute throughout England – I believe they’re newer to the States. There is no good or bad in this situation – if you have a hard time digesting mushrooms (some people do) then I would say bad, like the other person said read carefully though many of their items are breaded so they still contain wheat. They are also NOT VEGAN – each item has egg in it to help with the binding process. They’re super yummy though
Wheat allergy
Is malt vinegar to be avoided by wheat allergy folks?
Malt Vinegar is Wheat Free
Malt vinegar is made from barley.
It is therefore safe if you are avoiding wheat.
It should be avoided if you are avoiding gluten or barley.
wheat allergies
I read your list of things to avoid, it is bad enough i have msg allergy, but by your list what is left to eat?
Lish
Wheat allergy and what you can eat
I know what you mean, Lish. I face the same problem.
It doesn’t seem like a problem though, after you learn what you can eat and spend some time getting comfortable with the diet.
And if you do have a wheat allergy, it is well worth avoiding – you feel so much better! That’s why I created this whole website in the first place.
For more focused information on managing a wheat or gluten allergy, check this out:
Gluten Allergy information product
Hope that helps
I read the list too and it does sound like there is NOTHING left to eat but you can pretty much find a gluten free version of ALL of those items in the store. (I shop at walmart and they do offer most everything in a gluten free form) Many brands are great about putting it under the ingredients list just read your labels.
You’re right Amber, it can seem like there is nothing to eat, but like you say, there are now gluten-free versions of everything, and there is so many other kinds of food you can eat.
The key is to focus on what you can eat, but also know what you must avoid.
Can I eat horseradish if I have a wheat allergy?
Can I eat homemade horseradish? Contains; horseradish, sugar, salt, white wine vinegar and whipped cream?
Thanks
No wheat in that
None of the contents you listed have wheat or gluten in them.
Enjoy.
What about rice?
Are there certain kinds of rices to stay away from or are some better than others for a wheat allergy?
Kinds of rice
Hi Devan,
There are thousands of varieties of rice, as you probably know.
I have no information about whether someone may be allergic to one type of rice and not another.
Rice, like wheat and all grains (and bamboo too, just to give you an idea of the variety) are all types of grass.
I am not aware of any advice that would suggest that one type of rice is better than another if you have a wheat allergy.
If you care to experiment, please find out what works best for you and report back here with your comments.
types of rice….
with regard to allergy I do not know whether some sorts of rice are better than others. But one aspect that an be important to look at is glycemic value/index – the brown rice types and parboiled rice is better to eat than white rice – this is due to their influene on your blood sugar level
;O)
Henriette
Rice and glycemic index
Good point Henriette, thanks
wheat
distilled vinegar may be made from wheat
Protien contamination unlikely
What you say may be true, however:
Does gluten or other wheat proteins carry over into the vinegar?
I do not have an answer based on solid research, but I suspect not.
Distilled vinegar should be safe for the same reason that spirits such as gin and vodka are safe: the distillation process leaves most, if not all proteins and other allergenic substances behind.
Personally, I do not worry about distilled vinegar, but each person must make their own decision on this.
Beer
I just found out I have a wheat allergy (not gluten) and am having trouble navigating the minefield of what’s wheatfree or not. There’s a lot of conflicting information. But this site’s very useful and to the point.
Are beers that aren’t specifically wheat-beers okay or not? All the information I’ve seen so far deals with gluten/celiac, which is more restrictive than a simple wheat allergy.
Thanks!
Gluten-free beer vs. wheat-free beer
Your best bet is to drink gluten-free beer, because then you know you are safe.
Beer is often made with barley rather than wheat, which is OK if you have a wheat allergy (but not gluten free).
Here is what I suggest you do:
1) Read the ingredients.
if no wheat is listed, follow step 2:
2) Call the manufacturer and ask them if there is wheat of any kind in their beer.
Hope that helps.
Cheers!
Cuba Beer
I am also on a wheat free diet and am heading to Cuba do you know if Cuban beer is wheet free or if any is?
Thanks
I have looked into this over the years, my blood test was negative for celiac, yet a wheat free diet erases my asthma. I do okay with barley and barley malt. Some of the brewers do come out and say they do not use wheat. Budweiser states this, referring to their use of rice extract. Some of the brands that use rice and “talk away” wheat are Sapporo, Beck’s, and Carlsberg. Some Miller products use corn extract. Additionally, Guinness does not use wheat in their stout (as many as 14 different recipes exist for it around the world). You will find skeptics that say to be very careful with these claims, and of course you should be especially if you have some of the scary respiratory or other serious wheat symptoms (translation: I’m not a doctor). But give some of the above brands a try. I had Bud last night without any trouble.
same issue!
It’s nice to see someone out there with the same issue that I’m having! I’m wheat-intolerant, but gluten is not a problem for me. While it is safer to follow a gluten-free diet, it’s also incredibly restrictive.
I’m looking to find a list of beers that I can have without getting sick. So far, I’ve been able to drink Guinness without any trouble. I’ve also heard that Bud and Coors use rice or corn rather than wheat. I usually drink wine to be safe, but I’d also appreciate some input about wheat-free, NOT gluten-free, beer.
Try the Redbridge beer, distribed by Anheuser Busch (sp?). It is wheat free and very tasty
Vodka from different grains
Vodka can be made from numerous grains and plants, but two predominate: wheat and potatoes. Barley, rye, corn, and grape vodkas are also available. Potato vodkas and grape vodkas are generally considered “high-end” vodkas, although some wheat vodkas are considered premium as well. Here’s a rundown of the base grains for common vodkas:
• Wheat: Stolichnaya (made from a blend of wheat and rye), Grey Goose, Ketel One, Snow Queen, Van Gogh (made from a blend of wheat, corn, and barley), La Chance, Vox, Polar Ice, Absolut
• Rye: Belvedere
• Barley: Finlandia, Koskenkorva
• Corn: Smirnoff
• Potato: Chopin, Teton Glacier, Monopolowa, Vikingfjord, Luksosowa
• Grape: Cîroc, Bombora
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/wheatallergies/f/vodka.htm
Thanks for the vodka grain run-down
Thanks for summarizing what different vodkas are made from, Ruby.
Vodka is highly distilled, so many consider it safe, no matter what it is made from.
A couple things to consider:
It might be best to cut out in the early stages of an elimination diet. Even if the base grain is note likely to effect you, “not likely” is not good enough when trying to determine your food allergies and sensitivities.
Also, alcohol may contribute to leaky gut syndrome, especially when your gut is trying to heal, shortly after eliminating offending foods.
Corn Vodka
Canadian Iceberg Vodka is made from Corn, peaches and captured iceberg water. It is safe to drink for wheat free diets.
Allergic to Wheat, and avoiding most foods, but notice and wondering more so now if Beef or chickens are fed wheat or grains and can effect me, lots of hives and itching. Drs. don’t seem to know.
In theory, feeding an animal food that you are allergic to should not cause the meat to trigger an allergy. In theory.
You may have a separate meat allergy. Or it could be that you have symptoms depending on what the animal is fed.
Sorry, I can’t give you any definitive information on this one.
I would suggest you cut out beef and chicken if they seem to be causing you trouble and see how that works.
See Self-Testing for Allergies for more ideas on how to handle this.
Hi, my son has been diagnosed with a wheat and egg allergy. My confusion is over barley, rye and oats. He is not gluten intolerant. So does this mean he is able to include these in his diet? For example, with cereals, he is eating ‘ricies’ or ‘rice bubbles’ or ‘cornflakes’ – these all seem to have barley/malt – so should he be having these or should he be eating the exclusive gluten free varieties?
Thanks, Confused
I understand your confusion, Sue.
There are two ways of looking at this.
One is that if he really is allergic to wheat but not gluten, then barley, rye and oats should be fine.
Another way of looking at it is that his tests may not tell the full story, and that he might still be celiac, in which case you should cut out those other grains.
Which of course still leaves you confused.
First of all, be sure that he has had a reliable test for celiac disease. A biopsy is not accurate for less than full-blown cases. A stool test or blood test is better.
Second, you can try cutting out all forms of gluten and see if he does better, and decide that way. A positive celiac test trumps personal observation.
My son’s symptoms are excema and diarohea. He had a blood test as he hasn’t got any good skin to do skin pricks. He was tested for rice, milk, soy, fish, peanut, wheat and egg. The last two were the only ones he reacted to, albeit low levels of 2.
The dermatologist has prescribed locoid crelo, aristocort and eumovate – steroids. I have heard that these can be causing the diarohea – do you know that this is correct?
Anyway, I don’t really think the removal of wheat and egg has made much, if any difference.
I’m not sure where to go from here. My son has been on these steroids for nearly 3 months, way too long. Can you make any suggestions on what allergy tests I should be requesting? Do you recognise any alternative treatments to calm the excema, and ultimately be rid of it for good?
Thanks, Confused
Hi Sue,
I can see why you’re confused. The fact is, everyone is confused about eczema. It is very hard to find the cause as there is no short list of causes.
To be honest with you, it could be almost anything that’s causing, it, from a food allergy, to environmental factors like dust or pet allergies, to some sort of nutrient deficiency.
Unfortunately, most doctors treat it as a steroid deficiency. You’re right to be suspicious of them, they are bad for the skin and may have other side effects as well.
I suggest you take the allergy tests as a guide. Try cutting out other foods listed on the test, even if there was no reaction. It could be a combination of things. You might consider tests for yeast overgrowth, and allergies to dust, molds, yeast etc.
I’m afraid it will be more trial and error than a scientific process.
I have this wheat allergy and man was my stomache in pain around my belly button until I figured it out to elliminate wheat. Instantly I was better.If I eat wheat instantly I’m in pain again :/ rice is one thing that actually made me feel better!
Hi,
So, I’m going out to eat with my mother, who has a wheat allergy (if she eats wehat she gets horrible stomach pains and diarrhea, sometimes even vomiting), in a couple of days at a restaurant that serves gluten-free food. This is going to sound like a stupid question, but I really just wanted to make sure…Gluten-free food is basically synonymous to wheat-rfee right? So if my mom was to order something off a gluten-free menu, like pasta or something that looks bread-ish, she would be okay right?
Gluten-free more or less means wheat-free, except (apparently) to exceptionally sensitive individuals (according to comments I have received on the subject).
In the US, food is considered gluten-free when the amount of gluten is below 20 ppm. This does not guarantee zero gluten nor zero wheat. So very small amounts of cross-contamination are possible, whereby a food may be officially gluten-free, but not entirely wheat-free.
If your mom isn’t super-sensitive, gluten-free is probably fine.
I am a Type 2 diabetic and I have been off wheat, oats, barley etc.. for the last 3 years. I wondering about my medication amaryl and metformin if they have any gluten in them. I can’t get a straight answer from my pharmist who checked the drug company. I started breaking out in a rash when they increased the dose or amaryl. That is usually the first sign I have injested wheat. I have tried searching the web to get more informations on these drugs but without any luck. Can you help?
Have you tried contacting the pharmacy directly?
Can your doctor of pharmacist find alternates that accomplish the same thing but which are certified wheat-free?
Thank you very much for making this website. I have recently found out that i am intolerant to wheat after 6 years of problems and doctors not understanding what is wrong with me. Its been very hard to get used to, but there is lots of advice out there so im finding it easier by the day.
I do however have one question: i am confused when reading labls that say ‘modified starch’. Im not allergic, but am intolerant to wheat. Should i be avoiding this ingredient???
Thank you
Modified starch may or may not be derived from wheat. If it is, you may or may not react to it.
If you want to be safe, make sure you know the type of starch. If your symptoms are tolerable, you can try modified wheat starch when you come across it and see if it is a problem for you.
In my experience, I can sometimes tolerate small amounts of contamination, but at other times not. When I’m not up to it, I become much more diligent about avoiding ingredients like ‘modified starch’.
I know my answer is a bit vague, but there is no cut and dried answer to your question. It has a lot to do with how sensitive you are and your risk tolerance.
Thank you sooooo much, am no longer feeling like such a freak. Recently found to be wheat intolerant, but can still eat oats with no reaction! However, when I eat modified corn starch or 1422, I get a more severe reaction than if I’d eaten bread. This did make me wonder if they modified the corn starch with wheat and you’ve just answered my question.
Your brief comments remind me of when I started avoiding wheat. I felt ‘normal’ again, yet I didn’t even really know what that meant, I’d been sick so long.
Over time I started to notice that I feel subtly better if I avoid certain foods. Oats is a perfect example. I ate it for years before realizing it really wasn’t that great for me.
Over time, you’ll find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Good luck with it!
hi, its nice ti see that there is someone to answer my question. my son is 11 yrs old and is allergic to wheat, cow milk, goat milk, egg yellow and egg white, potato, rice and all kind of nuts .but he can eat any kind of fruits and can take buffalo milk. can u plz advice which foods can he take on daily bases? in vegetables he only likes raw carrot. no leafy veg. he loves to eat rice and chapati made with wheat but that causes problems like stomach pain, vomiting. he is known asthmatic since very small age. please advice some of the foods.
www.thebakingbeauties.com/ has a site full of gluten free recipies. Also try heatherstrang.com/wheat-free/ for whaet free and dairy free. Heather’s recipes call for more prepackaged allergy free foods than i like but the recipes are all good. I myself and 2 of my 3 children are allergic to wheat but not gluten. my girls are still allergic to milk but they are slowly outgrowing it. the fish and peanut allergies however are still in full force.
A good way to get veggies in is to make a chicken and rice casserole and puree squash, bell pepper, onion, and garlic for the “cheese” sauce. It is yummy. Before you puree the veggies sautee them together in a skillet until the onions are soft and brown. Basically anything that calls for veggeis puree them and use as a sauce.
Also serve the veggies first with no other foods in sight. That is a trick i use to get my 8 yr old to eat.
Here is a list of things I have been eating since going wheat-free due to allergies:
Breakfast: Omelet with onions, spinach or chopped zucchini cooked in skillet, then add the eggs. Once eggs are cooked add ur favorite cheese. Top with honey. Eat with berries or banana. For kids sub. fried, boiled, or scrambled eggs. Rice Chex or Rice Krispies is a good cereal option.
Lunch – lots of salads. Make ur own with baby lettuces, canned artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, chopped apple or pear or berries, a handful of craisins, topped with ur favorite shredded cheese and salad dressing (read label on dressings). For kids make ham with melted cheese and serve with fruit.
Dinner: Chicken & Rice, peas, carrots, potatoes, celery, or brusselspouts
Dessert: flan, wheat-free souflee, or ice cream
If there is gluten or wheat in a face cream and you are celiac can you use it?
Gluten should not be absorbed through the skin and therefore not be a problem to celiacs.
However, there are people who seem to have a reaction to contact with gluten.
I have recently self-diagnosed a wheat/gluten allergy and I’m pretty sure I’m right. What is strange is that I’d never had any gastro-intestinal response to eating wheat/gluten until 5 months ago (I’m 55 years old). I had been eating and LOVING bread/wheat products my whole life. But after a dentist prescribed a prophylactic regimen of antibiotics (clindamycin) I got C-diff and after that cleared up my wheat/gluten allergy became painfully obvious – intense stomach/intestinal pain and diarrhea (very different from the C-diff, which caused sudden and explosive diarrhea but no pain). The tip-off, however, was that once I started a gluten free diet, not only did I experience IMMEDIATE relief in my gut, but a skin problem I’d been dealing with unsuccessfully for several years also cleared up really quickly, which suggests to me I’d been dealing with this allergy years before the gastro issues manifested. And although I’ve never been diagnosed with asthma, I always had a lot of gunk in my lungs which also dissipated once I became gluten free. I’ve read that some celiacs do not experience gastro problems at all, so I assume I was in that category.
Could the antibiotic somehow have been involved in spurring my allergic response in my gut? Like I said, I’d been eating wheat/gluten products my whole life without problem before this rather sudden onset.
At any rate, I will concur with some of the above comments: once I fixed my diet, the relief was immediate and plentiful and, quite frankly, I’ve never felt better in my life. And whereas I’d always been “regular” now my digestion is even better. The one gastro issue I’d dealt with in the past few years was reflux and I had stopped drinking caffeine which seemed effective. Now that I am gluten/wheat free, my reflux is GONE… and I can drink regular coffee again… YAY!
Thanks for your VERY informative site.
hi all i am a little confused!i have a suspected wheat allergy (negative blood test for celiacs)the most frustrating part of this is the rash i get as it drives me barmy!i do get bloating ,cramps etc i have been trying to stay wheat free which i am finding difficult.I also react to rice but not as bad. my question is if i do have a wheat allergy would the same allergy cause me to react to rice?or would that possibly be a seperate allergy?
thanks in advance
You could be allergic to glutens. There are different types in different grains, and rice has it’s own type, although this type does not (according to current thinking at least) cause celiac disease symptoms.
It seems that some people to do not do well on grains generally (wheat, oats, rice, corn etc) while others must avoid only the big four (wheat, barely, rye and oats). Note that spelt is a form of wheat.
Sounds like you should avoid all grains for now and see if that helps.
See Gluten Free Foods for some ideas on basic gluten free food ingredients (although it does include grains, but focus on other food types)
I am allergic to wheat, corn, soy, bananas, apricots, oranges, turkey and peanuts to name a few (there are alot more items on my list that I am unable to eat )….I ate a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal (old fashioned kind that you make in a pan) this morning around 10:30 and now I am coughing and feel itchy…..is this wheat related or am I allergic to oatmeal too?? UGH!
Gluten cross contamination. Unless you buy gluten free pats they are likely to have been proceeded with wheat and on equipment that processes wheat.
I know there’s gluten free beer out there and I’ve read the comments with refrence to vodka, but what about whiskey? I know straight whisky has to be betwen 50-70% corn, but what about that last 30%? Does the distillation process cancel it out as with vinegar?
Just found out I am allergic to wheat, rye, beef, and chicken (skin test, the blood test for celiac was negative). I’ve also been lactose intolerant my whole life. I’m almost 30 so this is a big change for me – a girl could use a drink right about now! Any thoughts?
Single-malt whiskeys do not have the most perfect distilling process, that’s what helps give them their unique taste. I personally still consider them pretty safe but don’t have any research at hand to back that up. It would make the basis for a pretty good article though, so I’ll see what I can find out.
Blended whiskeys are more highly refined, but not as much as vodka. My feelings about them are similar to single malts, but more so.
Hope that helps!
My ‘almost’ two year old daughter was tested for food allergens. I got the results back, but I don’t understand where I need to go from here, with her diet. She was positive 2+ for egg whites, positive 2+ for wheat, but her transglutaminase antibody was negative, and 1+ equivocal for soya. Since 6 months, she has been on soy milk, because we thought she was allergic to milk. The milk protein came back negative. Do i take her off soy milk, and put her on something else? And what does it mean when shes positive to wheat protein, but negative to trasglutaminase? What should i be cutting out of her diet, etc… I am lost…and doctor wasn’t able to help me interpret the results.
That does sound confusing!
My personal approach is to eliminate any food that might be a problem, see if symptoms disappear, then slowly reintroduce foods one at a time to see if the symptoms come back. So in the case of conflicting test results, go with the positive result for now.
You need help form someone who does understand the results. Is your doctor an allergist? If so, not a good one! Find an allergist to help interpret results, and a dietician to help you work out a suitable diet for your daughter.
Let us know how that goes. Good luck!
My son was just tested for allergies because of a rash. He is 2. The test came back positive for a wheat and egg whit allergy (both level 2). He eats a TON of wheat and gluten loaded products. He never complains of stomach pain, goes to the bathroom regularly, and has no other symptoms as far as we can tell other than the rash. Here are my questions:
Does he need to immediately cut these products out of his diet?
Will exposure to these foods make his allergic reactions worse and worse?
Would a Low-Gluten diet help?
Thank you for your time.
The sooner your son cuts out wheat, the sooner the rash will stop – assuming that is in deed what is actually causing it. Only wait if you want him to suffer for longer.
Low-gluten is unlikely to help. Allergies are caused by the smallest amounts, and the rest doesn’t do that much more. For most people, it’s all or nothing. If you put your son on a low-gluten diet, you probably won’t see improvement, so just do it right, cut out 100% of wheat/gluten, NO EXCEPTIONS, and see what happens. It may take weeks to see any results at all so be patient, give it at least two months.
I never knew I had either wheat or gluten allergy until I looked back at my childhood. I always had stomach problems, anemia and case of skin itchies, and I was prescribed belladonna as a child for my stomach, cod liver oil for anemia, and later in life prednisone. As an adult, I’ve had at least three false symptoms of heart attack, winding up in ER but no findings of heart problems. I also suffered from severe arthritis pains and advanced osteoporosis despite a regimen of regular exercises. Additionally, I was diagnosed with IBS. My gastroenterologist gave me a cursory test for wheat allergy by a nutritionist having me eat Lorna Doone cookies and observing me in an hour-long test, only to say I don’t have celiac disease. I don’t know what she was looking for. In any case, I decided to simply go on a gluten-free diet after much research. I’ve been on this diet for three months, and my stomach problems, my itchies, and most of all, my arthritis pains have miraculously disappeared. But, I am still not sure whether I am simply wheat allergic or gluten sensitive. I am afraid to do a process of elimination by eating other grains that do not contain wheat for fear my arthritis pains would come back. All the health problems I’ve been through growing up and into adulthood had been a living hell for me. I am not so sure at my age now, I’d be willing to do experimentation. I no longer wish to see doctors who can’t figure out what is really wrong with me other than merely give me prescription medications that make me even sicker. I think I’ll just maintain a gluten-free diet even though I love barley and oats, which are suppose to be wheat-free.
Your approach sounds sensible, even if you may have to cut out a few things you don’t need to. Cutting out wheat is the hardest part anyhow.