A Gluten-free Day? It Is Not Enough To Eliminate Wheat

Fleeing gluten is not as simple as eliminating the cereals that contain it from the diet because it is estimated that it is present in 75% of processed products, which are the basis of the diet in many homes.

Gluten is used as an additive, thickener, or binder in many food products

The ease of isolating this protein, its low cost, the texture and sensory properties it provides have made it an ideal element for manufacturers, and it is incorporated together with thickeners, spices, colorants, aromas and other ingredients.

How to eliminate gluten from our diet

To achieve a 100% gluten-free diet, let’s start by eliminating the sources of gluten that are wheat and its derivatives (spelled and kamut or khorasan wheat) and other cereals that contain it, such as rye, barley, triticale and oats. In the case of the latter, it is better tolerated than other cereals with gluten and on the market we can find certified gluten-free oats.

The main advice is to opt for fresh food as we find it in nature. This is the most reliable guarantee that it does not contain gluten or traces. Vegetables, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds do not contain gluten. Cereals or pseudo-cereals like rice, quinoa, buckwheat or buckwheat, corn, amaranth, sorghum and teff, either.

The problem is found with packaged foods where gluten is rampant and where other questionable ingredients are also abundant, such as refined sugar or lactose. Therefore, eliminating or reducing these products is one of the keys par excellence for a healthy diet.

Michael Pollan, renowned American author and healthy cooking activist, recommends not consuming any food that contains more than 3 “E numbers.” We will also monitor that it is not one of those that hides this protein.

When in doubt, reject products containing starch, protein, starch, fiber, malt or yeast

Gluten as a thickener or binder ingredient or additive appears in products as varied as chunky yogurts, cold cuts, sauces, frozen potatoes, chocolates, bonbons, sweets, pâtés, prepared vegetables and rice, cooked legumes, soups and more. It is even used by the pharmaceutical industry in some medicines as an excipient (and indicates it in the package leaflet).

30 ingredients to avoid gluten on the shopping list

To avoid gluten, we have no other option but to scrupulously review the labels and reject products that contain the following words. Although some of these ingredients only contain gluten according to its origin, when in doubt, it is better to avoid them.

• Gluten
• Wheat
• Cereals
• Flour
• Starch
• Modified starches
• Starch
• Starch
• Fiber
• Thickeners
• Semolina
• Protein
• Vegetal protein
• Protein hydrolyzate
• malt
• Malt extract
• Malt syrup
• Yeast
• Yeast extract
• Spice

And also if we see the following additives :

• E-1404
• E-1410
• E-1412
• E-1413
• E-1414
• E-1420
• E-1422
• E-1440
• E-1442
• E-1450

If the product bears the seal of FACE, Federation of Associations of Celiacs of Spain, or the symbol of the barred spike, we can save ourselves this detective task.

Avoid gluten when we eat out

Avoiding this wheat protein when we eat out is difficult, because a potato omelette can be curdled with yeast, but it is not impossible.

As we do at home, to avoid cross contamination, you have to make sure that the products and kitchen utensils have not been mixed. Sometimes total absence is difficult unless we are in a specialized restaurant. When in doubt, it is better to always ask and choose the options mentioned: fresh and little processed products.

6 habits to change now!

1. For years we have lived under the omnipresence of wheat, but there is a whole world of cereals, or pseudo-cereals, such as rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, corn, buckwheat (or buckwheat), sorghum and teff. None of them contain gluten and can provide a lot of variety of flavor and nutrients.
2. We can now also find gluten-free pasta. Macaroni and spaghetti aren’t just wheat. Now we can choose from a wide range, such as rice pasta, quinoa, millet … Asian noodles or noodles have become fashionable, many of them made from rice or buckwheat, but we must read the labels carefully because they may contain wheat.
3. The classic batters can be with gluten-free flours. For croquettes, bechamel sauces and other classic recipes, we can use cornstarch, chickpea flour or brown rice flour. Making flours from other cereals at home is easy using a powerful food processor or mixer.
4. The cupcakes are also very fluffy without gluten. Although the simplest thing is to use gluten-free flour preparations, we can use whole wheat flours such as rice or buckwheat. There are lesser known products, such as corn or potato starch and xanthan gum, to achieve a texture similar to those with gluten.
5. Make a place for quinoa in your life. This grain of Andean origin is gaining a place of honor in healthy cooking. Gluten free, with proteins of high biological value, low glycemic index and rich in iron, phosphorus, fiber and vitamins of group B. It is also very digestive and easy to prepare.
6. We find more and more gluten-free products but we have to be careful because many have the same defects as foods processed with gluten : the ingredients are highly refined, contain a lot of sugar and sometimes even contain more harmful fats to compensate for the lack of elasticity provided by gluten. The healthy gluten-free diet, like the conventional one, should be based on fresh, whole, quality and preferably homemade foods.