What Contains Gluten

Making a list of gluten free foods is tricky. There are foods that are naturally gluten free, but cooking or preparation can add gluten. Then there are issues of cross-contamination. Even if a food you love appears on a list of gluten free foods, it's still important to check individual packaging.

Gluten Free Meat and Poultry

All meat and poultry are naturally gluten free, but you have to be careful of preparation and cooking methods. Most fried meats is fried in a cracker or flour coating, so it will contain gluten. If you are shopping for prepared breaded or fried meat, make sure the packaging specifically says "gluten free."

These items, in their natural state, are gluten free:

• chicken
  
• beef
  
• turkey
  
• lamb
  
• cornish hens
  
• pork
  
• game

The above items are gluten free as long as they are not cooked with items containing gluten. Also beware of cross-contamination issues.

Vegetables

Like meat, vegetables are gluten free. It is only through cooking and handling that vegetables come in contact with gluten. Saute, boil, broil, stir fry, of bake your veggies without breading or grains to keep them free of gluten. Enjoy: cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, eggplant, okra, cauliflower, and all other veggies.

Grains and Flours

Grains are the really tricky part of gluten free living. Most common flours contain wheat, so they are off-limits to those who live the gluten free lifestyle. However, there are gluten free alternatives. Although some of these are not normally considered to be grains, they can be used to make gluten free flour and so are included here.

• Acorn
  
• Almond
  
• Amaranth
  
• Arrowroot
  
• Artichoke (may be used to make flour)
  
• Beans (used in many gluten free flours)
  
• Buckwheat
  
• Cassava
  
• Chickpeas (made into flour)
  
• Coconut (used in flours)
  
• Corn
  
• Corn flour
  
• Cornmeal
  
• Cottonseed
  
• Dal
  
• Fava bean
  
• Flaxseed
  
• Gram flour
  
• Hominy
  
• Hominy grits
  
• Job's tears
  
• Kasha
  
• Lentils
  
• Manioc
  
• Millet
  
• Milo
  
• Modified corn starch
  
• Potato (used to make flour)
  
• Quinoa
  
• Rice
  
• Rice couscous
  
• Risotto
  
• Sago
  
• Sesame
  
• Sorghum
  
• Sweet potato (may be ground into flour)
  
• Taro flour
  
• Soy
  
• Tapioca