Look out for hidden gluten!
This meal looks great doesn’t it! Pulled pork burger with an apple crisp side salad, sweet potato fries and fruit water. Can you have it?
It can be quite daunting when you first become gluten free as you suddenly realise it’s more than just the cakes and bread and pasta you will be cutting out. Is the burger gluten free? Do the fries have a flour coating on them? What sauce has been put with the pulled pork? What does the vinaigrette contain?
When it comes to gluten, some of it is really obvious: cake, pasta, bread unless labelled free from are not for us! Others can be a lot trickier to spot though. This is sometimes down to food labeling, and you’ll often see gluten as ingredients such as vegetable protein, emulsifiers, dextrins, stabilizers, starches, modified food starch or hydrolyzed vegetable protein to name but a few. Food labelling has improved though and more often you will see a food manufacturer clearly label that the product is gluten free or vegan and that makes our lives easier.
It has become second nature to me now to read food labels. I still read food labels of products that have been safe for years as you simply don’t know when the ingredient list will change. I used to find it tiresome and a bother and quite embarrassing. However, this little thing called gluten can be a huge problem if you’re a coeliac or gluten intolerant. Even a tiny bit of gluten can trigger symptoms and these symptoms are not pleasant.
I now cook a lot at home and meal plan a lot. Making a curry or tomato sauce for pasta? I make double or triple and label and date it and place it in the freezer. It’s so much better for the family, I get to control how much sugar and salt goes into the dishes and I get to control the quality of the ingredients as well.
Back to the hiding gluten. You might be surprised to know about some of the foods and drinks that contain gluten so lets look at them briefly:
Potato chips
That’s right. That simple evening snack when watching a movie can be a big culprit! Dairy free as well and your choice is even less! It’s not so much the potato chips themselves but it’s super common for their seasonings to contain wheat starch or malt vinegar.
French fries
They’re often coated in wheat and if you’re at a restaurant or take away they could be cooked in the same oil or frying pan as that lovely golden gluten battered fish has been in.
Granola bars
A snack on a run is not so easy perhaps. They’re often made from oats that may have come into contact with gluten and aren’t certified as gluten free.
Salad dressings and marinades
Often contain malt vinegar, soy sauce or flour and so take extra precaution when looking at the labels.
Processed soups and sauces
They can use flour as a thickener so remember if your making your own, make a bit extra and throw it in the freezer for a later date. Homemade tastes so much better!
Hot chocolates
Cross contamination with gluten can be a problem with some pre-packaged cocoa drinks. I have a lovely recipe for a gluten free, dairy free hot chocolate so if you want it message me and I will email it to you. Again, if it’s hot chocolate season make a lot of it and keep it in a jug in the fridge. It can be quickly warmed in the microwave or on the stove.
Don’t spend your time like I did getting embarrassed about checking food labels. Health is wealth and we are worth it. Get into the habit of checking food labels thoroughly before you buy so you know exactly what you’ll be consuming and take a leaf out of my children’s book and don’t be afraid to ask when you are out a restaurant. They have grown up with this as a normal part of life.
Don’t forget about any medications you’re on (including supplements). Gluten is often used as a binder and medications can be a surprising source of gluten that many people aren’t aware of. Many brands now label the medications as gluten free so take a look before purchasing.
Finally but most importantly. Your local coeliac society can be a fountain of knowledge and I always recommend getting in touch with them. They often have resources which help you stay healthy such as information on restaurants and supermarkets food which is safe for consumption.
If you require any further information or help then please get in contact with me via the form online.
I hope you have enjoyed this information. Until next time!
Emma Alexander-Cook.
