23 Jul Does it Contain Gluten?

16 Foods, Beverages, and Non-Food Products to Watch Out for When Going Gluten-Free!

Sometimes people think of the obvious things to avoid when going gluten-free (rye, wheat, barley) in the form of bread, crackers, and other processed carbs. However, there are a lot of common sources of gluten that you’ll want to steer clear of if you’re going gluten-free.

1. Shampoos and Conditioners—many beauty, hair, and skincare products have gluten-containing ingredients!
2. Chewing gum
3. Lotions, soaps, sunscreens
4. Lipsticks, Lip-glosses, Lip Balms
5. Toothpaste and Dental products
6. Medicines and vitamins—Gluten-containing grains can be used as fillers in medications and vitamins. 
7. Twizzlers, Licorice, and other candies—Many candies such as licorice contain gluten as an anti-sticking agent
8. Soy Sauce and Chinese/Japanese/Thai food in general—Gluten-free soy sauce does exist and you can ask for it in most sushi restaurants (it’s called Tamari), but normally wheat is one of the main ingredients in soy sauce. Be wary of soy sauce and dishes containing it!
9. Gravy, BBQ sauces, salad dressings, condiments, and canned soups— sauces and soups, in general, are an easy place to hide gluten-containing grains!
10. Flavored chips—plain potato and tortilla chips may be safe but watch for ingredients in additional flavorings.
11. Oats—When shopping for oats make sure they are certified gluten-free. Many oats are harvested along with wheat, making most oats contaminated with gluten.
12. Processed meats—Gluten-containing grains are often added to processed meats as fillers. 
13. Dry roasted nuts—Some dry roasted nuts are okay, but others are coated in gluten-containing grains. Be sure to read the label!
14. Cereals— Many cereals could be confused as being “gluten-free” because they don’t CONTAIN gluten-containing grains per se. For instance, Corn Flakes are certainly made with corn. But, unless a cereal is labeled as gluten-free, these cereals should be avoided. You will not be able to tell how the grains were harvested and sorted, and whether or not the cereal is contaminated with gluten.
15. Bottled “green” juices — many contain gluten in them from barley grass, wheatgrass, and oat grass that are added to them.
16. Alcohol—Malt beverages, beer, and ales are NOT gluten-free. However, there are a number of great gluten-free beers now on the market (Glutenberg and Omission are two of my favs).

Lots of alcohol products are naturally gluten-free (wine distilled liquors such as potato, corn, or grape vodkas; tequila; rum; spirits,  most hard ciders; and some spiked seltzer’s).

There is a lot of controversy as to whether distilled grain alcohols such as bourbon, whiskey, and scotch are gluten-free (depending on their distillation process). To be safe, I’ve avoided these products. If you choose to enjoy these grain alcohols, be sure to assess how you feel after ingestion and consult with your nutritionist! The severity of your allergy or intolerance may play a role in how your body responds!