Top 10 Tips for a Gluten-Free Diet

Switching to a gluten-free diet is not always easy, but if you follow these steps, refraining from eating gluten will be much easier:

• Read food labels when you shop
• Use gluten-free substitutes
• Many foods are naturally gluten-free
• Eat naturally gluten-free grains and cereals
• Some alcohol contains gluten
• You can still go out with family and friends
• Be cautious of cross contamination
• Many sauces contain gluten
• Try new gluten-free recipes
• Gluten-free meals can be equally as delicious as their counterpart

Photo Source: ww.bbcgoodfood.com

Coeliac disease is a lifelong, serious autoimmune disease caused by the immune system reacting to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The only treatment for the condition is a strict gluten-free diet for life.

For those newly diagnosed with the condition, the prospect of a strict gluten-free diet may seem daunting at first; but armed with the right knowledge, the gluten-free diet can be relatively easy to adapt to. Here are Coeliac UK’s top 10 tips for everyday eating…

1. Get used to reading food labels when you shop.

All packaged food in the UK and the EU is covered by a law on allergen labelling, meaning you can tell whether or not a product is suitable for a gluten-free diet by reading the ingredients list. If a cereal containing gluten has been used as an ingredient in the product, it must be listed in the ingredients list (no matter how little is used).

The specific grain will be listed, so look out for mentions of wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, Kamut® or any other grain which has been made through breeding these together as these all contain gluten. Often, these ingredients will be highlighted in bold.

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