45 things to eat RIGHT NOW (gluten-free food list)

If you’ve just been diagnosed with Celiac Diesase or a gluten allergy, you may be wondering what to eat today. Your gluten-free life has already started. It’s time to look in your pantry and find a few safe and delicious items.

Gluten-free items you can eat right now:
1. Washed fresh fruits (great for a snack)
2. Washed fresh vegetables (don’t forget potatoes!)
3. Plain frozen vegetables (Steamfresh packs are great, steer clear of sauces or seasoning)
4. Plain brown, white, or wild rice (instant is fine)
5. Rice Chex (the only mainstream gluten-free cereal!)
6. Classico pasta sauce (most varieties are labeled gluten-free)
7. Butter (use a fresh stick to avoid bread crumbs)
8. Milk
9. Eggs & Egg Beaters
10. Starkist tuna (avoid Tuna Creations or Teriyaki)
11. Olive Oil
12. Ketchup
13. Kraft mayonnaise (be sure it’s a fresh jar or a squeeze bottle)
14. BlueBell Vanilla Ice Cream
15. Boar’s Head pre-packaged cold cuts (will be labeled gluten-free)
16. Plain (unmarinated/unseasoned) cuts of meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey)
17. Plain (unmarinated/unseasoned) cuts of fish (avoid artificial crab or breaded fish)
18. Canned, diced or stewed tomatoes
19. Canned or dried unseasoned beans
20. Wine & distilled alcohol
21. Fruit juices (watch for wheat or barley in superfruit style juices)
22. Hot-air popped popcorn
23. Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese
24. Olive oil
25. Mustard
26. Coffee
27. International Delight coffee creamers (labeled gluten-free!)
28. Corn tortillas
29. Kraft or Great Value brand shredded cheese
30. Sugar, brown sugar, and honey (use individual packets when possible to avoid cross-contamination)
31. Kozy Shack pudding (all varieties, labeled gluten-free!)
32. Smart Balance buttery spread (labeled gluten-free!)
33. Tabasco sauce
34. Jams and jellies (from an uncontaminated jar)
35. Daisy light sour cream
36. Plain corn tortilla chips
37. Blue diamond nut thins (all flavors!)
38. Lundberg’s risotto mixes (labeled gluten-free!)
39. Distilled vinegar & apple cider vinegar (NOT malt vinegar)
40. HoneyBaked Ham turkey breasts and hams (even the glaze is gluten free, as per the manufacturer!)
41. Plain chocolate
42. Del Monte canned/jarred fruit and snack cups
43. Applesauce
44. Sunmaid Raisins
45. Yoplait yogurt (without crunchies or granola)

While you’re going through your pantry and fridge, keep in mind how easy it is for an item to become cross-contaminated. If your household is not exclusively gluten-free, you should print up some labels and stick them on items vulnerable to cross-contamination (butter, sugar, jam, ice cream, and mayo). The idea is to prevent anyone from putting a utensil that has been exposed to gluten back into the container. It may help to keep a separate drawer in the fridge for gluten-free items. Keep a permanent marker nearby so if someone does accidentally cross-contaminate a product, they can re-label the item as NOT GF. Keep uncontaminated duplicates of all baking items (sugar, baking soda, salt) in a separate cupboard. Don’t share a toaster with gluten- get an inexpensive second toaster and put it in a cupboard when not in use (yes, crumbs do matter). You could also use a toaster oven, since the racks are easier to clean than a traditional toaster. You can also toast gluten-free bread in the oven on tin foil.

Some companies label their gluten-free products. Wal-Mart’s store brand items (Great Value) are often labeled gluten free (this will save you lots of time with shredded cheese and dairy!). Kraft and Nabisco products will list ingredients that contain gluten on the ingredient statement. These items will be listed using commonly known terms such as Wheat, Barley, Oats or Rye. For other ingredients that contain gluten, the grain source will be declared in parenthesis after the ingredient name. For example, if the ingredient "natural flavor" contains a gluten source, the label would read: natural flavor (contains rye). For Kraft-branded products that contain vinegar, information from our vinegar suppliers assures us that the vinegar we use in our products is gluten free. Since Kraft will label gluten sources in a product, you don’t need to worry about natural flavors or modified food starch in their products, unless they say (wheat) or another gluten ingredient on the label.

When you buy meat or fish from the store, be sure that the employee handling your food changes their gloves. Many stores offer pre-seasoned or breaded items in their meat and fish areas, so you have to be proactive in selecting items that are less likely to be cross-contaminated. Many sausages or other combination products contain gluten ingredients as binders, so I suggest buying prepackaged versions of those items whose ingredients are fully disclosed.

I prefer to buy meat that is pre-packaged by a manufacturer who discloses ingredients. A great example of this is Shadybrook Farms ground turkey. Shadybrook Farms' website says there is no gluten in their ground turkey. I try to support manufacturers who will identify their gluten-free products, so I'm happy to buy Shadybrook Farms ground turkey and know that it's gluten-free and was packaged without cross-contamination. In fact, knowing that their ground turkey is gluten-free has led me to substitute turkey for other ground meat in many of my recipes.
When it comes to fish, you can often find frozen individually packaged servings of salmon, tuna, or other fish that is not breaded. Products like this are usually in a case near the fish counter, rather than with the rest of the frozen foods. These are another great option. However, unless they are specifically marked gluten-free, nearly all breaded, seasoned, or prepared frozen fish (like fish sticks or battered fish) will contain gluten.

Since I've advised you to seek out plain, unmarinated meats and fish, you may be worried that gluten-free food will be bland. I've suggested purchasing plain items so that you can control the ingredients used to marinate or season. For example, soy sauce contains gluten, but you can find wheat-free tamari sauce to use instead. Salad dressings make great marinades, and you can find prepackaged marinades that are labeled gluten-free or come from a manufacturer who will disclose gluten ingredients (like Kraft). If you live in the Northeast, many Wegmans store brand marinades and salad dressings are labeled gluten-free.

I’ve given you 45 items you can find in any grocery store. There are many gluten-free products available on the market, including specialty lines such as Glutino, Pamela’s, Gluten-Free Pantry, Ener-G, Bob’s Red Mill, Lundberg’s, Tinkyada, and Bionaturae. You can find these items in most health food stores, as well as online from Amazon.com and glutenfreemall.com (there are tons of other sources for these products). Many of the companies in the gluten-free specialty market test their products to determine if they are truly gluten-free.

Many “substitution” products (gluten-free breads, pretzels, baked goods, and cookies) are higher in calories than their regular counterparts. If you’re watching your weight, I suggest sticking with substitution products that are made from whole grains or avoiding them altogether. Additionally, I believe that less processed foods have fewer opportunities for cross-contamination to occur. I try to save “substitution” products for when I must have a particular item. This allows me to resist temptation and remain healthy. For example, I bring some gluten-free cookies to parties where I know there will be baked goods. I don’t feel awkward or deprived, and no one else notices.

Please remember that wheat free products may not be gluten free (due to barley, rye, or oat ingredients). When you read ingredients to determine if a product is safe, try to think about ways the product may have been cross-contaminated. If the chicken breast is in the butcher’s counter right next to the breaded chicken, you should pass and look for a packaged or frozen version. If a well-meaning friend tries to bake you a gluten-free item, keep in mind that their kitchen is probably not gluten-free, and items like sifters or baking supplies may be contaminated. In my own experience, non-celiacs are rarely able to tell you the level of detail you need to determine the safety of an item they’ve prepared.

You are the most qualified person to determine what is safe for you- don’t eat something suspicious to escape social pressure. I tell my friends and family that I’ll prepare my own food for nearly all situations. I host as many parties and dinners as I can, so that I know which items are genuinely gluten-free, and I can maintain the safety of my gluten-free kitchen.
It takes a lot of work, and the road can be bumpy. You’ll make some mistakes along the way, but by being an educated consumer, you can have a varied, healthy, and satisfying gluten-free lifestyle.