The problem in giving a definitive gluten-free (GF) list is that gluten-free not only relates to what items contain gluten or not, but also it relates to how an item is processed. Items processed in a facility and on equipment that is shared with gluten-containing foods are not considered GF. With that in mind, here are three lists as a good starting point to learn what foods have gluten and which do not:

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Ingredients CONTAINING Gluten (Avoid on a GF diet)

• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Malt (malt vinegar, malt flavorings, etc.)
• Triticale (hybrid of wheat and rye)
• Kamult
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Bulgar
• Farina
• Flour (Durum flour, baking flour, cake flour, all-purpose flour, bread flour, etc.)

 

Popular foods that contain these gluten ingredients and should typically be AVOIDED (unless labeled GF):

• Pasta
• Bread
• Pizza
• Pancakes
• Crackers
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Pies
• Soy sauce
• Sauces (frozen or from a restaurant)
• Ketchup
• Ice cream
• Some dental and cosmetic products (lip balm, lipstick and anything that might possibly touch your lips even by accident)
• Pickles and pickled veggies if they contain malt vinegar
• Hot dogs
• Mexican tortillas (unless made from corn)
• Hot chocolate
• French fries (if prepared in the same oil and with other gluten-containing ingredients)
• Breaded and fried items like breaded shrimp, fish, chicken strips, etc.
• Wheat-free items (not necessarily gluten-free)
• Bouillon cubes
• Soups
• Medicine and Vitamins

 

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Gluten-free Ingredients/Foods (Okay on a GF diet)

• Meats like beef, pork, and lamb (unless cooked, processed or breaded with gluten containing items)
• Fish and poultry (unless cooked or processed with gluten containing items)
• Eggs
• Most dairy products
• Unprocessed Nuts and seeds
• Beans and peas
• All types of fruits
• All types of vegetables
• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat (not a typo, it's gluten-free even though it has the word wheat)
• Corn (cornmeal, hominy, corn tortillas, etc.)
• Flax
• GF Flour including (chickpea, soy, corn, rice, potato, bean, etc.)
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca
• Distilled spirits like wine and hard liquor (however, some wine coolers and bottled mixed-liquor drinks have ingredients with gluten)

It's important to make sure that these items are not processed or mixed with gluten-containing grains, additives or preservatives.

 

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Suspect Foods (okay ONLY if specifically labeled GF)

• Medicines (some can use gluten as a binding agent)
• Beer (the vast majority of brands contain gluten)
• Oats and Oatmeal (many brands are contaminated by processing)
• Bread, bagels, rolls, toast
• Cake
• Pie
• Candy
• Cereal
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Croutons
• French fries (check the oil it is fried in to see if it is shared with gluten foods)
• Gravy
• Imitation meat or seafood
• Matzo
• Pasta
• Processed deli meat
• Salad dressing
• Sauces, including soy sauce
• Seasoned rice mixes
• Seasoned snack foods, such as potato and tortilla chips
• Self-basting poultry
• Soups and soup bases
• Vegetables, or really anything, in sauce

The key is to be an avid label-reader and allow time at the grocery store for you to be able to do that. Also, be prepared to ask a lot of chefs at restaurants what different items on the menu contain, especially broths, soups, sauces, etc.