Gluten Free Diet

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats and foods made from these cereals. A gluten free diet avoids all foods containing wheat, rye, barley and oats.

Why a Gluten Free Diet?

There are two separate conditions which are caused by a reaction to gluten. These are:

a) Coeliac condition - gluten causes a reaction which affects the lining of the small bowel reducing its ability to absorb food.
b) Dermatitis herpeformis - gluten causes a skin reaction

Both conditions respond to a gluten free diet.

List of gluten free manufactured products.

The Coeliac Society publishes a comprehensive list of manufactured products stated as being gluten free by the manufacturers and are therefore permitted in you gluten free diet. The list is updated every 18 months MAKE SURE YOUR LIST IS UP TO DATE.

Reference is made to the list on the diet sheet.

Labels on individual products must always be checked because manufacturers do frequently change ingredients.

Coeliac Society

The Coeliac Society was formed in 1968 to promote the welfare of children and adults who have been medically diagnosed as having Coeliac Condition or Dermatitis Herpeformis.

The Society publishes a Coeliac Handbook costs £2.00 and the comprehensive List of Gluten Free Manufactured Products costs £1.25.

It is strongly advised that you join the Coeliac Society. If you are not on the mailing list you can join by filling in the application form and send a S.A.E. to:-

The Coeliac Society
PO Box 220
High Wycombe
Bucks

Foods Allowed Freely

Cereals and Breakfast Cereals

Gluten free flour, potato flour, buckwheat, arrowroot, rice, flour, whole and ground rice, sago, tapioca, Soya flour, cornflour, maize, Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Ricicles, baby rice, Farex, gluten free pasta, Crunchy Nut, Coco Pops, Coco Crispies, Soya and rice bran, gluten free bread, bread mix, biscuits on prescription, home made gluten free bread, biscuits and cakes using gluten free flour.

Meat, poultry and bacon

Alll fresh, frozen, tinned prepacked plain meats if cooked with gluten, i.e. liver, bacon, home-made burgers.

All gravy, sauces, stews made with gluten free flour and ingredients.

Fish

All fresh, cured, smoked fish, shellfish, fish tinned in oil, plain frozen fish - without batter or breadcrumbs or sauces.

Milk, cheese and eggs

All types of milk, cream, yoghurt (except muesli yoghurt), cheeses, eggs cooked in any way with gluten free ingredients.

Fats

Butter, margarine, lard, oil, dripping.

Vegetables

All fresh, frozen, plain dried and tinned in water, plain crisps, instant mash, baked beans.

Deserts

Home made puddings using gluten free ingredients - dream topping, ambrosia, creamed rice/sago/tapioca.

Sauces, soups and stock cubes

Home made gluten free sauces and soups. Clear pickles, permitted stock cubes.

Preserves and sweets

Jam, marmalade, honey, syrup, treacle, molasses, sugar, glucose - most plain and dark chocolate is suitable - also Mars Bar, Milky Way.

Beverages

Tea, coffee, fruit juice, fruit squashes, fizzy drinks, Bovril, marmite, commercially prepared beers, wines, spirits, Complan, Build-Up, Oxo, mineral waters.

Miscellaneous

Salt, pure pepper, herbs, vinegar, pure spices, essences, malt and malt extracts, colourings, nuts, yeast, bicarbonate of soda, tartaric acid, home made baking powder, peanut butter.

Foods to Avoid

Deserts

Check list for ice cream, mousse, custard powder, blancmange, packet puddings and imitation cream.

Sauces, soups and stock cu