What Free Diet

Wheat Allergy

Wheat is a major problem in the western world. Up to a few years ago, should one have had to exclude wheat from your diet it would have been difficult as it was extremely difficult to find alternatives. However, there is a great deal of information, consideration and information now available about special diets such as those free of wheat.

Wheat allergy happens as an IgE reaction to any of the proteins in wheat grain. These four kinds of protein are: glutenis, globulins, gliadins and albumins.  

Wheat allergy symptoms include asthma, rhinitis, angiodema, urticaria and conjunctivitis, stomach pain, loose faeces, as well as skin ailments like eczema. 

Wheat sensitivity necessitates the avoidance of products including wheat, in other words, a wheat free diet.  In order to uphold a wheat free diet you need to ensure that you check all food labels for the ingredients. Be wary of ready to eat meals and ready to eat sauces previously prepared.

Given the wheat free diet needs of customers, there are various food ranges at hand in supermarkets as well as health food shops. Such wheat free diet foods include wheat free flours, biscuits, cakes and frozen foods.  The availability of such wheat free diet products has made a valuable contribution to people on special diets, extended their food choices and enabled them to adapt recipes by using alternative wheat free flours and other wheat free products.  Wheat free cooking may seem like a challenge. Nonetheless, like with anything else, with practice and through trial and error it gets easier.

Gluten is a complex protein in wheat. On a wheat free diet, the individual avoids the whole grain, not just the gluten.

Foods to Avoid

• Buns, breads, pizza, scones, pastries, cakes, biscuits, rusks and crispbreads which have as an ingredient refined wheat or whole wheat, bran or wheat germ, bran
• Breakfast cereals which have wheat, bran or wheat germ
• Thickeners in stews, soup, gravies and sauces
• The majority of stock cubes
• All breaded and battered foods
• Semolina
• Foods with 'food starch' or modified starch
• Macaroni, spaghetti, as well as other pastas made from durum wheat
• Couscous, bulgur (cracked wheat) and spelt (ancient wheat)
• Tinned and processed meats, beef burgers, sausages, corned beef, black puddings, hamburgers which may contain cereal
• Soya sauce
• Monosodium Glutamate or E621 (a flavour enhancer) found mainly in Chinese food, stock cubes, flavoured crisps, sauces, dried soups and processed foods  
• All types of mustard and mustard powder
• Certain chocolates and specific sweets like liquorice, seaside rock, and boiled sweets
• Certain alcoholic drinks like wheat beer, gin, specific whiskies and certain vodkas
• Horseradish sauce
• Ground white pepper
• Particular spices, mixed herbs and seasoning mixes which may include wheat

Wheat Free Food Alternatives

Can be bought from health food shops and supermarkets. Try to ensure you choose organically grown grains whenever you can.

• Cakes, bread and biscuits made from barley, rye, oats, corn, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet or amaranth
• Rye crisp breads and German rye (pumpernickel) bread
• Soya bran, rice bran
• Rice crackers and puffed rice cakes  
• Rice, millet and corn crisp breads
• Barley couscous
• Polestar
• Wheat free muesli, puffed brown rice cereals, cornflakes and millet rice (made from oats)
• Flour made from rice, rye, barley, potato, buckwheat, arrowroot, soya, arrowroot, anabranch, quinoa, cornflour (maize only), tapioca), Dove Farm flour available from some supermarkets and ‘The Stamp Collection’ flour available from certain health foods shops
• Rice noodles
• Porridge of oats, brown rice, barley or buckwheat
• Rice, corn, barley or buckwheat pastas 
• Soya sauce or Tamari
• Stock cubes known as 'Just Bouillon', which are additive-free and contain potato starch
• Tapioca, sago
• Quinoa, a good substitute for rice or couscous
• Xantham Gum, which is used in wheat free baking

Snacks

• Poppadums, made with chickpea/gram flour
• Houmous
• Macaroons (made of ground almonds and ground rice)
• Nuts/Seeds, e.g., sesame, pumpkin, sunflower seeds and pine nuts
• Sesame seed sticks
• Plain tortilla chips or plain crisps
• Fresh or dried fruit