What Can I Eat With Celiac Disease?

What can I eat with celiac disease? A very common question. Treatment for celiac disease is both simple and challenging. Those with the disease must maintain a strict gluten-free diet for life. By avoiding gluten, you allow your intestine to heal. Your other symptoms should gradually subside and your risk of developing serious complications of untreated celiac disease will be reduced. If you have celiac disease or know someone who has it, you know it can be challenging to go gluten-free. It requires one to educate themselves on foods that contain gluten, watch for hidden gluten in food products and medications, and give up some foods that they may enjoy. Because of this, CDHF always recommends working with a registered dietitian to get support and navigate through going completely gluten-free.

If you’re newly diagnosed with celiac disease, you may be wondering where to start when it comes to the foods you can and cannot eat. To help, we’ve partnered with Dr. Schar to lay out all of the food groups and some common foods in each category that are usually safe, foods you need to check (risky), and foods that must be avoided (not allowed) if you have celiac disease. Even if you are familiar with some products, it’s important that you check the labels as they may change their gluten containing claims. If you’ve been diagnosed for a while, test out your knowledge with their nutritional quiz here!

Grains

Usually Safe

• Oats (certified gluten-free) View more info on what to watch out for with oats
• Wheat Starch (gluten-free)
• Maize, rice and potato starch
• Rice cereals and corn cereals without barley malt
• Rice
• Millet and Teff
• Certified gluten-free buckwheat
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Carob Flour
• Tapioca
• Cassava
• Chestnuts

Risky

• Ready-made dishes (ex. mashed potatoes)
• Potato crisps
• Puffed rice
• Seasoned rice mixes

Not Allowed

• Einkrn wheat
• Barley
• Couscous
• Durum wheat
• Emmer
• Rye
• Spelt
• Triticale
• Unripe spelt grain
• Wheat

Vegetables

Usually Safe

• All types of vegetables and pulses!

Risky

• Convenience vegetable dishes
• French fries may contain wheat as an ingredient, or could be fried in the same oil as other gluten-containing foods

Not Allowed

• Dishes with vegetable and gluten containing grains
• Vegetables in breadcrumbs or flour with gluten-containing sauces
• Battered or wrapped veggies like tempura or spring rolls

Meat, Meat Alternatives, Seafood, Fish and Eggs

Usually Safe

• Canned or dried pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, beans (without sauce) or split peas, unseasoned nuts and seeds
• All types of meat, fish and seafood
• Eggs
• Tofu

Risky

• Seasoned or dry roasted nuts
• Ready-made meals and sauces without meat or fish
• Rollmops
• Flavoured tofu
• Processed meat (may contain gluten in fillers including deli meats, jerky, sausages, hot dogs)

Not Allowed

• Baked beans thickened with whole wheat flour
• Fish, seafood or meat in breadcrumbs, in flour with gluten-containing sauces
• Marinated herrings

Beverages

Usually Safe

• All alcoholic drinks except for beer and malt whisky (be sure to check all alcoholic drink ingredients)
• Coffee
• Fruit juices and fruit drinks
• Soft drinks such as cola and lemonades. Not all are gluten-free, so be sure to check labels
• Tea- however not ALL are gluten-free, so be sure to check labels for different additives

Risky

• Cocoa
• Premixed fruit milkshakes

Not Allowed

• Beer
• Coffee substitutes containing beer, barley or malt

Sweets

Usually Safe

• Sugar
• Honey
• Jams and marmalade (be sure to double-check labels)
• Maple syrup

Risky

• Chewing gum
• Chocolate bars
• Cocoa powder, cocoa paste
• Ice cream, ice pops and grenadine
• Sweets

Not Allowed

• Chocolate with non-gluten-free cereals

Fats, spices, sauces, and bakery products

Usually Safe

• All oils
• Butter
• Lard
• Maragarine
• Pepper
• Pure spices
• Salt

Risky

• Baking additives (ex. baking powder)
• Convenience sauces
• Mixed spices
• Soya sauces
• Stock cubes
• Vinegar

Not Allowed

• All sauces with gluten-based ingredients
• Bechamel sauce and hollandaise sauce (however, they can be made gluten-free)

Milk products

Usually Safe

• Cream
• Curd cheese such as Ricotta, Mascarpone, Mozzarella
• Milk and milk alternatives (soy, almond, cashew, rice). Oat milk can be gluten-free, but it is best to check if it was prepared with certified gluten-free oats

Risky

• Cheese dishes
• Cheese spread
• Cremes and custard (yogurt or frozen yogurt with wheat starch as thickener, ice cream containing add-ins like wafers and cookie dough)
• Pre-packaged milkshakes
• Roquefort

Not Allowed

• Milk products with cereals (ex. Muesli yogurt) However, some cereals are gluten-free. Be sure to check the label!

Fruits

Usually Safe

• All fruits and nuts. Should always triple check for cross contamination with nuts!

Risky

• Dried fruits

You’ve got this!

Fortunately, the world has become a much friendlier place for people who can’t eat gluten and treatment for celiac disease is much easier than it has been in the past.

Grocery stores stock an increasing number and variety of gluten-free products, including gluten-free versions of pasta, bagels, crackers, pretzels, and other baked goods. Dr. Schar provides a wide range of gluten-free products to meet your needs including bread, snacks such as crackers, and treats such as cookies! Check them out.

Gluten-free options are also gaining ground in restaurants, cookbooks and cooking websites. You don’t need to be shy to ask waiters about modifying dishes to meet your health requirements. You can also prepare for restaurant outings by checking out their online menus. If you know that gluten-free choices won’t be available, you can eat before going out, bring gluten-free snacks with you or choose a more appropriate restaurant.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, we always recommend working with a registered dietitian with expertise in treatment for celiac disease and nutritional counselling to help guide what works best for YOU!