Controlling celiac disease is not so much about foods you should eat as foods you shouldn't eat. The foods on this list are considered to be generally safe for people with celiac. You'll need to carefully check labels on all foods marked with an asterisk (*) because ingredients can vary from brand to brand.
Because most of the popular grains contain gluten, it is important to try new, safe whole grains. You’ll also need to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits to make sure that you get a wide variety of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Toward the end of the grocery list, I’ve listed additives and ingredients that are also thought to be safe.
Fruits
ALL fresh fruits
ALL frozen whole fruits with no additives
Vegetables and Legumes
ALL fresh vegetables
ALL frozen vegetables with no additives, breading, or sauces
*Beans, canned
Beans, lentils, and peas, dried
Olives
Potatoes (all varieties)
*Pumpkin, canned, 100% pure puree
Seafood
ALL fresh fish and shellfish
ALL frozen fish and shellfish with no additives or sauces
Lean Proteins
ALL fresh meats and poultry with no breading or additives
ALL frozen meats and poultry with no breading or additives
Eggs
Tofu
Nuts and Seeds (Preferably Unsalted)
ALL natural nut butters
ALL nuts
ALL seeds (except rye and barley)
Grains, Cereals, Pasta, and More
Amaranth
Arrowroot starch
Buckwheat
*Cereals, dry: puffed and flake varieties made with amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, rice, or soy
*Cereals, hot: cream and flake varieties made with amaranth, cornmeal, buckwheat, hominy grits, rice, quinoa, or soy
Corn bran
Corn chips, plain
Corn flour/corn meal products
Crackers, gluten-free (such as brown rice, corn, and lentil)
Flour: amaranth, buckwheat, carob, chickpea, lentil, millet, potato, quinoa, rice, sago, sorghum, soy, tapioca, teff
Grits (corn or soy)
Kasha (not the same as Kashi)
Masa
Millet
Pasta made from beans, brown rice, corn, peas, potato, quinoa, lentils, or soy
Polenta
*Popcorn, air-popped and gluten-free packaged varieties
Potato chips, plain or *flavored
Quinoa
Ragi
Rice (preferably brown or wild)
Rice cakes, plain
*Soba, 100% buckwheat
Sorghum
*Soy crisps
*Tacos shells made with corn, hard and soft
Tapioca starch/flour
Teff
*Tortillas made with corn, soy, or brown rice
Tortilla chips, plain or *flavored
Dairy
*Cheese (preferably reduced-fat), not blue cheese
*Cottage cheese (preferable fat-free or 1% low-fat)
*Cream cheese (preferably reduced-fat)
*Ice cream (check labels; ingredients will vary from flavor to flavor)
Milk (preferably fat free or 1% low-fat)
*Milk alternatives (soy, almond, rice)
*Sour cream (preferably fat-free or reduced-fat)
*Yogurt (preferably fat-free or low-fat)
Miscellaneous
ALL pure herbs (check ingredients of *herb mixes)
ALL pure spices (check ingredients of *spice mixes)
Apple cider vinegar
Baking chocolate
Baking powder
Baking soda
Canola oil
Cocoa powder
Coffee, instant and ground (check ingredients of *flavored coffees)
Corn syrup
Cornstarch
Cream of tartar
Garlic
Gelatin
Honey
*Hummus (check labels; ingredients will vary from flavor to flavor)
Jam and jelly
*Ketchup
Maple syrup
*Mayonnaise (preferably reduced-fat)
Molasses
*Mustard
Olive oil
Pickles
Relish
*Salsa
*Soft tub, trans fat–free spread (regular and reduced-fat)
Sugar
Tea, black and green (check *flavored and herbal tea varieties)
Vanilla and other extracts
Vinegar, balsamic, red wine, or white
Wine, red and white
* The asterisk (*) indicates foods whose labels need to be carefully checked for gluten.
Safe (Gluten-Free) Additives
Acacia gum
Adipic acid
Agar
Algae
Algin/alginate
Allicin
Annatto
Arabic gum
Arrowroot
Ascorbic acid
Aspartame
Aspic
Astragalus gummifer
Benzoic acid
BHA
BTA
Dextrose
Ester gum
Fructose
Guar gum
Locust bean gum
Malic acid
Methylcellulose
Microcrystallin cellulose
Pectin
Pepsin
Stearic acid
Sulfites
Tapioca starch/flour (not pudding)
Whey
Xanthan gum
* The asterisk (*) indicates foods whose labels need to be carefully checked for gluten.
Get Joy's Gluten-Free, Whole-Grain Shopping List.