Most people diagnosed with celiac disease quickly learn to skip bread, pasta, beer, and baked goods. But knowing which foods to avoid with celiac disease goes far deeper than that. Gluten shows up in soy sauce, salad dressings, candy, medications, and dozens of products you'd never suspect. Even trace amounts can trigger intestinal damage — so this isn't about preference. It's about safety.
The Obvious Sources (Quick Checklist)
You probably already know these, but for completeness:
- Bread, rolls, buns, bagels, and wheat flour tortillas
- Pasta (unless labeled GF)
- Beer, ale, and lager (made from barley)
- Crackers, pretzels, and breadsticks
- Baked goods: cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, pie crusts
- Breaded and battered foods: fried chicken, onion rings, fish sticks
- Couscous and seitan (both made from wheat)
Hidden Sources That Catch People Off Guard
Soy Sauce
Standard soy sauce is brewed with wheat. It's in stir-fries, marinades, sushi restaurants, and countless Asian dishes. Replace it with tamari (check the label — most are wheat-free) or coconut aminos.
Malt and Malt Vinegar
Malt is derived from barley. Malt vinegar, malted milk, malt flavoring in cereals, and malt extract are all sources of gluten. Distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are safe; malt vinegar is not.
Oats (Conventional)
Oats themselves don't contain gluten, but conventional oats are almost always contaminated with wheat during growing, harvesting, or processing. Only certified gluten-free oats processed in dedicated facilities are safe for celiac diners.
Salad Dressings and Sauces
Many creamy dressings and sauces use wheat flour or modified food starch as a thickener. This includes some ranch dressings, Caesar dressing, teriyaki sauce, cream sauces, and gravy. Always read labels or ask at restaurants.
Soups
Cream-based soups almost always use flour as a thickener (clam chowder, cream of mushroom, bisques). Even broth-based soups sometimes contain pasta, barley, or flour-thickened bases. Use cornstarch or arrowroot as a thickener at home.
Processed Meats
Hot dogs, sausages, deli meats, and meat patties sometimes contain wheat-based fillers, binders, or modified food starch. Not all brands do — but enough that you need to read labels every time. Fresh, unprocessed meat is always safe.
Candy and Snack Bars
Wheat starch, barley malt, and cookie or wafer pieces appear in many popular candies. Licorice typically contains wheat flour. Check the full ingredient list — the allergen statement will flag wheat, but barley and rye aren't always listed.
Medications and Supplements
Some pills and capsules use wheat starch as a binder or filler. Ask your pharmacist to verify that your medications are gluten free, or contact the manufacturer directly.
Communion Wafers
For observant Christians with celiac disease, traditional communion wafers are made from wheat. Many churches now offer low-gluten or gluten-free alternatives. This is worth discussing with your clergy.
Play-Doh and Craft Materials
For parents of children with celiac disease: Play-Doh contains wheat flour. If your child handles it and then touches their mouth, they're ingesting gluten. Use GF modeling clay alternatives for craft time.
Label Reading: Beyond the Allergen Statement
US food labeling law requires wheat to be listed in the allergen statement, but barley and rye are not considered major allergens and may not be called out. To catch them:
- Scan the full ingredient list for: barley, rye, malt, malt extract, malt flavoring, brewer's yeast
- Look for "certified gluten free" labels from organizations like GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization), which test to below 10 parts per million
- "Wheat-free" does not mean gluten free — a product can be wheat-free but still contain barley or rye
Cross-Contamination at Home
If you share a kitchen with gluten eaters, these steps matter:
- Dedicated toaster: Bread crumbs in a shared toaster will contaminate GF bread. Get a separate one.
- Separate cutting boards and colanders: Porous surfaces and mesh can trap gluten particles.
- Clean counters and shared surfaces before preparing GF food.
- Separate condiment jars: A knife that touched bread and then dipped into the peanut butter jar has contaminated it. Use squeeze bottles or dedicated jars.
- Separate cooking water: Don't cook GF pasta in water that was used for regular pasta.
When in Doubt, Go Whole
The simplest rule for avoiding hidden gluten: eat whole, unprocessed foods. Fresh meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, rice, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds are all naturally gluten free. The more processed a food is, the more likely gluten has crept in somewhere.
For help navigating gluten at restaurants, see our guide to gluten free fast food options or get meal inspiration from our gluten free meal ideas.
DinePick is building tools to flag hidden gluten sources in restaurant menus automatically — so you can focus on enjoying your meal instead of interrogating every ingredient.