Wednesday 25 September 2013

Top 10 Gluten Rich Foods That Should Be Avoided



The word ‘gluten’ has been creating noise in the health circles for the past few years; the reason being the growing number complaints from people who’re allergic to gluten rich diets. To make the situation dicier for them, gluten generally doesn’t find its mention in the list of ingredients on food labels. The substance is organically present in various foods (especially wheat and flour stuff) and used as a stabilizing agent in products such as ketchup and ice cream. Therefore, it’s very difficult to rule out the possibility of its presence in different kinds of food items.
In such circumstances, a person suffering from gluten induced allergy should make it certain that he or she inquires in advance about the food composition to rule out any complications later. Here is a list of top 10 gluten rich foods that should be definitely avoided by people allergic to gluten.

10. Ice creams
Who doesn’t get excited on seeing tub full of brownies and ice creams that too from a favorite brand? But, you shouldn’t forget at any cost that brownies are rich in wheat. To top it all, rarely will you get to know the exact ingredients in the ice cream dished out to you at a party or family gathering. In case, you can’t do away with the idea of enjoying ice creams, make sure to do it at home; at least, you’ll be aware of the ingredients.

9. Some sauces
Analogous to the composition of many cream soups, there are diverse kinds of sauces that identify wheat on the list of their ingredients. For someone strictly allergic to gluten, he should avoid eating out at the restaurants and other food joints. The sauces served in restaurants are rich in wheat content (usually added to increase the quantity at a low cost).  

8. Candies
Something most are unaware of, candies contain gluten too. Surprising as it may sound, your favorite candies can also lead to allergic reactions. Gluten protein helps in binding the candy together; these proteins also make candies chewable. The other important fact one must pay heed to is that most candies list out natural flavors in their ingredient list. To put the facts straight, these natural flavors contain gluten too. Therefore, think twice the next time you have an urge to chew a candy or two at office or home.

7. Vitamins
The mention of the vitamins in the list is not out of some thoughtless slip-up but complete discretion. You should know that gluten is present in most medicines although it doesn’t find clear mention in the ingredient list of the pharmaceuticals. But, it would be unwise to completely refrain yourself from consuming these vitamins just out of fear. What you can do is to inquire about the ingredients (if you can) to find out if the medication you’re on is supplying gluten to your body.

6. Cream soups
For someone who loves cream soups, avoiding them can no doubt be a herculean task. But, prevention is better than cure, isn’t it? Yes, of course it is; cream soups are just a mixture of cream, flour, butter or milk. All of them are super rich in gluten content. Still, if you are unable to give up on your favorite cream soups, at least try to switch over to pasta-free soup. Beyond any doubt, they will provide you satiate your urge to have cream soups.

5. Potato chips
The term ‘Couch potato’ was coined for people who love spending most of their time sitting or relaxing at home, usually in front of a television set. He makes sure one of his hands is inside the bag of potato chips while he is through his favorite soap opera. However, potato chips are termed as harmful to health for the reason they are made out of wheat especially those with heavy seasoning. Always purchase the chips which are gluten free – in case you are hell bent on enjoying some crispy bites at home.

4.  Cream dressing on the Salad 
Often, you will come across cream or oil based dressing as part of buffet in parties or wedding dinners. Not only is the food item tempting on eyes but mouth watering too. You end up consuming it without getting a second thought about allergies and later, you find yourself in the hospital bed explaining to the doctor how you couldn’t resist that delicious cream or oil dressing at a party. Even if it’s small in quantity, allergies are highly likely to happen. The only way to maintain healthy living is to drop such choices at the earliest.

3. Soy Sauce
This can be heartbreaking for some but a truth it is – Chinese foods in total are rich in gluten and therefore, should be a big ‘no-no’ for someone like you who is allergic to the protein. Those who love devouring on Chinese food must know how important a role soy sauce plays in the Chinese menu but it also contains wheat and lots of it.

2. Ketchup
Is ketchup gluten free? No, it isn’t and despite knowing the fact many don’t curb their instincts to shop a new bottle every time they frequent a shopping store. The ingredients mentioned in the ketchup list by the manufacturers are tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and spices without even faintly suggesting that gluten proteins form a major part of the product. Sad but true!

1. Sausages
They are really sold like hot cakes in the market. No matter what your taste buds are like, there is every possibility you will always end up consuming gluten. How? Well, because food manufacturers provide processed meat in wheat (rich in gluten) – sausages at much cheaper costs than other items on the shelf. So, completely avoid patties, sausages and luncheon meats to remain gluten free.
The list of foods that you need to avoid is big but there are plenty of other options for you to choose from. Remember, prevention is better than the cure.

No comments:

Post a Comment