How to Eat Well With a Wheat Allergy

Millions of people in the United States suffer from allergies. Allergies are a person’s reaction to a particular substance. One of the most common is a wheat allergy. Wheat allergies show up differently and can be frustrating and annoying. Some people have severe headaches, others suffer intolerable itching, nausea or diarrhea. Wheat allergies have even been linked to cases of irritable bowel syndrome. Here are some suggestions to how to eat well with a wheat allergy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A short list of questions to ask to find out if things contain wheat
• Patience

1. Stop eating the obvious wheat-containing foods--bread, cereal, cookies, cakes and other goodies. The consequences aren’t worth it.

2. Train yourself to read labels for everything you plan to eat. Get educated. The more you read labels, the more you’ll see what brands do and don’t work for you.

3. Many brands and products are “wheat-free” these days. These range from frozen waffles to cookies, cereals and bread. You don’t have to give up your favorite kinds of foods, only find those brands without the offender in it.

4. Learn to ask a few questions. “Is there wheat in this” may not be enough. You also want to ask “Is there flour in this” too, as unfortunately, many people just don’t equate flour to being wheat.

5. Dining out can be tricky especially when eating Chinese food. There are foods that have been dusted with wheat that aren’t labeled.

6. Another product to be aware of is “100 percent rye bread.” Again, many times this is dusted with wheat, so beware. Look for those brands that say “wheat free.” They are a safer bet.
   
   
   It may take a while to eliminate all wheat from your diet. Know that the questions you ask and the people you ask them of may not be enough. BUT you’ll learn over time to ask the right questions and make the right choices. With more and more great wheat-free alternatives on the market, you’ll really be able to eat well with a wheat allergy.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for “wheat free” or “gluten free” foods. If it doesn’t say so, it usually isn’t!
• There are several kinds of “wheat” almost every allergy sufferer can tolerate. They are non-hybridized ancient forms of wheat, including kamut and spelt. You’ll find these products in health-food stores and many general supermarkets too.
• Many products contain different forms of wheat, including wheat oil. Read labels all the way through to be certain a product is really wheat-free.
• Some of the varied ingredients to look for on labels and avoid include soy sauce, bran, gluten, semolina, flour, enriched flour, cereal extract, bread crumbs, cracker meal and couscous.