Wheat Allergy Diet
General guidelines for wheat allergy
The key to an allergy-free diet is to stay away from all foods or products containing
the food that you are allergic to. Wheat is found in many foods. To stay away from
foods that contain wheat, you must read food labels.
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is a law that requires
U.S. packaged foods to state clearly on the label if they contain wheat. Always read
the entire ingredient label to look for wheat. Wheat ingredients may be in the ingredient
list. Or wheat could be listed in a “contains wheat” statement beneath the ingredient
list.
Note on gluten-free foods: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats. People with
celiac disease must stay away from all grains with gluten. People with wheat allergy
often only need to stay away from wheat and can eat the other grains. So following
a gluten-free diet may be limiting. But gluten-free foods should be safe for people
with wheat allergy. Always read the ingredient list to double check.
Information for using wheat substitutes
One cup of wheat flour equals:
How to read a label for a wheat-free diet
Be sure to stay away from foods that contain any of the following ingredients:
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Bran
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Bread crumbs
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Bulgur
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Cereal extract
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Couscous
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Cracker meal
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Durum
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Einkorn
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Emmer (also called farro)
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Farina
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Flour (all-purpose, bread, cake, enriched, graham, high-gluten, high-protein, whole-wheat)
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Matzoh, matzoh meal
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Pasta
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Seitan
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Semolina
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Spelt
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Vital gluten
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Wheat berries, bran, germ, gluten, grass, malt, sprouted, starch
Foods that don't contain wheat could be contaminated during manufacturing. Advisory
statements are not regulated by the FDA. They are voluntary. These include labels
such as "processed in a facility that also processed wheat." Or "made on shared equipment."
Ask your healthcare provider if you can eat foods with these labels. Or if you should
stay away from them.
Other possible sources of wheat or wheat products
Ingredients that may contain wheat:
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Gluten
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Gelatinized starch
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Gum
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Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
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Kamut
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Modified food starch
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Modified starch
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Natural flavoring
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Soy sauce
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Starch (Unless otherwise stated on the food label, the single word starch in an ingredient
list means cornstarch. Starches from other sources should be noted by some term that
won't be misleading that means the source of the starch, for example: wheat starch.)
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Surimi
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Vegetable starch
Some foods and products are not covered by the FALCPA. These include:
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Foods that are not regulated by the FDA
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Cosmetics and personal care items
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Prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements
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Toys, crafts (Play-Doh), and pet foods
When you are eating out
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Always carry 2 epinephrine autoinjectors. Make sure you and those close to you know
how to use it.
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Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace with your allergy information.
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If you don't have epinephrine autoinjectors, talk with your healthcare provider. Ask
if you should carry them.
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In a restaurant, food may be cross contaminated with wheat. Tell your server that
you have an allergy.
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Always read food labels. And always ask about ingredients at restaurants. Do this
even if these are foods that you have eaten in the past.
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Don't eat at buffets with wheat. This reduces your risk for cross-contaminated foods
from shared utensils.