Wheat Allergy Diet
This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you have regarding a medical condition. Your provider will offer referrals or treatment plans based on your specific condition or diagnosis.
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:
1 cup tapioca flour
7/8 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
7/8 cup rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
How to read a label for a wheat-free diet
Be sure to stay away from foods that contain any of the following ingredients:
Bran
Bread crumbs
Bulgur
Cereal extract
Couscous
Cracker meal
Durum
Einkorn
Emmer (also called farro)
Farina
Flour (all-purpose, bread, cake, enriched, graham, high-gluten, high-protein, whole-wheat)
Matzoh, matzoh meal
Pasta
Seitan
Semolina
Spelt
Vital gluten
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:
Gluten
Gelatinized starch
Gum
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Kamut
Modified food starch
Modified starch
Natural flavoring
Soy sauce
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. This would identify the source of the starch, such as wheat starch, for example.)
Surimi
Vegetable starch
Some foods and products are not covered by the FALCPA. These include:
Foods that are not regulated by the FDA
Cosmetics and personal care items
Prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements
Toys, crafts (Play-Doh), and pet foods
When you are eating out
If you are at risk for a severe reaction to wheat, always carry two doses of epinephrine. Make sure you and those close to you know how to use it.
Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace with your allergy information.
If you don't have epinephrine, talk with your healthcare provider. Ask if you should carry it.
In a restaurant, food may be cross-contaminated with wheat. Tell your server that you have an allergy.
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.
Don't eat at buffets with wheat. This reduces your risk for cross-contaminated foods from shared utensils.