How to go Gluten-Free for beginners

Learning how to go gluten free can feel like a lot to adjust in a short amount of time, especially if you have an underlying medical condition like celiac disease that requires a prompt dietary change. This guide will help you find quality gluten-free alternatives, avoid common mistakes and hidden gluten, and connect with others who eat gluten-free.

Learning how to go gluten-free is more than just a diet. Since gluten can show up anywhere, from food additives to non-food items like play-dough, there is a lot to learn. Because it's the common cause of a variety of serious health issues, you're also often told to make this change immediately. How stressful!

So let's break this down into a simple 10-step guide that will get you to 100% gluten-free.

Looking for more gluten-free resources for specific situations? Get a printable gluten-free grocery list, see what I pack for gluten-free flights, check out kitchen equipment I bring when traveling, find out how to find gluten-free restaurants, or learn how to avoid gluten cross contamination in a shared kitchen.

Need some healing tips when glutened? Or how about a story from someone a little further along in this journey, like Why I Quit my Job after a Celiac Diagnosis or 10 things I wish my Friends knew about Celiac Disease?

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. This means gluten is also found in foods that contain these ingredients, like bread, baked goods, crackers, cereal, and more.

Gluten can fall under other names for those ingredients such as triticale, kamut, farina, wheat bran, spelt, semolina, or durum. I'll share more names for gluten and hidden sources of gluten in this post.

Which grains are gluten-free?

Gluten-free grains include buckwheat, amaranth, millet, sorghum, brown rice, white rice, wild rice, and teff. These grains can be contaminated with gluten grains during processing, so choose ones labeled gluten-free.

Step 1 - Focus on naturally gluten-free foods

When learning how to go gluten-free, basing meals on naturally gluten-free foods is the simplest and most manageable way to make the transition.

Fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meats without additives, fish, eggs, potatoes, and other root vegetables are all naturally gluten-free! 

Processed food products may contain gluten additives, so sticking with the fresh stuff is the simplest and safest way to get started.

For snacks, I recommend hummus, Black Bean Hummus, Date Balls, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, chopped vegetables, and applesauce. However, unless very pure and labeled gluten-free, you still need to check for additives that may contain gluten. Read this post in its entirety for help choosing gluten-free options.

Trader Joe's and Nuts.com are great places to order gluten-free seeds, nuts, and grains.

Step 2 - Pick easy gluten-free substitutes

Learning how to go gluten-free can feel overwhelming, but if you stick to easy gluten-free swaps for foods you already eat, especially in the beginning, it will feel much more manageable.

Gluten-Free Bread

Gluten-Free bread is the most challenging swap because most store-bought versions are not comparable to regular bread in price, texture, or flavor. However, there are many easy homemade gluten-free breads that rival the traditional flavor and textures!

For store-bought, I most commonly see Udi's, Canyon Bakehouse, and Schar in grocery stores. In Canada, look for Little Northern Bakehouse. If you're luck enough to be in the Pacific Northwest, Franz Gluten-Free Bread is my favorite brand. Three Baker's brand is also very delicious.

To get started baking your own gluten-free bread, I recommend simple recipes like my Gluten-Free Artisan Bread, No Knead Gluten-Free Bread, Gluten-Free White Sandwich Bread, and Gluten-Free French Baguettes.

More gluten-free products I like

• Gluten-Free Crackers - I like Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers and Schaer Table crackers. There are many other brands to choose from.
• Gluten-Free Bagels - Several brands make gluten-free bagels, and they are often in the freezer section with the gluten-free bread. I like to order vegan and gluten-free and bagels from Odd Bagel. They freeze and toast perfectly!
• Gluten-Free Spreads, Condiments, and Sauces - Many of these products have a common gluten-free version that can be found in most grocery stores. Check for a gluten-free label (more on this in step 5). Skippy Peanut Butter, for example, is gluten-free and has a gluten-free label.

Step 3 - Navigate the grocery store like a gluten-free pro

The naturally gluten-free foods are kept along the outside of the grocery store (fresh produce, unflavored plain dairy products, eggs, poultry, meats, and fish). Therefore, I recommend first walking around the outside of the grocery store to fill your cart.

Even though grocery delivery is now very common, I find visiting the store to see how many options you have is a really therapeutic practice. It's especially beneficial when beginning a gluten-free diet or when you need food inspiration.

Once finished with the perimeter of the grocery store, know that gluten-free substitutions are not always displayed with the gluten versions.

If your regular grocery store is not well stocked with gluten-free items, Walmart and natural foods stores (like Whole Foods and Coops) usually have a selection.

For more tips and a gluten-free grocery list, check out my Free Printable Grocery List.

Step 4 - Know hidden sources of gluten

One of the most challenging things about learning how to go gluten-free is recognizing the hidden sources of gluten. Unfortunately, gluten is not always labeled clearly as wheat, barley, or rye.

It's also sometimes used as a flavorings in gravies and sauces where it is not commonly found in the homemade version.

Gluten can also sneak into drinks, chocolate, candy, chips, popcorn, and other foods that do not obviously contain gluten. And even non-food items, like vitamins and supplements, cosmetics, pet food, play-dough, and more!

The best way to stay truly gluten-free is to become an expert at reading labels, and to check the labels on everything.

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Step 5 - Read labels for gluten

Now here's the bad news - gluten can go by many different names. Sometimes labeled as natural and artificial flavors, caramel coloring, starches, malt, and more, gluten is not always obvious.

But here's the good news - you can use our free printable "Ingredients to Avoid" list to help you find sneaky gluten. I recommend highlighting ingredients you know you won't remember to make the list easier to navigate.

You can also look for gluten free labeling and certifications on products to simplify the label-reading process.

Step 6 - Choose gluten-free alcoholic beverages

When learning how to go gluten-free, alcoholic beverages are an area that can cause a lot of confusion. This quick guide will help you choose safe options:

Always be wary of drink mixes (like margarita mix) and cocktails or other mixed drinks that were made in an unwashed shaker or blender.

Note: Some people say the distillation process adequately removes gluten. As someone very sensitive to trace amounts of gluten, I find that I still react to these alcohols. I recommend avoiding them, at least at the beginning of your gluten-free journey.