26 Hidden Sources of Gluten in your Kitchen

26 hidden sources of gluten hiding in your kitchen

Are you just getting started with a gluten-free diet? If so, you won’t want to miss these 26 hidden sources of gluten in your kitchen!

When I first went gluten-free, I had the hardest time navigating my way through products, learning to read ingredient lists, and spending hours in grocery store aisles and deciphering labels. It’s hard when you’re a beginner and don’t have much of a starting point knowing where gluten may be hiding and which foods are definitely safe.

Along my journey, I quickly came up with a list of foods that were definite places that gluten COULD be lurking. After doing a full kitchen clean out, I discovered many of them were just sitting in my fridge and pantry, and I had NO idea.

That’s the tough part about gluten it’s sneaky and hides under many names and in the strangest of places. In this post, I wanted to share with you 26(!!) different foods you may or may not be surprised to learn have gluten in them. Some might be a little more obvious – and some might be pretty shocking, but read along and see where you may have been missing the hidden sources of gluten in your diet.

Now remember, this list is NOT an exhaustive or complete list, just simply a jumping off point for you to see the possibilities for where gluten may be in the foods you’re eating and you weren’t aware. Don’t assume that if a food didn’t make this list that it’s gluten-free always always ALWAYS read ingredient lists when you’re eating a gluten-free diet so you can ensure that you’re sticking with it. Labels don’t always give you the full story.

26 Hidden Sources of Gluten in your Kitchen

Breads
Cakes
Cookies
Pancakes
Waffles
Crackers
Pasta
Couscous
Baking powder (check the ingredient list!)
Blue cheese
Caramel coloring
Beer, ale, scotch, bourbon, grain vodka
Gravy and stock (boullion) cubes
Licorice
Lunch and deli meat
Potato chips
Sauces, salad dressings, and marinades
Seitan
Soups
Soy sauce (unless wheat-free tamari)
White or malt vinegar
Cereal
Bacon or jerky
BBQ sauce
Rice or pasta mixes
Instant potatoes

You’ll see that the biggest offenders on the list are breakfast foods, any breaded type of foods, and many pre-made foods with additional flavorings like soups, sauces, gravy, and pasta mixes.

While it can seem daunting to search out all the hidden gluten in your diet while you’re making the transition to a gluten-free diet, it isn’t impossible. I hope that this list has given you some great places to start searching for those lurking sources and you can get on track with your gluten-free diet once and for all.

I now have an awesome resource to help you take with you to the store or out in your daily life – the GFDF Take-Along Cards. Check them out here or by clicking the image below.