What Is A 100% Celiac Safe Gluten-Free Diet?

You just got diagnosed with celiac and you’re wondering how to implement a gluten-free diet. You’ve heard gluten-free food sucks and are dreading grocery shopping. I’ve got you covered for grocery shopping and reading labels here.

Here’s what you need to know about starting a gluten-free diet. I often use the term “100% celiac safe gluten-free diet” because there is a difference between a “gluten-free diet” and a “100% celiac safe gluten-free diet.” The main difference with a celiac safe gluten-free diet you must avoid cross-contact. Cross-contact “occurs when an allergen is inadvertently transferred from a food containing an allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen. Cooking does not reduce or eliminate the chances of a person with a food allergy having a reaction to the food eaten” (FARE). This means that at home and eating out, you must make sure your GF food is not prepared on the safe surfaces such as cutting boards or cooked in the same pan or fryer as gluten-containing foods.

Another difference between a “gluten-free diet” and a “100% celiac safe gluten-free diet” is label reading. There are products that might be labeled gluten-free that aren’t safe to consume as a celiac. For example, a product labeled gluten-free but contains oat flour or oats would not be safe. You can learn more about oats here. Someone who is following a gluten-free diet because they feel better or other health reasons might still want to consume a product like that.

A 100% celiac safe gluten-free diet includes:

• Consuming only gluten-free food 100% of the time

• Avoiding cross-contact with gluten

• Making sure all medications and supplements are gluten-free

• Consuming only “gluten-free oats” or oat products that are certified gluten-free (work with your dietitian and doctor to determine when the right time to add oats in after diagnosis is)