Pav's gluten-free diet advice Prepared by dietitians Catherine Saxelby and Karen Kingham Designed for Why gluten free? Gluten – where you’ll find it Malt not gluten free A word of warning Gluten-free food selection guide Gluten-free meal plan Cooking hints Shopping tips     Designed for People with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis or those with intolerance to gluten. Why gluten free? A gluten-free diet is the only method of treatment for children and adults with coeliac disease, a condition where gluten "damages" their bowel thus preventing it from absorbing food properly. Commonly symptoms are diarrhoea, anaemia and loss of weight, however some individuals show no symptoms at all. Gluten – where you’ll find it Gluten is part of a protein found in wheat, rye, oats, barley and triticale (a cereal which is a cross between wheat and rye). When mixed with water, gluten forms an elastic-like substance which expands when a dough rises. It gives the structure to bread and cakes and enables pastry and biscuits to "hold together". Without gluten, most baked goods do not rise as well and so are flatter and less aerated. Pav's gluten-free breads and pastries are surprisingly light and aerated due to the special blend of gluten-free flours, gums and emulsifiers developed by master baker John Pavlakis. Malt not gluten free When a grain is allowed to germinate, it produces sugars and short starch compounds. Once it's dried, it becomes what we know as malt or malt powder. When you see the term ‘malt’ (without specifying the source of the grain), you can assume it has been made from barley. However it can also be produced from wheat, rye or rice grains. With the exception of rice malt, malt from all other grains is considered a source of gluten and so should be avoided.   A word of warning A gluten-free is an extremely difficult diet to keep to. Many basic foods like bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and biscuits are eliminated, as are a great number of commercial and prepared foods which contain wheaten flour or starch-based thickeners. Avoiding this group of grain-based foods can mean a diet low in fibre and possibly B group vitamins and some minerals as well. Many medications and tablets may also contain wheat starch as a filler and need to be checked. Do not embark on this diet unless you have a diagnosed reason to do so. If you want a wheat-free diet, go to Pav's wheat-free diet advice.   Gluten-free food selection guide Foods Foods to avoid Foods substitute Flour Wheat flour (white, wholemeal, self-raising) and all foods made with flour Barley meal, barley flour Rye meal, rye flour Oatmeal, oat flour Triticale flour Cornflour made from maize (corn starch) Rice flour (ground rice) Corn meal (polenta) Arrowroot Besan flour (chickpea flour) Soy flour Potato flour Wheat-free flour mixes like Pav's Grains & cereals Wheat cereals (Weet-Bix, Weeties, Ready Wheats), wheat germ, semolina, bulgur wheat, couscous Wheat bran, bran cereals (All Bran) Rolled oats, oat bran, oat cereals Barley bran, barley cereals, barley quick, pearl barley Millet flakes, rolled millet Rye, rye cereals Rice cereals*, baby rice cereal, rice bran Corn or maize cereals*, pop corn Buckwheat Sago, tapioca Pasta Wheat (including durum wheat) based pasta, macaroni, noodles Rice noodles, cellophane noodles, gluten-free pasta, 100% buckwheat noodles Breads Ordinary bread & rolls, muffins, crumpets, flatbread, crispbread, Rye bread, rye crispbread, Breadcrumbs, seasonings Rusks Pav's wheat-free rice breads, Pav's Just Rice bread mix Gluten-free bread, gluten-free bread mix Puffed rice cakes, corn thins, rice crackers Cornflake crumbs *, taco shells, pappadams (made from besan or lentil flour) Vegetables Hydrolysed vegetable protein Textured vegetable protein All fresh, frozen and canned Fruit Fruit pie fillings* All fresh, frozen, canned and juices Meat, fish, chicken Sausages, salami & other smallgoods* Stuffing in poultry Meat or fish coated in breadcrumbs or batter (crumbed cutlets, schnitzel, fried fish fillets, fish fingers) Self basting or seasoned chickens and turkeys Corned beef (cooked in malt vinegar) All fresh cooked meat, fish & poultry (make gravy & sauces with cornflour or arrowroot) Gluten-free sausages (available from sausage specialist shops) Dairy foods Malted milk drinks Soy beverages containing malt or malt extract Artificial cream Cheese flavouring Fluid or powdered milks, buttermilk, yoghurt* Flavoured milks* All cheeses, natural & processed Cheese spreads* Soy beverages, plain* and flavoured* Sauces   Commercial sauces with flour or thickener, gravy, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce*, salad dressing, mayonnaise, cole slaw dressing*, chutney, sauces without flour or thickener, tomato sauce*, tomato paste, tomato puree Soups Soups thickened with flour, barley, macaroni or noodles Clear soups, broth Soups thickened with cornflour, rice, lentils, split peas or gluten-free macaroni Cakes & biscuits Ordinary cakes, pies, pastries, biscuits made from flour Packet cake mixes Baby rusks Cracker biscuits, crispbread Cakes & biscuits made from cornflour, gluten-free mixes, rice flour or arrowroot (see Pav's range) Gluten-free biscuits such as Pav's almond biscuits, cornflake biscuits or choc chop biscuits Desserts & sweets Desserts or puddings made with flour or bread Pies Ice cream cones & wafers Custard powder (unless suitable) Chocolate Bars* Liquorice Plain and flavoured icing sugar mixtures Desserts made with rice, cornflour, tapioca, sago Ice cream (except those with cake or coated) Meringue, pavlova Fruit-based desserts, jelly, junket Jams and spreads Vegemite, Promite, Marmite Jam, regular and low joule Honey, golden syrup, maple syrup*, rice syrup, peanut butter, lemon butter*, cheese spread*, meat spread* Sauces and cooking aids Mustard and curry powders Malt vinegar Soy sauce (with wheat) Gravies and meat extracts (with wheaten starch) Pepper, salt spices, herbs, vinegar*, gelatine, flavouring essences*, bakers yeast, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, citric acid Alcohol Some beers *, malt whisky Wine, sherry, rum, port, whisky, scotch, gin *Check ingredients to determine if it is really gluten free - may contain malt or wheat thickener. Gluten-free meal plan Breakfast Fresh fruit Cornflake or puffed rice cereal or gluten free muesli (check label for malt-free) with milk 1-2 tablespoons rice bran/psyllium/Hi-Maize/Benefibre, if needed for fibre Gluten-free bread such as Pav's Rice Plus loaf, toasted, with margarine and yeast spread, peanut butter, cottage cheese, jam or marmalade Egg, grilled tomatoes or mushrooms (optional) Tea, coffee or milk or soy drink Morning tea Rice or corn cakes with sliced tomato and cheddar cheese OR Pav's Fruit-E-Rice loaf, toasted and spread with margarine Tea, coffee or milk Lunch Stir-fried chicken or pork and vegetables Steamed rice Tub of fruit salad Mineral water, soft drink, fruit juice or milk or soy drink (not malted) Afternoon snack Carton of fruit yoghurt (check ingredients) OR Pav's fruit muffin Dinner Meat, chicken or vegetarian bean curry Potato or rice Vegetables or salad with oil-vinegar dressing Stewed apple with low fat ice cream (check ingredients) or Pav's apple pie Tea, coffee or low fat milk Cooking hints Keep rice flour, arrowroot, soy flour or potato flour for thickening sauces, soups, casseroles and gravies. Make sauces and dressings from ingredients you are sure are free of wheat e.g. oil, vinegar, garlic, pure herbs, grated lemon rind, etc Invest in a bread maker and use Pav's wheat-free bread mixes to bake fresh bread at home. Substitute soy flour or rice flour or potato flour or corn flour for the wheaten flour in your favourite cake or biscuit recipes. A blend of 1/3 soy flour with 1/3 rice flour and 1/3 potato flour or corn flour is a good mix, but remember that you will need to vary the quantity of liquid needed in some recipes. Or simply use Pav's gluten-free pre-mix. Blend a little baby rice cereal into rice flour or maize corn flour to give a lighter texture to cakes. Cook Asian style dishes like stir-fries and curries, based on rice, rather than wheat. An electric rice cooker may be a worthwhile investment.   Shopping tips New labelling laws mean that looking for gluten-containing ingredients on the label will not be such a chore. The presence of gluten in ANY food ingredient or component of an ingredient must be declared on the label, no matter how small the amount. Check labels for ingredients that could be sources of gluten such as wheatmeal, bran, semolina, cornflour, malt or starch. Look for terms such as: STARCH, CEREAL FILLER, CEREAL PROTEIN, VEGETABLE PROTEIN. Some gluten-free foods carry a gluten-free logo, which is an ear of wheat crossed out. Check the ingredient list for additives like STARCH or THICKENER (additives code numbers 1400 to 1450). If they are derived from maize or potato, they will generally say so. If it doesn't tell you, assume they are made from wheat and should be avoided. Look out also for the flavour enhancers 620-625 and the enzyme or flour treatment agent 1100. Keep a stock of Pav's rice breads, muffins and cakes in your fridge or freezer. Most will keep in the fridge if kept unopened. For best results, store in the freezer in the bags (for up to 6 months).   Stock up on rice, rice noodles, buckwheat and alterative grains. Coeliacs can obtain food lists and recipes from the Coeliac Society in each State. Check your telephone directory for contact numbers. Always remember, if in doubt leave it out!   Disclaimer This diet information is of a general nature and is intended to help you understand and interpret issues relating to nutrition and health. If you need specific advice tailored to your individual situation, especially if you already have a food allergy, always consult your doctor or an accredited practicing dietitian, check the yellow pages of call 1800 182 942.   See also Pav's wheat-free diet advice For general nutrition and diet information, go to www.foodwatch.com.au Updated Sept 2002 Copyright Pav's Allergy Bakery