Wheat is found in items using wheat flour or the wheat grain itself such as bread and bread products, pasta, biscuits, crackers, cereal, cakes and pastry products. It is also often
used as a thickener so can be found in soups, sauces, stews and processed meals. It can also be found in beer, ale and lager.
Wheat-free is often confused with gluten-free. Wheat does contain the protein gluten, but removing just wheat from the diet is less restrictive than the removal of gluten as grains such as barley, rye and oats can still be eaten.
There are a number of different types of wheat; wheat berries, durum wheat, bulgur wheat, kamut, emmer or farro, khorosan, einkorn and spelt. All of which should be avoided if a person has celiac disease or allergy to wheat, however with wheat sensitivity often less-common varieties of wheat are more readily and easily digested. These include einkorn, emmer, spelt and khorosan wheat. The fermentation of wheat in sourdough can also aid digestion for some.
The removal of wheat from the daily diet has been greatly facilitated by the wide range of wheat-free grains, which are produced for manufacturing and available in grocery stores and online. There are many excellent alternatives to those products traditionally made with wheat like bread, pasta, cookies and biscuits, crackers and cereals. There is also a plethora of wheat-free recipes in specialist cookbooks and on the Internet.
- Wheat-free grains
Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn (or maize), Millet, Oats, Quinoa, Rice, Rye, Sorghum - Wheat-free products
Almond, Arrowroot, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Coconut, Cornmeal (maize), Garbanzo, Millet, Oat, Potato, Rye, Sorghum, Teff - Bread and bread products
Almond, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Rye, White rice - Cereals
Cornflakes, Oatmeal, Granola - Pasta
Buckwheat, Chickpea, Quinoa, Red lentil, Rice
Nutrition
Whole wheat is a nutritious grain containing vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, copper and iron. It is also rich in dietary fibre.
However the nutrient value of wheat does depend upon the type you eat and the soil it was grown in. Whole wheat for example offers far greater nutrient value than bleached white flour. To produce bleached white wheat flour as much as 40% of the original grain is removed, including the bran and germ of the wheat, which are the most nutrient-rich parts. This means the loss of over half the vitamin B1, B2, B3, folic acid, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron and fibre.
Replacing key nutrients when eliminating wheat
When eliminating items from the diet whether for the short term when implementing an elimination diet or for the long term, it is important to know alternative items that can be introduced into the diet to maintain nutrient balance.
When looking to replace nutrients you may choose to substitute a grain with a grain or look at other food groups. Below are the richest sources of each nutrient.
- B Vitamins
Oats (gluten-free), buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, peanuts, mushrooms, soybean flour and soybeans, split peas, pecans, sunflower seeds, lentils, cashews, chickpeas, broccoli, hazelnuts, peppers - Vitamin E
Spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, turnip greens, collards, avocado, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, sunflowers seeds, prawn/shrimp, crayfish, salmon, smoked salmon, swordfish, herring, trout, olive oil, sunflower oil, sweet potato, squashes, kiwi, mango, peach, nectarines, apricots, guava, raspberries, blackberries - Calcium
Watercress, kale, broccoli, low fat mozzarella, low fat cheddar, yogurt, pak choi, tofu, sugar snap peas, almonds, tinned sardines in oil with bones, tinned pink salmon - Magnesium
Buckwheat, millet, brown rice, quinoa, kelp, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, peanuts, walnuts, tofu, coconut, soya beans, figs, apricots, dates, prawns, corn, avocado, spinach, kale, broccoli Swiss chard, turnip greens, collards - Manganese
Oats (gluten-free), brown rice, quinoa, mussels, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, lima beans, chickpeas, aduki beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pineapple, spinach, kale, tofu, soybeans, sweet potato, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries - Zinc
Oats (gluten-free), spinach, beef, lamb, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cashew nuts, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, pork, chicken, chickpeas, mushrooms - Iron
Oats (gluten-free), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chicken liver, oysters, mussels, clams, cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, beef, lamb, lentils, white beans, soybeans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lima beans, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, dark chocolate - Selenium
Brown rice, brazil nuts, mushrooms, shrimp, sardines, oysters, tuna, sunflower seeds, liver, eggs, beef, turkey, cottage cheese - Copper
Oats (gluten-free), sesame seeds, cashews, soybeans, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, tempeh, garbanzo beans, lentils, walnuts, lima beans, liver, spirulina, dark chocolate, collard greens, Swiss chard, spinach, kale - Phosphorus
Oats (gluten-free), brown rice, quinoa, chicken, turkey, pork, liver, sardines, scallops, salmon, mackerel, crab, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews