200+ Foods You Can Eat on the Gluten-Free Diet

Meats

You can enjoy all sorts of meat products. Just make sure you buy fresh ingredients, and if anything comes in a package, read the labels carefully.

1. Beef
2. Chicken
3. Lamb
4. Pork
5. Turkey
6. Veal

Packaged Meats: Hot dogs, sausages, and jerky may contain other ingredients that contain gluten. Avoid meats with flavorings and fillers where the source is unknown.

Deli Meats: Beware of deli meats as the risk for cross contamination is high. If you want to enjoy deli meat, the safest way will be to purchase pre-packaged meats clearly labeled “gluten free.”

Imitation Meat: Imitation meat may or may not contain gluten. Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers are formulated to be gluten free. Read more about which imitation meats are (and are not) gluten free in this article. Many bacon bits brands contain gluten as well.

Dairy

1. Almond milk
2. Butter
3. Cashew milk
4. Cheese (except brie cheese in some cases)
5. Chicken
6. Coconut milk
7. Cottage cheese
8. Cream cheese
9. Eggs
10. Ghee
11. Ice cream (with some exceptions – see below)
12. Milk
13. Oat milk (with some exceptions – see below)
14. Rice milk
15. Sour cream
16. Soy milk
17. Tofu
18. Yogurt

Packaged Cheeses: Shredded cheeses contain a slew of ingredients to prevent the cheese from caking and sticking together. Look for cheeses where the starch is known (typically cornstarch) and inspect labels carefully for clues on whether or not it contains gluten.

Tofu vs. Seitan: Be careful when enjoying imitation meats and seafood. Tofu is typically gluten free (check package labels) but seitan is made almost exclusively of gluten (seitan is wheat protein – aka, gluten). Read more in this article, Is Tofu Gluten Free?

Deli Cheeses: Again, beware of cheeses sliced at the deli counter as the risk for cross contamination is high.

Oat Milk: Oat milk may or may not contain gluten. It depends on the brand. Read more about which oat milk brands do – and do not – contain gluten in this article.

Ice Cream: Always read labels carefully. Avoid ice cream with obvious gluten-y fillers, like cookies and brownies. Beware of ingredients like malt flavoring (typically barley), and natural flavors. Determine if the ice cream is processed on the same lines as gluten-y ingredients before digging in. Read more about which ice cream brands are gluten free in this article.

Yogurts: Be on the lookout for added flavors and fillings that may contain gluten.

Fish

All fresh fish is safe to enjoy on the gluten-free diet, including (but not limited to), the following:

1. Carp
2. Catfish
3. Cod
4. Crab
5. Flounder
6. Halibut
7. Mahi-Mahi
8. Monkfish
9. Orange Roughy
10. Pike
11. Red Snapper
12. Salmon
13. Sardines
14. Scallops
15. Sea Bass
16. Shrimp
17. Swordfish
18. Tilapia
19. Trout
20. Tuna

Imitation Seafood: Imitation crab often contains gluten and is included on my 10 most surprising products that contain gluten list. Avoid.

Beans, Lentils, and Legumes

Beans and lentils are gluten free. You can enjoy any and all of the following:

1. Black beans
2. Black-eyed peas
3. Butter beans
4. Chickpeas
5. Great Northern beans
6. Kidney beans
7. Lentils (Lentils are naturally gluten free, but potentially cross contaminated with wheat. Read, Are Lentils Gluten Free?, for tips to enjoying lentils safely.)
8. Navy beans
9. Peanuts
10. Pinto beans
11. Soybeans
12. Split peas

Bulk Bins: Again, avoid buying these items in the bulk bins where the risk of cross contamination is high.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds offer up a great source of healthy fats and protein. Enjoy them roasted, salted, plain or blended in a nut butter spread.

1. Black beans
2. Black-eyed peas
3. Brazil nut
4. Butter beans
5. Chestnuts
6. Chickpeas (Hummus)
7. Coconuts
8. Edamame
9. Great Northern beans
10. Hazelnuts
11. Kidney beans
12. Lentils
13. Navy beans
14. Peanuts (technically a legume)
15. Pecans
16. Pine nuts
17. Pinto beans
18. Pistachios
19. Soybeans
20. Split Peas
21. Walnuts

Oils

You can safely cook with a variety of oils without worry about gluten.

1. Avocado oil
2. Canola oil
3. Coconut oil
4. Corn oil
5. Grapeseed oil
6. Sesame oil
7. Sunflower oil
8. Vegetable oil

Cooking Sprays: You can use most cooking sprays, although avoid ones that are used for baking and may contain flour.

Mind Your Oil’s Smoke Point: Some cooking oils are meant for cooking and frying while others are meant for dipping and drizzling. Read my article about cooking oils to learn more about what you need to look for when cooking with gluten-free cooking oils.

Beverages

Drink up! You’ll be happy to know the following beverages are gluten free and safe for you to consume.

1. Coffee
2. Kombucha
3. Fruit juices
4. Tea
5. Vegetable juices
6. Water
7. Wine (almost exclusively made from grapes)

Avoid the following beverages:

• Beer: Beer is made from gluten-y grains. You can find gluten-free beer, such as Holidaily, in some stores throughout the US. Avoid any product made from spent grains as these are the leftover grains from the brewing process
• Some Alcohol. Read my list of safe – and not safe – alcohols. All distilled alcohol is technically gluten free. Avoid non-distilled alcohol, malt beverages (wine coolers), and beers, ales and lagers.

Chocolate

Thank goodness chocolate is gluten free. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. It doesn’t matter; it’s all GF.

Of course, packaged chocolate has its challenges and may contain gluten. Read labels carefully.

Condiments, Baking, Spices, and Sauces

You can enjoy all sorts of wonderful spices and condiments to add flavor to your gluten-free meals.

1. Agave syrup
2. Almond butter
3. Apple cider vinegar
4. Baking powder
5. Baking soda
6. Brown sugar
7. Cashew butter
8. Cocoa powder
9. Coconut aminos
10. Fresh spices (basil, oregano, cilantro, mint, etc.)
11. Guacamole
12. Hummus
13. Jellies and Jams
14. Ketchup
15. Maple syrup
16. Mayonnaise
17. Mustard
18. Peanut butter
19. Pickles
20. Salsa
21. Sugar
22. Sunflower butter
23. Sriracha (hot sauce)
24. Stocks and broths – check labels
25. Tahini
26. Tamari
27. Vanilla Extract
28. Yeast

Spices: Fresh spices, like fresh basil and cilantro, are a-okay and 100 percent free from gluten. You might run into issues with dried and jarred spices that may contain fillers or may have been processed on the same equipment used to process gluten. There are dedicated gluten-free spice brands such as Spicely. For a full list of safe spices, and how the major brands like McCormick and Spice Hunter fare when it comes to gluten, read my detailed article on gluten-free spices.

Soy Sauce: Avoid soy sauce as it’s made from wheat. You can use coconut aminos or tamari instead.

Salad Dressings, BBQ Sauces, Tomato Sauces: You can find salad dressings, BBQs sauces, and tomato sauces that are gluten free, but not all are free from the gluten protein. Read labels carefully.

Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce is not typically gluten free, but Lea & Perrins typically the brand is – check labels to verify.

Packaged Foods

There are plenty of packaged foods that you can find labeled “gluten free” these days. You’ll never feel deprived!

That said, be sure to read labels carefully and watch out for sneaky and confusing ingredients that often make their way into products.

You can easily find gluten-free labeled (or even better, certified gluten-free labeled) packaged items for the following foods:

1. Bread – This brand is a hands-down favorite.
2. Bread crumbs – I use this brand all the time.
3. Brown rice pasta – This pasta brand offers the best texture of any gluten-free pastas.
4. Cereals – I love this brand.
5. Chips – Pringles are off-limits, but try these stacked, gluten-free chips instead.
6. Corn tortillas
7. Crackers – This is my favorite cracker brand.
8. Frozen pizzas – I tested and ranked the top gluten-free frozen pizza brands in this article.
9. Gluten-free flour blends – I personally love using this 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for all my baking needs.
10. Packaged desserts – This brand makes all sorts of gluten-free desserts.
11. Rice cakes
12. Spices, dried – Read my full post about spices before you buy.

So Much to Eat, But…

There are hundreds of foods you can eat when you can’t eat gluten. I have a few tips to help you stay consistent and healthy when eating gluten free.

(1) Always read – and fully understand – ingredient labels. Make sure you understand gluten-free label laws and what they mean. For example, the FDA says that in order for a product to be labeled “gluten free,” it cannot contain more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. A company determines this claim on its own. However, a product labeled “certified gluten free” has been third-party verified to contain less than 20 ppm – and sometimes less than 10 ppm – of gluten.

(2) Eat as naturally gluten free as possible. Whole foods will always be the best foods. Fresh produce, meats, and whole, gluten-free grains will offer balance and safety. Limit the amount of processed and packaged foods in your diet. You will feel better when you do.

(3) Plan your meals. When you plan your meals, you never feel deprived, you always know what you’re eating next, and you rarely find yourself reaching for something to eat that might not be 100 percent gluten free. Read 9 Meal Planning Tips for People with Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivities

(4) Eat out less. When you eat out, you rarely know what a chef is putting in your food. No one is going to be as diligent and stringent about what goes in your food as you are. Eat out less. Enjoy a variety of meals at home whenever possible.

Remember, every time you eat gluten, you undo all your hard work. If you have celiac disease, your body sets off an autoimmune reaction. (This is true even if you have latent or silent celiac disease.) If you have gluten sensitivity, your body remains in a chronic state of inflammation, and inflammation leads to disease.

There are literally hundreds of foods you can eat that are healthy, good for you, and nourishing. There is no room nor need for gluten in your life when you can enjoy a plethora of foods available to those of us living a gluten-free lifestyle.