Allergen Awareness Month: Gluten & celiac disease

Courtesy Photo

By United Supermarkets Dietitian Team

May is Allergen Awareness Month. So, today, we want to highlight gluten allergies, also known as celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where the ingestion of gluten can cause damage to the small intestine. When parts of the small intestine become damaged, the body is not able to absorb nutrients properly.

If someone with celiac disease continues to eat gluten, it can negatively affect their health by causing adverse effects such as, bloating and gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, even iron deficiency anemia.

So what exactly is gluten? Gluten is a protein commonly found in wheat and wheat derivatives, rye, barley, and triticale. Gluten occurs naturally in these grains and can be extracted and used in other products as flavor and texture enhancers, fortified protein, and even binding agents.

What are some common foods that we eat that contain gluten? Wheat is the most common and some items that are easily accessible to us are baked goods, pasta, bread, cereals, sauces, salad dressings, roux and more. Other sources include barley (found in: beer, malt, soups, brewers yeast), rye (rye breads, rye Cereals, beers and liquors made of rye), triticale (bread, cereal, pasta), and oats. Something important to note is that oats are naturally gluten free, but during the production and processing of oats there may be cross contamination between oats and gluten containing grains as they are made in the same factory more often than not.

If you have celiac disease, how can you avoid products with gluten? You can avoid products with gluten by checking the food labels of products you are buying. When reading food labels you want to check for the “gluten free label”. You also want to check the label for gluten containing ingredients such as brewers yeast, wheat, barley, and rye.

While a few things are ruled out of the diet when eliminating gluten, there is still so much at your disposal. Things like gluten free alternatives, rice, corn, chia seeds, potato, yucca, soy, fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, dairy, beans, legumes and nuts and many more foods do not contain gluten in them. It is possible to maintain a balanced lifestyle while on a gluten-free diet.

Market Street carries around 4,000 gluten-free options to adhere an allergen free diet such as: Emmy’s Organic Cookies, Glutino Family Pack Gluten Free Pretzels, Schar Table Crackers Gluten Free, Schar Bread Artisan Bakery Gluten Free White, Daiya Meatless Pepperoni Pizza Gluten Free, Barilla Pasta Spaghetti Gluten Free and so many other favorite snack items!

Gluten Free Mediterranean Lentil Salad

What You Need

1 cup uncooked green lentils (or 2 1/2 cups cooked)

1 medium cucumbers

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup yellow bell peppers

1/4 cup red onion

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup kalamata olives

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Lemon juice (or fresh lemon)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Honey

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper as desired

How to make it

1. Cook lentils per instructions on bag or box and let lentils cool in a serving bowl.

2. Dice cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, red onion, and set aside.

3. Roughly chop parsley and kalamata olives and set aside.

4. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl.

5. Add vinaigrette to the lentils.

6. Add in all other salad components to the lentils and mix.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.