Is wheat free the same as gluten free?

Wheat free vs gluten free

Gluten free seems to be all the rage, but what about wheat free? Is it the same thing? Or can you have different foods when going wheat free compared to gluten free? The questions begin to flow when you really start to think about it.

Wheat free is different to gluten free but it does get very confusing when deciphering between the two. Gluten is a protein made up of the peptides gliadin and glutenin and it is found in many grains such as wheat, spelt, kamut, rye and barley. Gluten is a

If you are choosing to eliminate just wheat from your diet it is a lot easier than going gluten free, but if you are gluten sensitive, or have coeliac disease then 100% gluten free is important to follow, not just the wheat component of your diet.

Symptoms of wheat allergy or intolerance can be similar to that of gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, which is one reason why it is so hard to determine the different between the two. Common symptoms include digestive upset like bloating and changed bowel motions, lack of energy, poor immune function, aching joints, skin eruptions etc.

It is possible for people to tolerate gluten and not wheat so it is important to note that if you know you don’t response well to eating wheat, it doesn't mean that you are necessarily gluten free.

Grains to exclude:

Wheat

Grains to enjoy:

Rice

Corn

Rye

Barley

Oat

Spelt

Kamut

Buckwheat

Amaranth

Millet

Bread/wraps

You can still enjoy bread as long as it does not contain any wheat flour in it. Health food shops and green grocers often have these types of breads, and they are slowly becoming available in some supermarkets. IGA are quite well stocked for wheat free breads.

Some brands to look for include:

Ancient Grains

Healthy Bake

Wuppertaler

Vitality

Just make sure to read the label as some breads which may be made from a wheat free flour often add in wheat flour.

If you’re eating out and want to enjoy some bread, asking for their gluten free option is the best way to avoid wheat.

Soy Sauce:

This is a strange one, but soy sauce uses wheat in its processing methods. Swapping soy sauce for tamari will provide you with the soy sauce taste, minus the wheat. Again, reading the labels of soy sauces and all sauces for that matter will tell you if it contains wheat.