The only proven treatment for a person with food allergies is complete avoidance of the food (s) he/she is allergic to.   Wheat allergy is one of the top 8 food allergies in the United States.

Wheat protein is present in a wide variety of food products, which makes it necessary to carefully read the labels of any processed food.  Wheat is commonly used in preparing baked goods, pasta, crackers and cereal, as well as some sauces, candies, processed meats, soups and salad dressings.  

The Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 requires that foods must list ingredients by their common names for the top 8 allergenic foods.  The top 8 allergenic foods in the United States are eggs, milk, soy, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. 

However, it is still very important to read labels of all food purchased and avoid all forms of wheat protein.  If you are confused by the label, call the customer service number on the product label and ask if the item is wheat-free. Read labels each time you shop since manufacturers frequently change their ingredients to avoid all forms of wheat.

Label ingredients which indicate the presence of wheat are:

Label ingredients which may indicate the presence of wheat are:

Baking and Cooking Tips

Home baking is a safe way of having wheat-free bakery products.  Alternative flours can produce excellent products and the nutritional content can be higher because they are less refined.

Some equivalents to 1 Tbsp. wheat flour:

• 1 tsp. potato starch flour
• 2 to 3 tsp. rice flour
• 1  tsp. arrowroot starch
• 2 tsp. tapioca flour
• 1 tsp. cornstarch

For larger recipes, try substituting 1 cup wheat flour with one of the following:

• 7/8 cup rice flour
• 5/8 cup potato starch flour
• 1 cup soy flour plus 1/4 cup potato starch flour
• 1 cup corn flour

Flours other than wheat have individual characteristics, which make them much trickier to use than wheat flour.  You may need to experiment with different flours and ratios of flour combinations when altering standard wheat recipes.  See the table on page 8 for more information.  Expect to have a few failures among the successes.

• Products prepared with alternative flours tend to be drier, coarser, and heavier.
• Baking temperature should be lower than those used with wheat batter. Bread crusts will be rougher and browning will be lighter.
• Flours with less gluten such as rice, potato, and soy do not rise well.  They will require more leavening than wheat flour.  (Use about 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of flour.)
• Xanthan gum added to bread batter has been found to improve the texture.
• The texture of products made with substitute flours may be improved by adding dried fruits, wheat-free chocolate chips or nuts to the recipe.  Frosting tends to improve the flavor and moisture-retaining qualities of these products.
• Refrigerate the dough before baking for cookies and doughnuts made with low gluten flours to make the dough easier to handle and improve the texture of the final product.
• Baking in smaller pan sizes also improves product texture.  Baking at lower temperatures for longer periods also improve product quality.
• By using a combination of substitute flours rather than only one kind of flour, you will be able to make products more like familiar wheat flour products.
• Some flours will mix into batters better if they are sifted into the batter while mixing to prevent lumping.  Add the flours gradually because they tend to thicken faster than wheat flour does.
• When using no eggs, add only enough flour to make batter the consistency of a normal, wheat flour cake batter.  Adding more flour than this will produce a doughy, heavy product.
• Cakes made with wheat-substitute flours will tend to be dry.  Adding fruits or vegetables, like zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, or pureed fruit will often increase moisture and improve texture.  They will also be a more nutritious product.
• For thickening gravies, sauces, soups, stews, and puddings home-made ground oat flour is a good substitute.  1 Tbsp wheat four = 1 Tbsp ground oat flour.  The ground oats can be prepared from uncooked rolled oats in a blender.
• Gravies, sauces and soups made with ground oat flour will taste the same as those made with white flour but will have a darker color and slightly grainier texture.  Arrowroot or cornstarch can be used to thicken sauces, gravies and puddings.
• Toasted oats may substitute for bread crumbs, crumb toppings, wheat germ or unprocessed bran.  To toast oats, bake in a thin layer on an ungreased cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Wrap baked products securely and store in the freezer when possible, as low gluten products tend to absorb both moisture and flavors quickly.

Gluten Free Flour Mixture
 
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups brown rice flour
3 cups soy flour
3 cups potato starch
Sift well and store in covered container.  Gluten-free all purpose flour may substitute for wheat flour in most recipes.

Commercial play dough contains wheat and should be avoided.  Wheat-free play dough can be prepared at home.

Wheat-Free Play Dough
 

1 cup corn starch
1 pound baking soda
1 ¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
food coloring
 

Mix all ingredients together in a sauce pan.  Cook until mealy.  Put on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.  Allow to cool and knead.  Note:  This mixture does not keep very well, but it is fun for children who cannot use wheat-based dough.
(Recipe from Celide Barnes Koerner and Hugh A. Sampson, M.D.)