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Gluten Foods List: What to Avoid and Safe Alternatives

Complete list of foods that contain gluten and safe gluten-free alternatives. Essential guide for celiac disease, NCGS, and wheat allergy management.

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What Foods Have Gluten? Complete List to Avoid
Last updated on February 4, 2026, and last reviewed by an expert on February 2, 2026.

Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. For most people, it’s harmless. But for those with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, eating gluten triggers uncomfortable — sometimes dangerous — reactions.

What Foods Have Gluten? Complete List to Avoid

About 1% of the population has celiac disease, an autoimmune condition where gluten damages the small intestine.1 Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) affects more people but is harder to diagnose since there’s no definitive test.

Both conditions require avoiding gluten entirely. The difference? Celiac disease involves intestinal damage and can lead to serious complications like anemia, osteoporosis, and neurological problems. NCGS causes similar symptoms (bloating, fatigue, brain fog) without the intestinal damage seen in celiac.

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Wheat allergy is different altogether — it’s an allergic reaction to wheat proteins specifically, not gluten. People with wheat allergy can often eat barley and rye.

Here’s a complete breakdown of foods to avoid and safe alternatives.

Foods that contain gluten

If you have celiac disease or NCGS, these are the foods to avoid.

Grains with gluten

The primary sources of gluten:

Other wheat-based products:

What about oats? Pure oats are naturally gluten-free. However, most commercial oats are contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. If you need gluten-free oats, buy ones specifically labeled “certified gluten-free.”2

Bread, crackers, and baked goods

Unless labeled gluten-free, assume these contain wheat flour:

Pasta and noodles

Traditional pasta is made from wheat:

Hidden sources of gluten

These foods often contain gluten as a thickener, filler, or flavoring agent:

What is Gluten? Common Foods, Conditions, and More Explained
Suggested read: What is Gluten? Common Foods, Conditions, and More Explained

Condiments and sauces:

Processed foods:

Beverages:

Unexpected places:

Gluten-free foods

The good news: most whole foods are naturally gluten-free. Focus on these categories.

Naturally gluten-free grains and starches

These are safe alternatives to wheat:

Many gluten-free products use rice flour, almond flour, or blends of these grains.

Proteins

All plain, unprocessed proteins are gluten-free:

Watch out for: breaded or marinated proteins, processed meats, imitation seafood.

Fruits and vegetables

All fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free:

Watch out for: battered vegetables, pre-made salads with croutons, fruit with granola toppings.

Nuts and seeds

All nuts and seeds in their natural form are gluten-free:

Watch out for: flavored or coated nuts, trail mixes with pretzels or granola.

Safe condiments and seasonings

Suggested read: 54 Gluten-Free Foods: Complete List of What You Can Eat

How to eat out safely

Eating at restaurants requires extra vigilance, but it’s manageable with the right approach.

Before you go:

At the restaurant:

Safest menu choices:

Foods to avoid when eating out:

How much gluten is safe?

For people with celiac disease, even tiny amounts of gluten can cause damage.

Research suggests the safe threshold is somewhere between 10-50 mg of gluten per day, with most experts recommending staying under 10 mg.3 To put that in perspective, a single slice of wheat bread contains about 2,000-4,000 mg of gluten.

The FDA defines “gluten-free” as containing less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. At this level, you’d need to eat about 17 servings of gluten-free products to hit the 10 mg threshold — which is unlikely in normal eating patterns.

However, studies show that “gluten-free” products can sometimes be contaminated above this threshold, especially in restaurants or facilities that also handle wheat products.4

For people with celiac disease:

For people with NCGS:

The bottom line

If you have celiac disease, NCGS, or wheat allergy, knowing which foods contain gluten is essential.

The main sources are wheat, barley, rye, and anything made from them — bread, pasta, baked goods, beer, and many processed foods. Gluten also hides in unexpected places like soy sauce, salad dressings, and some medications.

The good news: most whole foods are naturally gluten-free. Build your diet around proteins, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and gluten-free grains like rice and quinoa. When buying packaged foods, look for “certified gluten-free” labels to ensure safety.

With careful label reading and restaurant communication, eating gluten-free becomes second nature.

  1. Lebwohl B, Sanders DS, Green PHR. Coeliac disease. Lancet. 2018;391(10115):70-81. PubMed ↩︎

  2. Comino I, Moreno Mde L, Sousa C. Role of oats in celiac disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(41):11825-11831. PubMed ↩︎

  3. Akobeng AK, Thomas AG. Systematic review: tolerable amount of gluten for people with coeliac disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2008;27(11):1044-1052. PubMed ↩︎

  4. Falcomer AL, Santos Araújo L, Farage P, et al. Gluten contamination in food services and industry: A systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(3):479-493. PubMed ↩︎

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