Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wheat Addiction

I have been dreaming of eating a 12 grain whole multi-grain sandwich loaded with ham, cheese, tomato, mustard, mayo,etc... I can feel my teeth biting into it. I feel no other than an addict, only difference we have no support system.
"Food sensitivities may cause allergic people to crave those foods to which they are allergic. Just as a drug addict suffers withdrawal symptoms when the drug is withdrawn, allergic people experience discomfort when they lose access to a particular food. Many chronic health problems, such as migraine, fatigue, depression, and arthritis are caused by allergies to foods and chemicals" sais Sephen Levine, Ph. D.
I acted on my craving, in an instant without thinking ate the last bite my son left on his plate containing wheat. I am spending the rest of the day with cactus in my belly, running between bathroom and sofa. So painful!
Be smarter than me and stay away, resist temptation!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Pie

Fall, Holiday seasons are celebrated with PIE! When you are following a Wheat-free / Gluten-free diet what to do?...
I prefer going to Farmers Market or Organic Market and buying fresh fruit in season, including pumpkin and making a thick jam with them. Recently I did;
Peach + fresh Ginger Jam
Pumpkin + Cinnamon + Nutmeg + dried Ginger + Clove Jam
Apple + Cinnamon + lemon juice Jam
Strawberry Jam
...
1 part of fruit combined with 1 part of brown sugar + citrus. Boil it down in low heat.
After my jams are at the consistency that I want, I cool it down, put them in glass containers and keep them refrigerated.
If I want to use them as pie;
Gluten-free cookie that I like (mine is Aleia's oatmeal & golden raisin) crumble it on the bottom of my plate, put pumpkin jam warm and whipped cream on top...or gluten-free ice-cream. YUM! you can also make a pie crust;
Crumble Aleia's Cookies and mix it with melted butter. push it down on the pie plate. fill it with your choice of jam, and refrigerate it.

My neighbor gave me a recipe that she spotted in our local newspaper. CeliacSupportGroup.com published the following Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoon ice water

Let me know how yours turn out!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Unsafe Gluten-Free Food List (Unsafe Ingredients)

Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Atta Flour
Barley Grass (can contain seeds)
Barley Hordeum vulgare
Barley Malt
Beer (most contain barley or wheat)
Bleached Flour
Bran
Flour
Brewer's Yeast
Brown Flour
Bulgur (Bulgar Wheat/Nuts)
Bulgur Wheat
Cereal Binding
Chilton
Club Wheat (Triticum aestivum subspecies compactum)
Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Crumbs
Cookie Dough
Cookie Dough Pieces
Couscous
Criped Rice
Dinkle (Spelt)
Disodium Wheatgermamido Peg-2 Sulfosuccinate
Durum wheat (Triticum durum)
Edible Coatings
Edible Films
Edible Starch
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)
Emmer (Triticum dicoccon)
Enriched Bleached Flour
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
Enriched Flour
Farina
Farina Graham
Farro
Filler
Flour (normally this is wheat)
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Germ
Graham Flour
Granary Flour
Groats (barley, wheat)
Hard Wheat
Heeng
Hing
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Kamut
Kecap Manis Soy Sauce
Ketjap Manis (Soy Sauce)
Kluski Pasta
Maida (Indian wheat flour)
Malt
Malted Barley Flour
Malted Milk
Malt Extract
Malt Syrup
Malt Flavoring
Malt Vinegar
Macha Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Matza
Matzah
Matzo
Matzo Semolina
Meringue
Meripro 711
Mir
Nishasta
Oriental Wheat (Triticum turanicum)
Orzo Pasta
Pasta
Pearl Barley
Persian Wheat (Triticum carthlicum)
Perungayam
Poulard Wheat (Triticum turgidum)
Polish Wheat (Triticum polonicum)
Rice Malt (if barley or Koji are used)
Roux
Rusk
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Semolina Triticum
Shot Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Small Spelt
Spelt (Triticum spelta)
Sprouted Wheat or Barley
Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Strong Flour
Suet in Packets
Tabbouleh
Tabouli
Teriyaki Sauce
Timopheevi Wheat (Triticum timopheevii)
Triticale X triticosecale
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil
Udon
Unbleached Flour
Vavilovi Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Vital Wheat Gluten
Wheat, Abyssinian Hard triticum durum
Wheat
Wheat Bran Extract
Wheat, Bulgur
Wheat Durum Triticum
Wheat Germ Extract
Wheat Germ Glycerides
Wheat Germ Oil
Wheat Germamidopropyldimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Wheat Grass (can contain seeds)
Wheat Nuts
Wheat Protein
Wheat Triticum aestivum
Wheat Triticum Monococcum
Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Bran Extract
Whole Flour
Wild Einkorn (Triticum boeotictim)
Wild Emmer (Triticum dicoccoides)

according to www.celiac.com

Prebiotics

Found this very well written Gluten-Free Diet clarification by Frank W. Jackson, M.D.
want to share with all of you!

Prebiotics in your diet or in a supplement naturally restore digestive balance and health. Learn more . . .

Purpose

Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye, barley, and other related grains. Some people cannot tolerate gluten when it comes in contact with the small intestine. This condition is known as celiac disease (sometimes called non-tropical sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy).

Celiac disease is now clearly known to be genetically determined. In other words, if you or your close relatives have a certain gene, then it is more likely that you will get celiac disease some time in your life. Of great concern and interest is the fact that nine out of ten people with celiac disease do not known they have it. A simple blood test can give the physician the first clue to this disease.

In patients with celiac disease, gluten injures the lining of the small intestine. This injury can result in weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, and/or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. When patients totally eliminate gluten from the diet, the lining of the intestine has a chance to heal.

Gut Bacteria

The primary area of injury in celiac disease is the small bowel but there may be a relationship between what happens in the small bowel and the colon or large bowel. There are very large numbers of bacteria in the colon. Most of these are beneficial and actually confer health benefits. When these good bacteria thrive, they suppress the bad bacteria, which are present in the colon. What has been found is that celiac patients have an altered make-up of bacteria in the colon which favors the unwanted bacteria.
Prebiotic Plant Fiber

A prebiotic is not a probiotic, which are beneficial bacteria taken by mouth. These probiotics are present in yogurt, other dairy products and pills. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the necessary plant fibers that contain both oligofructose and inulin. These two fibers are the main nourishment for the good bacteria that reside in the gut. These fibers are rich in chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, asparagus and others. Gluten containing wheat and barley also contain these prebiotics.
Health Benefits from Prebiotic Fibers

There is now ample information in the medical literature to indicate that a prebiotic rich diet leads to demonstrable health benefits. These include:
Increased calcium absorption
Stronger bones and bone density
Enhanced immunity
Reduced allergies and asthma in infants and children
A lower blood triglyceride level
Appetite and weight control
Lower cancer factors in the gut
The Celiac Wheat-Prebiotic Dilemma

Nature has played a trick on celiac people. Wheat and wheat products provide over 80% of the prebiotics that North Americans ingest. Yet, celiac patients must assiduously avoid wheat, barley and rye. How do they then feed their good colon bacteria and get the health benefits, as outlined above? They must favor the other vegetables and fruits, as listed in the prebiotic section below. Additionally, they should consider a gluten free prebiotic supplement such as Prebiotin.
Special Considerations

Removing gluten from the diet is not easy. Grains are used in the preparation of many foods. It is often hard to tell by a food's name what may be in it, so it is easy to eat gluten without even knowing it. However, staying on a strict gluten-free diet can dramatically improve the patient's condition. Since it is necessary to remain on the gluten-free diet throughout life, it will be helpful to review it with a registered dietitian.

The person who prepares the patient's food much fully understand the gluten-free diet. Read food labels carefully:

Do not eat anything that contains the following grains: wheat, rye and barley.
At one time, oats were thought to contain some gluten. It has now become apparent, however, that oats frequently were processed in machines that also processed wheat. Most manufacturers no longer do this, although if there are any questions, a person should get reassurance from the manufacturer by mail, email or phone.
The following can be eaten in any amount: corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa.
Distilled white vinegar does not contain gluten.
Malt vinegar does contain gluten.
Grains are used in the processing of many ingredients, so it will be necessary to seek out hidden gluten. The following terms found in food labels may mean that there is gluten in the product.
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), unless made from soy or corn
Flour or Cereal products, unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour or soy flour
Vegetable Protein, unless made from soy or corn
Malt or Malt Flavoring, unless derived from corn
Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch, unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize or maize is used
Vegetable Gum, unless made from carob bean, locust bean, cellulose, guar, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xantham or vegetable starch
Soy Sauce or Soy Sauce Solids, unless you know they do not contain wheat
Any of the following words on food labels often mean that a grain containing gluten has been used.
Stabilizer
Starch
Flavoring
Emulsifier
Hydrolyzed
Plant Protein
The following are lists of various foods that do not have gluten, may have gluten and do contain gluten.

Prebiotic Plant Fiber Oligofructose and Inulin
NO Gluten
Onion, garlic, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, chicory root, jicama, dandelion, banana, agave, jams
MAY Contain Gluten
-----
DOES Contain Gluten
Wheat, barley, rye

Milk and Milk Products
NO Gluten
Whole, low fat, skim, dry, evaporated or condensed milk; buttermilk; cream; whipping cream; Velveeta cheese food; American cheese; all aged cheese such as Cheddar, Swiss, Edam and Parmesan
MAY Contain Gluten
Sour cream, commercial chocolate milk and drinks, non-dairy creamers, all other cheese products, yogurt
DOES Contain Gluten
Malted drinks

Meat or Meat Substitutes
NO Gluten
100% meat (no grain additives); seafood; poultry (breaded with pure cornmeal, potato flour or rice flour); peanut butter; eggs; dried beans or peas; pork
MAY Contain Gluten
Meat patties; canned meat; sausages; cold cuts; bologna; hot dogs; stew; hamburger; chili; commercial omelets, souffles, fondue; soy protein meat substitutes
DOES Contain Gluten
Croquettes, breaded fish, chicken loaves made with bread or bread crumbs, breaded or floured meats, meatloaf, meatballs, pizza, ravioli, any meat or meat substitute, rye, barley, oats, gluten stabilizers

Breads and Grains
NO Gluten
Cream of rice; cornmeal; hominy; rice; wild rice; gluten-free noodles; rice wafers; pure corn tortillas; specially prepared breads made with corn, rice, potato, soybean, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa flour
MAY Contain Gluten
Packaged rice mixes, cornbread, ready-to-eat cereals containing malt flavoring
DOES Contain Gluten
Breads, buns, rolls, biscuits, muffins, crackers and cereals containing wheat, wheat germ, oats, barley, rye, bran, graham flour, malt; kasha; bulgur; Melba toast; matzo; bread crumbs; pastry; pizza dough; regular noodles, spaghetti, macaroni and other pasta; rusks; dumplings; zwieback; pretzels; prepared mixes for waffles and pancakes; bread stuffing or filling

Fats and Oils
NO Gluten
Butter, margarine, vegetable oil, shortening, lard
MAY Contain Gluten
Salad dressings, non-dairy creamers, mayonnaise
DOES Contain Gluten
Gravy and cream sauces thickened with flour

Fruits
NO Gluten
Plain, fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit; all fruit juices
MAY Contain Gluten
Pie fillings, thickened or prepared fruit, fruit fillings
DOES Contain Gluten
None

Vegetables
NO Gluten
Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables; white and sweet potatoes; yams
MAY Contain Gluten
Vegetables with sauces, commercially prepared vegetables and salads, canned baked beans, pickles, marinated vegetables, commercially seasoned vegetables
DOES Contain Gluten
Creamed or breaded vegetables; those prepared with wheat, rye, oats, barley or gluten stabilizers

Snacks and Desserts
NO Gluten
Brown and white sugar, rennet, fruit whips, gelatin, jelly, jam, honey, molasses, pure cocoa, fruit ice, carob
MAY Contain Gluten
Custards, puddings, ice cream, ices, sherbet, pie fillings, candies, chocolate, chewing gum, cocoa, potato chips, popcorn
DOES Contain Gluten
Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pastries, dumplings, ice cream cones, pies, prepared cake and cookie mixes, pretzels, bread pudding

Beverages
NO Gluten
Tea, carbonated beverages (except root beer), fruit juices, mineral and carbonated waters, wines, instant or ground coffee
MAY Contain Gluten
Cocoa mixes, root beer, chocolate drinks, nutritional supplements, beverage mixes
DOES Contain Gluten
Postum™, Ovaltine™, malt-containing drinks, cocomalt, beer, ale

Soups
NO Gluten
Those made with allowed ingredients
MAY Contain Gluten
Commercially prepared soups, broths, soup mixes, boullion cubes
DOES Contain Gluten
Soups thickened with wheat flour or gluten-containing grains; soup containing barley, pasta or noodles

Thickening Agents
NO Gluten
Gelatin, arrowroot starch; corn flour germ or bran; potato flour; potato starch flour; rice bran and flour; rice polish; soy flour; tapioca, sago
MAY Contain Gluten
Commercially prepared soups, broths, soup mixes, boullion cubes
DOES Contain Gluten
Wheat starch; all flours containing wheat, oats, rye, malt, barley or graham flour; all-purpose flour; white flour; wheat flour; bran; cracker meal; durham flour; wheat germ

Condiments
NO Gluten
Gluten-free soy sauce, distilled white vinegar, olives, pickles, relish, ketchup
MAY Contain Gluten
Flavoring syrups (for pancakes or ice cream), mayonnaise, horseradish, salad dressings, tomato sauces, meat sauce, mustard, taco sauce, soy sauce, chip dips
DOES Contain Gluten
-----

Seasonings
NO Gluten
Salt, pepper, herbs, flavored extracts, food coloring, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, monosodium glutamate
MAY Contain Gluten
Curry powder, seasoning mixes, meat extracts
DOES Contain Gluten
Synthetic pepper, brewer's yeast (unless prepared with a sugar molasses base), yeast extract (contains barley)

Prescription Products
MAY Contain Gluten
All medicines - Check with pharmacist or pharmaceutical company.

Sample Menu
Breakfast
Cream of rice - 1/2 cup
Skim milk - 1 cup
Banana - 1 medium
Orange juice - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lunch
Baked chicken - 3 oz
Rice - 1/2 cup
Green beans - 1/2 cup
Apple juice - 1/2 cup
Ice cream - 1/2
* Ice cream should be made
without wheat stabilizers.
Dinner
Sirloin steak - 3 oz
Baked potato - 1 medium
Peas - 1/2 cup
Fruit gelatin - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 Tbsp
Tea - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp

The above sample diet provides the following: 1748 calories; 77 gm protein; 225 gm carbohydrates; 62 gm fat; 1577 gm sodium; 2934 potassium

Prebiotics in your diet or in a supplement naturally restore digestive balance and health. Learn more . . .

Using Alternative Flours!

Don't let allergies to wheat or gluten keep you from enjoying baked products.

Take some of the guesswork out of the shopping search--use this list to find flour alternatives.

Potato Starch Flour
This is a gluten-free thickening agent that is perfect for cream-based soups and sauces. Mix a little with water first, then substitute potato starch flour for flour in your recipe, but cut the amount in half. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Tapioca Flour
This is a light, white, very smooth flour that comes from the cassava root. It makes baked goods impart a nice chewy taste. Use it in recipes where a chewy texture would be desirable. It would work nicely in bread recipes such as white bread or French bread. It is also easily combined with cornstarch and soy flour. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Soy Flour
This nutty tasting flour has a high protein and fat content. It is best when used in combination with other flours and for baking brownies, or any baked goods with nuts or fruit. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Cornstarch
This is a refined starch that comes from corn. It is mostly used as a clear thickening agent for puddings, fruit sauces and Asian cooking. It is also used in combination with other flours for baking. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Corn Flour
This flour is milled from corn and can be blended with cornmeal to make cornbread or muffins. It is excellent for waffles or pancakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Cornmeal
This is ground corn that comes from either yellow or white meal. This is often combined with flours for baking. It imparts a strong corn flavor that is delicious in pancakes, waffles, or simple white cakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.

White Rice Flour
This is an excellent basic flour for gluten-free baking. It is milled from polished white rice. Because it has such a bland flavor, it is perfect for baking, as it doesn't impart any flavors. It works well with other flours. White rice flour is available in most health food stores, but also in Asian markets. At the Asian markets it is sold in different textures. The one that works the best is called fine textured white rice flour.

Brown Rice Flour
This flour comes from unpolished brown rice. It has more food value because it contains bran. Use it in breads, muffins, and cookies. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Kamut and Spelt Flours
These are ancient forms of wheat. While they aren't appropriate for gluten-free diets, they are excellent substitutes for plain wheat flour as they add wonderful flavor and consistency.

Substituting Gluten
Wheat flour contains gluten, which keeps cookies, cakes and pies from getting crumbly and falling apart. It is what makes baked goods have a good texture because it traps pockets of air. This creates a lovely airy quality that most baked goods possess when baked with traditional wheat flour. In order to help retain this structure when using non-wheat flours, gluten substitutes must be added to a gluten-free flour mixture. For each cup of gluten-free flour mix, add at least 1 teaspoon of gluten substitute. Here are three very good substitutes for gluten.

Xanthum Gum
This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Zanthomonas campestris. It is formulated in a laboratory setting. This works well as a gluten substitution in yeast breads along with other baked goods. You can purchase it in health food stores.
Guar Gum
This is a powder that comes from the seed of the plant Cyamopsis tetragonolobus. It is an excellent gluten substitute and it is available in health food stores.
Pre-gel Starch
This is an acceptable gluten substitute. It helps keep baked goods from being too crumbly. This, too can be purchased at most health food stores.

Substitution is the solution
If you are ready to try some recipes, start with recipes that use relatively small amounts of wheat flour like brownies or pancakes. These turn out lovely and the difference in taste is minimal. Here are two gluten-free flour mixtures that are suitable for substituting wheat flour cup for cup.

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture I
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture II
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour

The above mixtures can be doubled or tripled. Another option is to purchase a gluten-free flour mixture at a health food store to avoid the guesswork involved in substitutions. This flour mixture can usually substitute wheat flour cup for cup, but read the package directions to be sure. Keep these flour mixtures stored in containers at room temperature and keep them on hand to simplify your baking routine.

EggNog

Weather is changing, cold is in the air, stores are getting in the spirit of the Holidays little too soon, but EggNog season couldn't come fast enough. Super Markets finally have EggNog ! But this brings the question of; are they Gluten-Free?
I ran in the fridge, picked up my Hood Eggnog Gold and started reading....NOTHING! The box said nothing. I was not ready to give up on my once a year treat, so went on the Hood website... Nothing! on their search engine typed "gluten-free"...Finally the Good news appeared...

Below is a list of Hood products that have been confirmed gluten free:

All Hood Milk (all fat levels)
Hood Chocolate Milk (full fat and lowfat; all sizes)
Simply Smart® Milk (fat free and 1%)
Simply Smart® Fat Free Chocolate Milk
Simply Smart® Fat Free Half & Half
Calorie Countdown® dairy beverages (all flavors and fat levels)
All Hood Cottage Cheese
LACTAID® Lowfat Cottage Cheese
Hood Golden EggNog
Hood Light EggNog
Hood Vanilla EggNog
Hood Cinnamon EggNog
Hood Pumpkin EggNog
Hood Gingerbread EggNog
Hood Sugar Cookie EggNog
All Hood Sour Cream
All LACTAID® Milk
All Hood Sherbet
All Hood Cream
Hood Instant Whipped Cream
Hood Sugar Free Light Whipped Cream
All Hood Juices
Hood Country Creamer® and Fat Free Country Creamer®
Hood Buttermilk

Hood Ice Cream flavors
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate
Classic Trio
Creamy Coffee
Fudge Twister
Golden Vanilla
Maple Walnut
Natural Vanilla Bean
Patchwork
Strawberry

Hood Red Sox Ice Cream
All flavors

Hood New England Creamery Ice Cream
Bear Creek Caramel
Boston Vanilla Bean
Cape Cod Fudge Shop
Maine Blueberry & Sweet Cream
Martha's Vineyard Black Raspberry
Moosehead Lake Fudge
Mystic Lighthouse Mint
New England Homemade Vanilla
Rhode Island Lighthouse Coffee
Vermont Maple Nut
Light Vanilla
Light Butter Pecan
Light Chocolate Chip
Light Coffee
Light Martha's Vineyard Black Raspberry
Light Under the Stars
Light Maine Blueberry & Sweet Cream
Orange Sherbet
Black Raspberry Sherbet
Wildberry Sherbet
Rainbow Sherbet

Hood Frozen Yogurt
Chocolate Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
Maine Blueberry & Sweet Cream Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
Mocha Fudge Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
Strawberry Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
Strawberry-Banana Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
Vanilla Fat Free Frozen Yogurt

Hood Frozen Tangy Yogurt
All varieties

LACTAID® Ice Cream
LACTAID® Vanilla Ice Cream
LACTAID® Chocolate Ice Cream
LACTAID® Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Frozen Novelty Items
Hoodsie Cups
Hoodsie Sundae Cups
Hoodsie Pops
Hood Kids Karnival Stix
Hood Ice Cream Bar
Hood Orange Cream Bar
Hood Fudge Stix

Why won't the companies with Gluten-free products take the pride in it and mark their packages with the

Monday, October 18, 2010

Stew Time

Gluten-free diet thankfully does NOT effect traditional stews.
This morning at 6am as I am getting breakfast ready for my oldest and feeling the fall temperatures on my skin, I decided it was a time for a hearty stew;
2 large onions, cut any size you like
2 garlic cloves, cut any size you like
2 sweet red peppers, cut any size you like
Beef chunks
2 table spoon olive oil
sautee all the above ingredients in a pot until the meet is brownish
add 1/3 cup lentil
beef stock
red wine
little water
salt/pepper
Bring it to boil for an hour in medium heat.
peel and cut red bliss potatoes (cut any size you like)
continue simmering until the potatoes are cooked.
Fall is here! Enjoy your warm Protein filled stew over Jasmine rice or as is...
Stay warm!

Baking wheat-free

wheatfree.org web site is a great resource to figure out what flour is wheat-free but not gluten-free, which flours you can use for your dietary needs...

Wheat flour contains gluten which is the protein that strengthens and binds dough in baking. Because of this, when baking with wheat free flours you may need to source alternative binding agents.

Wheat free recipes using flour substitutes usually have been carefully formulated to get the best possible result taking into account the problems associated with lack of wheat gluten, therefore substitution can be a risky experiment. If you try substitution, then be aware that you may get a failure, so don't do it for the first time if cooking for an important occasion.

Amaranth flour

Amaranth flour is made from the seed of the Amaranth plant, which is a leafy vegetable. Amaranth seeds are very high in protein, which makes a nutritious flour for baking. Alternative names: African spinach, Chinese spinach, Indian spinach, elephants ear.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Arrowroot flour

Arrowroot flour is ground from the root of the plant, and is very useful for thickening recipes. It is tasteless, and the fine powder becomes clear when it is cooked, which makes it ideal for thickening clear sauces.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Barley flour

Barley only contains a small amount of gluten, so is rarely used to make bread, with the exception of unleavened bread. It has a slightly nutty flavour, and can be used to thicken or flavour soups or stews. Blended with other alternative flours it is also fairly versatile for cakes, biscuits, pastry, dumplings etc.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Brown rice flour

Brown rice flour is heavier than its relative, white rice flour. It is milled from unpolished brown rice so it has a higher nutritional value than white, and as it contains the bran of the brown rice it has a higher fibre content. This also means that it has a noticeable texture, a bit grainy.

It does have a slight nutty taste, which will sometimes come out in recipes depending on the other ingredients, and the texture will also contribute to a heavier product than recipes made with white rice flour.

It is not often used completely on its own because of its heavier nature.

Bulk buying is not recommended as it is better used when fresh, store in an airtight container.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Buckwheat flour

Buckwheat flour is not, despite its name a form of wheat, buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb. The small seeds of the plant are ground to make flour.

It has a strong nutty taste so is not generally used on its own in a recipe, as the taste of the finished product can be very overpowering, and a little bitter. Alternative names: beech wheat, kasha, saracen corn.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Chick pea flour (also known as gram or garbanzo flour)

This is ground from chick peas and has a strong slightly nutty taste. It is not generally used on its own.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Cornflour

Cornflour is milled from corn into a fine, white powder, and is used for thickening recipes and sauces. It has a bland taste, and therefore is used in conjunction with other ingredients that will impart flavour to the recipe.

It also works very well when mixed with other flours, for example when making fine batters for tempura.

Some types of cornflour are milled from wheat but are labelled wheaten cornflour.

Alternative name: cornstarch.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Cornmeal

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Maize flour

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.

This flour, produced by The Stamp Collection, is 100% organic and wheat free. It is a blend of barley, rice, millet and maize flours. This flour works well in a wide variety of recipes, from soufflés to biscuits, and pancakes to pastry. It can't however be used to produce bread, although bread type products can be made from it. The all purpose flour absorbs liquid slower than wheat flour, and so additional time allowance needs to be made when using in recipes to allow liquid to absorb fully.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Tapioca flour

Tapioca flour is made from the root of the cassava plant, once ground it takes the form of a light, soft, fine white flour. Tapioca flour adds chewiness to baking and is a good thickener. Although difficult to source in the UK tapioca flour is an excellent addition to any wheat free kitchen. It's a fairly resilient flour, so storing at room temperature is no problem.

Wheat free

Gluten free

Teff flour

Teff comes from the grass family, and is a tiny cereal grain native to northern Africa. It is ground into flour and used to prepare injera, which is a spongy, slightly sour flat bread. It is now finding a niche in the health food market because it is very nutritious, although currently it's a rarity to find in the UK.

Wheat free

Gluten free

White rice flour