When your child has a food allergy, he or she must follow an allergen-free diet. This means your child can't have the food they are allergic to, or any products containing that food. The items that your child is allergic to are called allergens.
A wheat allergy is the immune system's abnormal response to the protein found in wheat. Wheat products are found in many foods. To stay away from foods that contain wheat, it is important to read food labels. Foods regulated by the FDA must follow the federal Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). This requires that food labels put wheat in the list of ingredients on products that contain any wheat. Some manufacturers voluntarily include statements such as "may contain wheat" or "may be made in a facility with wheat."
When your child has been diagnosed with a wheat allergy:
Educate teachers, family, and friends about your child’s allergy. Many people don’t understand how serious food allergies can be.
Teach your child in an age-appropriate way about their food allergy and how to manage it.
Consult a registered dietitian. They can help you find healthy substitutes so your child gets all the nutrients needed to grow.
When eating out, bring “back-up” foods with you and check restaurant websites before you go,
If managing the allergy creates family stress, consider getting social and mental health support for your whole family.
The lists below may not contain all food and personal care products that could contain wheat. But they can help guide your food decisions. It is up to you to carefully read all food labels.
Allowed
Not allowed
Drinks
Coffee, tea, fruit juices, decaffeinated coffee, carbonated drinks, all milks, cocoa
Cereal drinks, coffee substitutes
Drinks made from wheat products: beer, ale, root beer
Instant chocolate drink mixes
Breads & cereals
Rye crackers, rice wafers
Pure corn, rice, arrowroot, barley, potato, or rye bread made without wheat flour or wheat products
Cornmeal, cornstarch, soybean flour, barley flour, oat flour, rice flour, potato starch, arrowroot flour
Oatmeal, cream of rice, puffed rice, or other cereals made from pure corn, oats, or rice, with no added wheat
Whole wheat, enriched, or white bread, rolls, or bread crumbs
Graham or gluten bread
Donuts, sweet rolls, muffins, French toast, waffles, pancakes, dumplings, bread stuffing, rusk, popovers
Prepared mixes for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, breads, and rolls
Cornbread, potato, or soybean bread unless made without wheat flour or wheat products
Cereals made from farina, wheat, or those with wheat products or malt added
Pretzels, crackers
Semolina, spelt, or triticale
Desserts
Custards, Bavarian creams
Oatmeal, arrowroot, rice, or rye cookies made without wheat products
Cornstarch, tapioca, or rice puddings
Water or fruit ices, meringues
Gelatin
Cakes, pastries, commercial frosting, icing, ice cream, sherbet, ice cream cones
Cookies, prepared mixes, or packaged pudding containing wheat flour
Graham crackers, donuts
Eggs
Eggs made any way without wheat products
Souffles or creamed eggs made with wheat products
Fats
Butter, margarine, animal, or vegetable fats and oils, cream
Salad dressings or gravy made without wheat flour or products
Any salad dressing or gravy thickened with wheat flour or products
Fruit
All fresh, canned, dried, or frozen fruits, and fruit juices
Strained fruits with added cereals
Meat, fish, poultry
Baked, broiled, boiled, roasted, or fried: beef, veal, pork, ham, chicken, turkey, lamb, or fish
"All meat" hot dogs or lunch meats made without wheat flour fillers or wheat products
All breaded or floured meats, meats containing filler, such as meatloaf, frankfurters, sausage, luncheon meats, bologna, or prepared meat patties
Milk & milk products
Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, some cottage cheese
Malted milk, milk drinks containing powdered wheat cereal or products
Cottage cheese with modified starch or other wheat-containing ingredients
Potatoes & substitutes
White and sweet potatoes
Rice
Scalloped potatoes
Noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, and other pasta products prepared with wheat or semolina flour
Soup
Clear bouillon, consomme, or broth
Homemade soups made without wheat products
Cream soups unless made without wheat flour
Soups with noodles, alphabets, dumplings, or spaghetti
Soup thickened with wheat flour
Sweets
Corn syrup, honey, jams, jellies, molasses, sugar
Chocolates, chocolate candy containing malt, candy with cereal extract
Vegetables
All fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables, and vegetable juices
Vegetables combined with wheat products
Breaded or floured vegetables
Miscellaneous
Salt, chili powder, condiments, flavoring extracts, herbs, nuts, olives, pickles, popcorn, peanut butter
Malt products, Worcestershire sauce, gravies thickened with wheat flour
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), meat tenderizers containing MSG, prepared Asian food seasoned with MSG, soy sauce
Don’t give your child foods that have any of these ingredients:
Bran
Bread crumbs
Bulgur
Cereal extract
Couscous
Cracker meal
Durum, Durum flours (a type of wheat)
Einkorn (a type of wheat)
Emmer (a type of farro)
Enriched flour
Farina
Flour (all purpose, bread, cake, instant, pastry, self-rising, soft wheat, steel ground, whole wheat)
Gluten
Graham flour
High gluten flour
High protein flour
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Matzoh, matzoh meal
Pasta
Seitan
Semolina (a type of wheat)
Spelt (a type of wheat)
Sprouted wheat
Triticale (a type of wheat)
Vital gluten
Wheat bran
Wheat durum
Wheat germ
Wheat gluten
Wheat grass
Wheat malt
Wheat protein isolate
Wheat sprouts
Wheat starch
Whole wheat berries
Whole wheat flour
Ingredients that may mean the presence of wheat protein include:
Gelatinized starch
Glucose
Gum
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Kamut
Modified food starch
Modified starch
Natural flavoring
Oats
Soy sauce
Starch
Surimi
Textured vegetable protein
Vegetable starch