Identifying “free from” foods.

robbiebrown34

Hi all

Due to recent health issues I’ve been advised to go gluten and wheat free for 6 weeks. Aside from the obvious ones like bread etc. I really don’t know what foods to be eating.

I’m not sure it’s an option, but does MyFitnessPal have a way of telling you if a food is free from these when you scan them?
I thought it would be massively helpful when I’m walking around the supermarket just to scan something and confirm it’s correct rather than always looking for hidden labels.

Apologies if this has been asked before. If there are any better suggestions I am all ears.

Thanks

Rob

cmriverside

No, MFP does not have that feature. You can look for "wheat" in the ingredients, or "Wheat Free/Gluten Free" on the label.

girlwithcurls2

Some supermarkets have all of their gluten free products in one place. I would still read labels until you're sure, but it makes it easier to see what's available for most common gluten-full things (breads, crackers, baking mixes, etc). Be careful though. Lots of things like "corn" tortillas have wheat in them as well. Rice crackers might too. You'll probably want to read labels at first.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Unfortunately, if you are going to be eating packaged foods, you will need to be diligent about reading labels. If you can, the easiest thing to do is to stick with whole foods, basically shopping the exterior of the grocery store and buying things like dairy, eggs, meat, fruits, and veggies. For starches you can do things like rice and potatoes.

Gluten Free is actually much easier to do these days if you prefer packaged/prepared foods, as many are labeled gluten free and my grocery store even has a whole gluten free section. I know that it sounds intimidating, but I promise, it's a lot easier than you think. It's really about learning what kinds of things have gluten and avoiding them. There is a learning curve, but I'd wager a bet that you'll get the hang of it in no time.

sjb11973

As previously stated, all supermarkets have a ‘free from’ section for the specific gluten free foods you may want such as bread/pasta etc. Rice is naturally gluten free, just check what it’s mixed with if you buy prepacked/cooked ones. Otherwise fruit veg meat etc are all gluten free. It’s a lot easier now than it used to be. You really don’t need to ‘give up’ any foods you like just adapt.

kshama2001

Here's something that's not obvious - soy sauce often has wheat in it. San-J is one brand that offers a wheat-free variety.

robbiebrown34

Thank you all for the info. Very helpful! The feature would be good on MFP but it’s obviously not essential.
It’s a bit of a dive into the deep end for me, hopefully I’ll get used to it and keep an eye on those labels. Thanks all!

_Cece_x

I’m GF and need to check every label for wheat and barley! It’s an absolute nightmare but what I have found is you’re find a more expensive gluten free version of somehing that doesn’t have gluten in to begin with!

suzannesimmons1

robbiebrown34 wrote: »

Thank you all for the info. Very helpful! The feature would be good on MFP but it’s obviously not essential.
It’s a bit of a dive into the deep end for me, hopefully I’ll get used to it and keep an eye on those labels. Thanks all!

Mfp relies on people entering info.....would you trust your life on a random stranger? Another thing is one day the product can be free from and another day it's been new and improved and now contains allergens...
ALWAYS read the lable....everytime you buy a product.

Stock cubes, yogurts, thickened items usually contain wheat.

lorrpb

You can't really "rely" on MFP accuracy for calories and nutrients, so I surely would not want to depend on it to alert me an ingredient that could harm me. Just sayin... Be careful what you wish for...

lemurcat2

Easier to work from whole foods and then if you want to purchase packaged look for those labelled GF.