The 7 Sneakiest Places Gluten Shows Up

When I first went gluten-free, I thought avoiding bread and pasta was enough. I quickly learned how wrong that was. Gluten hides in places you’d never expect — places that shocked me when I first discovered them. 

Today, I’m sharing the 7 sneakiest places gluten shows up, why they’re risky, and how to protect yourself without feeling overwhelmed. Stick around until the end, because the last one on this list caught me completely off guard — and it’s one that trips up a lot of people.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Personal Disclaimer And Setup
• 0:36 Show Intro And Mission
• 1:14 Sauces And Dressings Trap
• 2:30 Broths, Stocks, And Bouillon Risks
• 3:30 Fryers, Fries, And Cross-Contact
• 4:24 Seasonings And Spice Blend Fillers
• 5:01 Candy, Chocolate, And Holiday Shapes
• 6:33 Medications, Supplements, And Labels
• 7:39 Non-Food Items Near Your Mouth
• 8:24 Mindset Shift And Closing CTA

Transcript

Carrie Saunders: 0:00

Quick reminder before we get started on this episode. This podcast is based on my personal experiences and isn't medical advice. When I first went gluten-free, I thought avoiding bread and pasta was enough. I quickly learned how wrong that was. Gluten hides in places you'd never expect. Places that shocked me when I first discovered them. Today I'm sharing the seven sneakiest places gluten shows up and why they're risky and how to protect yourself without feeling overwhelmed. Stick around to the end because the last one on this list caught me completely off guard and it's one that trips up a lot of people. Let's dive in. Welcome to the Gluten Free Engineer Podcast. I'm your host, Carrie Saunders. In 2011, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, a moment that changed everything. But I was determined not to let it hold me back. With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer the gluten-free lifestyle, breaking down recipes, safety tips, travel hacks, and everything in between to rebuild a life I love. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or simply choose to live gluten-free, this podcast is for you. Join me each week as we simplify the gluten-free lifestyle, make it fun, and prove that you don't have to miss out on anything. Welcome back to the show. Today we're talking about the seven sneakiest places that gluten shows up. And the first one is maybe not quite as shocking as most people might think if you're a little familiar with gluten, but sauces, dressings, and marinades. So one that does actually trip a lot of people up when they're new is soy sauce. Soy sauce is usually created with wheat in it. Also teriyaki sauce, salad dressings, and gravies. Gravies might be a little bit more obvious, but that teriyaki sauce and salad dressings also might shock you as well. And you might also find that some of these are thickened with wheat or barley malt might be in it for some flavoring. And even housemade versions can also contain gluten. It's just a really common thickener and binder because it's so cheap. So you might assume that sauces are minor add-ons, but not the gluten bombs, something that can really throw you off, especially when you're in the beginning of your healing. So make sure that you're always looking at all the labels of sauces, dressings, and marinades. Right now, our go-to soy sauce is not even soy sauce, it's coconut aminos because we have soy problems in our house. But if you can eat soy, then the tamari soy sauce is generally almost always gluten-free. Just double check the label, but that's what you're going to look for is tamari soy sauce. Okay, so number two is broths, stalks and bouillon. So this one's a little bit shocking because you would think that a soup base wouldn't contain wheat, especially like a broth or a stock or a bullion. But many times they can often contain wheat to help them thicken up as you use them. Also, natural flavors can hide gluten. So anything that says natural flavors on it could have something in it like barley. Now it shouldn't have wheat in it, or at least in the United States, simply because we're required to label when things have wheat in it, since that's one of the top allergens. But barley is not considered a top allergen, but it does have gluten in it, so that can trip up those with celiac disease. Restaurant soups are especially risky. So if you're going to have a soup at a restaurant, you really need to ask what is used to thicken it. So if the broth isn't confirmed gluten-free, I would assume that it's not, just to be on the safe side. Number three is fried and fried foods. This one is something that you learn pretty early on when you're celiac. Sheared fryers with breaded items can cross-contaminate to you. Even plain fries can be cross-contaminated. And a lot of people don't realize that French fries and fast food places many times are coated with a little bit of wheat on the outside to help them crisp up when they're in the fryer. So even if they have a dedicated uh fryer for the fries, it's possible the fries themselves have gluten on them. Also, chips at restaurants often share fryers too. So if you're like at a Mexican restaurant or someplace that you know fries chips and oil, you're gonna want to make sure that it is a dedicated fryer and that the chips themselves also don't have gluten-free. This one is a very easy one to get tripped up on and to not think about. And then number four is seasonings and spice blends. Taco seasonings, spice rubs, and blends can many times have anti-caking agents in it or fillers, and that might contain wheat. Also, bulk spices are high risk as well. So assuming that spices are just spices are not something you want to do, and something that I did early on, it just seemed like it made sense that oh, they're just spices, you know. I thought they were just, you know, pure pieces of different spices ground together. For example, chili powder is just, you know, the ingredients that would make chili powder, not knowing that there could be anti-caking agents or fillers that could contain wheat. Number five is one that caught me pretty early on, and I couldn't figure out why I was getting so sick. And that's candy, chocolate, and holiday treats. And the reason is that barley malt is many times in chocolate. There's a certain uh flavor of Milky Way. I can't remember which way it is, so I don't want to tell you which way it is, but there's a certain flavor of Milky Way, one of them is gluten-free and the other one is not. The one that's not has barley malt ingredients in it. This one tripped me up one Halloween when I was first going gluten-free. I couldn't figure out why I kept getting sick, and then I finally looked up that flavor of Milky Way and realized, oh, this one has barley malt in it, and that's my problem. Also, many times holiday treats are processed not on the same facility as their standard treats. So they may be on shared equipment that has contamination on it. This is actually pretty common. So you might so Reese cups, for example, at least as of this recording, is gluten-free. Last I checked. Well, the Christmas tree Reese's are not necessarily gluten-free, they're produced in a different facility and on different shared equipment. So you have to be careful of the specially shaped or the special holiday type of shaped candy. So even if the original one is gluten-free, double check the holiday-shaped ones, the mini ones, any of the seasonal candy. They many times will change formulas. So always recheck those labels, even on those brands you've trusted before. Now, number six was one that has been the most frustrating for me, I would have to say, and that's medications, supplements, and vitamins. Fillers and binders can contain gluten and they can be in your medicine, and they don't have to tell you. This is what drives me absolutely bonkers. They don't have to tell you if it's in there. And many times the pharmacies don't know. I have a great pharmacy here who will call the manufacturer if it's not clear on the label and in the uh inactive ingredients whether it has gluten in it. But this is something that has taken me down before. Assuming that my medicine was gluten-free, I literally just wanted to sleep all day when I was on this one medicine. Come to find out it had gluten in it, and it was making me more sick than the medicine was that was supposed to help me feel better. And food gets the focus here, unfortunately, and medicine is very much overlooked. It is something that I would love to see change in this world. So please be careful with all your medications. And then number seven is the non-food items that go in or near your mouth. This is a big what? Wait. For example, lip balm, lipstick, toothpaste, or mouthwash, communion wafers, and play-doh if you have kids. This is often one of the biggest aha moments. And think about that play-doh. Your kids generally will play with play-doh in preschool and you know the younger elementaries, but it is made from wheat. You have to get the off-brand to get play-doh-like substance that doesn't have wheat in it or make it yourself. And also lip balm and lipstick. You would think that you know, something so highly sensitive to people and toothpaste as well, you know, that they wouldn't have it in those, but you do have to be really careful and just double check. And here's the mindset shift that made this less overwhelming for me. You don't need to catch everything at once. Each time you learn a new sneaky source of gluten, you're not failing. You're leveling up. Over time, this knowledge becomes second nature and you will feel so much better. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Gluten Free Engineer. If you found value in this story, please share it with someone who might need encouragement on their own gluten-free journey. For more tips, recipes, resources, and even links to my YouTube channel, head on over to theglutenfreeengineer.com. It's your one-stop hub to make gluten-free living simple, fun, and full of flavor. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss out on an episode. And we will see you next week. The Gluten Free Engineer Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. I share my personal experiences and stories about living with celiac disease and navigating a gluten free lifestyle. This podcast does not provide medical advice. Always consult with a qualified health care professional for medical questions, concerns, or advice specific to your health.