Over the last 10 years I’ve been gluten free, I’ve noticed that gluten free food has it’s own set of myths that ‘muggles’ (people who can eat gluten) believe to be true. So here’s the 10 myths about gluten free food that we’re all sick of hearing.
I’m sure most of you have heard these too, but if I’ve missed any out, feel free to leave me a comment below this post adding yours! Ok, so let’s get into the 10 myths about gluten free food that we’re sick of hearing…
Go on, tell me that gluten free food always tastes bad!
1. Gluten free food always tastes bad.
Public Service Announcement to all gluten-free-hating-muggles out there: gluten free food tastes exactly the same as regular food 97% of the time.
‘Ergh, I wouldn’t order that – it says gluten free next to it.’
I totally agree – I mean who in their right mind would eat a gluten free steak? I so miss the days of eating a steak which contained gluten – mmm, so much better.
?
2. Gluten free food is a magical cure for bloating.
‘Guys, I ate a gluten free sandwich and now I feel so much less bloated!’
I’m sorry, but people who have no diagnosed reason to avoid gluten shouldn’t be eating gluten free because of its magical, unicorn-like, anti-bloating properties.
(because it’s just simply not true if you were wondering)
Gluten free food definitely shouldn’t be regarded as an instant cure for general bloating and if you do have any of these symptoms as well as bloating, you should probably go see your doctor first!
3. Gluten free food is healthier for you.
If your idea of eating gluten free is a salad for every meal, then ok, I kind of get it.
(but also, I’m silently judging you for eating a salad for breakfast FYI)
But when people go around buying gluten free cakes thinking it’s somehow healthier or will result in less bloating or something… that’s where my understanding stops.
Is it a healthy food haul because it’s all gluten free?
4. Eating gluten free is something you should do ‘to see if it helps’.
STOP RIGHT THERE.
The only person who should advise you on quitting gluten or not should probably be a Doctor. And even then, if advised to stop eating gluten, always make sure you get properly tested for Coeliac disease first.
Why?
Well, you can’t be tested for Coeliac disease unless you have had gluten in your diet on a consistent basis for a very long time, so don’t listen to anyone who advises you to do it flippantly.
5. Gluten can be ‘killed off by frying at high temperatures’.
This is often a chilling answer given by restaurants who probably shouldn’t ever pretend they can cater for gluten free eaters.
When asked about cross contamination (such as frying gluten food in the same oil as gluten free food), some restaurants will say it’s safe for gluten free eaters because ‘gluten is killed off by the high temperatures of frying’.
If you want this phrase roughly translated to English, it means ‘don’t eat here, please leave, we have no idea what we’re doing’. You can thank me later for that one.
6. A little bit won’t hurt – you’ll build up a tolerance.
So, if I poison myself once a day, I’ll eventually become immune? Is that how it works?
Where did you get your medical knowledge from? The University of ‘Well That Sorta Makes Sense’?
This could quite possibly be the worst gluten free myth of them all.
7. A gluten free diet is easy because you can just eat fruit, vegetables and meat.
Yes, fruit, vegetables and meat are gluten free, but how often do you just eat a plain piece of meat and boiled vegetables? Or fruit for an entire meal? More importantly, how often do you ever get served that when eating out?
Even a meal that is essentially meat and veg, like a roast dinner, has tons of potential issues. Is the gravy gluten free? Are the Yorkshire puddings gluten free? Is there stuffing on the plate? Bread sauce?
I mean, if there’s been stuffing inside the meat, then I can’t even eat the meat anymore either!
8. The need to eat gluten free didn’t exist 30 years ago – it’s all just a fad.
No, it did exist 30 years ago. Who knows how long it’s existed when you think about it? That’s like saying that diabetes (or any other medical condition) didn’t exist before someone discovered it.
But even once something is discovered… it can clearly take decades before the word gets out (though it’s been sped up massively thanks to charities raising awareness) and people start to think ‘hmm, maybe that’s why I feel bad all the time?’
So no, it’s not a fad – it’s a mass realisation that’s been years in the making.
9. Gluten free food is lower in carbs.
Again, if you’re eating a salad for every meal – something that’s often naturally gluten free – then yeah, it can be.
But buying gluten free bread and cakes because it’s lower in carbs?
Well, I’m not 100% sure that you really know what a carb is!
10. Food can be labelled as gluten free even though there’s a risk it MIGHT contain gluten – just as long as it’s not actually in the product.
This is a very confusing topic because for something to be labelled ‘gluten free’ it shouldn’t then have a ‘may contain’ warning.
For example, there’s a couple of products in Greggs which are labelled as gluten free – they’re wrapped in packaging to there’s no risk of cross contamination in stores, but then on the back it says made in a production area that uses gluten ??♀️ and this really shouldn’t be allowed.
Also, someone recently pointed out to me that this product (ingredients photo below) states ‘made in factory that also handles: wheat, gluten, barley’ yet on the very next line states ‘gluten free’. Personally, I would avoid any product that has conflicting messaging like this – it shouldn’t be labelled gluten free if it may contain gluten!!!
It’s not only a myth that this is ok, but it’s also very dangerous!
So that’s the 10 myths about gluten free food that we’re all sick of hearing! Making this post made me realise how whilst some of these myths are just a bit annoying… a few of them are actually quite dangerous!
Have you heard any other myths about being gluten free or about gluten free food that I’ve missed out on? Let me know by leaving me a comment below.
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Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
