What is a gluten-free vegan diet?

There is a lot of talk about going gluten-free And These days are plant-based. You’ve probably been targeted by ads for some type of snack or meal delivery service that offers gluten-free vegetarian meal options—enough to make you wonder if there’s anything like cutting regular ol’ bread and pasta.

If random ads, influencers, and members of your monthly brunch group cut out gluten, why wouldn’t you? In reality, there are valid medical reasons to eliminate gluten from your diet, but a gluten-free vegetarian diet may not benefit you unless you are one of those people. Let’s find out why someone should go gluten-free, what nutrients you might be missing out on, and what’s okay to eat.

What is a gluten-free vegetarian diet?

If you follow a gluten-free vegetarian diet, you won’t eat anything that contains gluten or animal-based ingredients.

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, including wheat berries, farro, durum, semolina, spelt, einkorn, kamut, and wheat protein, which is used to make seitan and other types of plant-based meats. Gluten is like a stretchy binder that holds food together. Without it, the dough for pizza, bread, flour tortillas, pasta and more would fall apart — although, there are many gluten-free foods these days that are almost indistinguishable from their gluten counterparts.

Bread and pasta are staple foods for many, but for the estimated 2 million people in the U.S. with celiac disease, the gluten they contain triggers an immune response. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder in which eating gluten can cause painful bloating, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Internally, gluten attacks the body’s villi, the thread-like appendages of the small intestine that help absorb nutrients.

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According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, if ignored, the condition can lead to an increased risk of coronary artery disease, small bowel cancer, iron deficiency anemia and other autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes. A lifelong gluten-free diet is the only known treatment plan for celiac disease.

Someone may also avoid gluten due to gluten intolerance, also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Eating gluten when you have NCGS can cause bloating and abdominal pain, but it’s much less aggressive than celiac disease and doesn’t have long-term health effects. It is not an allergic or autoimmune disorder, and its exact cause is still unknown, but it affects an estimated 6 percent of the U.S. population.

If you suspect you have a gluten intolerance, your healthcare provider can run tests to confirm it, including testing you for a wheat allergy and asking you to follow an elimination diet where you avoid all gluten. If you don’t have a medical reason to avoid gluten, cutting it out of your diet won’t give you any nutritional benefits.

Complications of a gluten-free vegetarian diet

The good news is that if you have to avoid gluten, you won’t be depriving yourself of any essential nutrients. But, because it is a plant-based diet, it lacks vitamin B12, which is found in meat, eggs and dairy products. This important vitamin is essential for the formation of red blood cells and DNA, as well as the function and development of brain and nerve cells.

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Vitamin B12 is added to some vegan products, such as fortified cereals, plant-based milks, and nutritional yeast, but it’s not standardized, so you may need to source your vitamin B12 from supplements.

It is recommended to consult your doctor or nutritionist before making any major changes to your diet.

What can you eat on a gluten-free vegetarian diet?

Figuring out what to eat on a gluten-free vegan diet is less complicated than figuring out what falls under the umbrella of keto or paleo. It may seem like going gluten-free means cutting out carbohydrates, which provide your body with the energy it needs to navigate life, but there are plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods that are okay to eat.

All you need to do is avoid animal products and anything with gluten. Some things can be hard to find—like a gluten-free vegan pizza you enjoy, for example—but, that’s pretty much off limits except in extreme cases where you have to avoid any food that isn’t made in a dedicated gluten-free environment.

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Alliums: Onions, garlic, shallots, chives, green onions, leeks
Red Chilli: Bird’s Eye, Korean Hot Peppers, Serranos, Jalapenos, Cashmere, Anaheim, Poblano, Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, Gochugaru, Red Chili Powder, Chili Powder
Drinks: Coffee, tea, juice, kombucha, wine, most ciders, coconut water, water
Fresh Vegetables: Basil, coriander, parsley, oregano, curry leaves, perilla, rosemary, thyme
Results: Apples, bananas, berries, watermelon, oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, lemons, limes
Legos: Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, edamame
Mushrooms: Button, portobello, shiitake, enoki, maitake, oyster, king oyster
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds
Oil: Canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil
Plant Based Protein: Tofu, tempeh, gluten-free vegetarian meats
Tubers: Potatoes, yams, jicama
Vegan Cheese: Anything certified gluten-free—should be the most
Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cabbage, greens, sea vegetables
Whole and Ground Spices: Black pepper, Cumin, Coriander, All spices, Turmeric, Paprika, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg
Whole Grains: Oats, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, corn, sorghum

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Packaged gluten-free foods are also fair game. These include gluten-free breads, wraps, pizza, pasta, 100-percent buckwheat soba, cereals, snacks, candy and chocolate. Most types of vinegar, miso paste, tamari and many sauces are gluten-free.

Look for something certified gluten-free, which means the product was made in a dedicated facility to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. It is safe for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance. Sometimes, even naturally gluten-free foods can cause reactions in people if they are produced in equipment shared with gluten-containing ingredients. For example, some oats are not considered gluten-free for this reason.

What can you not eat on a gluten-free vegetarian diet?

Gluten is fairly common in food, especially in restaurants, but other than that there are no major restrictions. Here’s a general list of what to avoid on a gluten-free vegetarian diet:

Animal products: Meat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, honey
Drinks: Beer, ale, lager, stout, plus whiskey, bourbon and gin made from wheat, barley or rye
Grains and flours: Wheat berries, barley, farro, rye, spelt, flour, semolina, durum
Packaged Foods: Bread, Bagels, Pasta, Wraps, Cereal, Frozen Waffles, Flour Tortillas, Pizza, Pasta, Ramen, Udon, Croutons, Certain Vegan Meats
Snacks: Pretzels, pita chips, crackers, cookies
Sauce: Soy sauce, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, roux-based sauce

Remember: If you have celiac disease, NCGS, or a wheat allergy, you should always read the ingredient list to make sure the product is completely free of traces of gluten.