Oatmeal?

[Shashi]

Is oatmeal allowed on a gluten free diet? I thought it wasn't, but then saw the list of gluten-free products that Earth Fare sells, and they have oatmeal listed. (I love oatmeal! I love cream of wheat too, but that's obviously out of the question.)

[ElseB]

Pure uncontaminated oats are safe. Although some people can't even tolerate the pure ones. Oats themselves don't contain the gluten protein, but the reason oats have always been on the unsafe list is that most commercial produced oats (like Quakers) are contaminated with gluten grains during processing. So ONLY oats labelled as gluten free are safe. If not labelled gluten free, they're contaminated.

[Monklady123]

Is oatmeal allowed on a gluten free diet? I thought it wasn't, but then saw the list of gluten-free products that Earth Fare sells, and they have oatmeal listed. (I love oatmeal! I love cream of wheat too, but that's obviously out of the question.)

Yes, I miss oatmeal also. As HelpMe said you can buy gluten free oatmeal. There's also a hot cereal by Bob's Red Mill -- I forget the name but it's something like The Best Hot Cereal Ever. There's also grits which make a good hot cereal. And Cream of Rice. Grits and the Cream of Rice are the least expensive because they're not specialty products like the others are.

Yes, I've investigated all sorts of hot cereals to replace my oatmeal. lol..

[tarnalberry]

Standard, non-certified gluten free, oats are contaminated in the growing, harvesting, and processing process. Significantly contaminated. Don't eat them.

Certified gluten free oats are grown, harvested, and processed to be "gluten free", and are usually tested.

But, because the oat protein, avenin, is very similar to the wheat protein, gliadin, approximately 10% of celiacs cross react to gluten free oats, and cannot eat them. There's no way to know if you're one of these without trying oats and finding out for yourself (and if you're a silent celiac, that requires follow up biospy to determine if there is damage).

[Darn210]

Also, if you are going to give gluten free oatmeal a try, it's usually best to wait until you've been gluten free for a while (my daughter's doc recommended 6 months). Then you've had a chance to heal so you would be less likely to react and also to learn the diet so that if you have a problem, you are better able to determine if it was the oatmeal.

[AmyE]

I use gluten-free oats from health food store!! Pricey but worth it for me!

[bridgetm]

I always keep Bob's Steel Cut Oats (get the package labeled gluten-free; he also sells one that's not) and Gluten Freeda's instant oatmeal stocked in my dorm. I can handle one packet of the instant (apple & cinnamon ) and less than 1 cup of the steel cut. A few times I have tried having seconds a while later and end up in pain with an hour. BUT when you just need to satisfy that oatmeal craving or need a fast hot breakfast, it's good to have around.

[MelindaLee]

Bob's Red Mill's Mighty Tastey Hot Cereal is the one I found to be the closest to Cream of Wheat. I too loved to eat this before going gluten-free. One word of caution, even with gluten-free oatmeal, if I eat too much, I feel not so well. It's not the same as eating gluten, but just not feeling so well. Once I stop for a few days, I can eat it again. Glutenfreeda has prepackaged instant oatmeal as well. I find it needs more water than the 2/3 of a cup it calls for. I like mine a bit creamier...so it needs more water (or milk) and cooked longer to get to that consistency. Happy Eating!!

[Karl Otto]

Is oatmeal allowed on a gluten free diet? I thought it wasn't, but then saw the list of gluten-free products that Earth Fare sells, and they have oatmeal listed. (I love oatmeal! I love cream of wheat too, but that's obviously out of the question.

I use to be able to eat oatmeal as a child but, I do not remember any sickness from eating them. It was not until, I reached my 21 birthday before, I took note of inter-action with this cereal. Since, that birthdate, I have not been able to eat oatmeal without re-action to it.

One of the posters said most people with celiac disease cannot tolerate this product. They would be correct as far as I am concerned. So, I stay far away from Oatmeal or other oatmeal products.

Although, I would like to be able to eat real breakfast food again but, the good lord will not permit me to eat normal food again. That is so sad for me. I would love to be able to once more get up in the mornings and have a normal breakfast but, again that is never going to happen again.

[AngieH]

As it turns out, it appears from studies that oats really are safe for Celiacs to eat with one caveat. They must be PURE and UNCONTAMINATED if a Celiac is to tolerate oats in their diet.

What you have to be worried about is cross-contamination. Oat products are frequently contaminated with wheat, barley, rye, spelt and other gluten containing grains. For an oat product to be considered pure means it is only oats and has not been mixed with or exposed to other grains containing gluten.

Angie.

[mushroom]

As it turns out, it appears from studies that oats really are safe for Celiacs to eat with one caveat. They must be PURE and UNCONTAMINATED if a Celiac is to tolerate oats in their diet.

This is true for a majority of celiacs. However, a certain percentage cannot tolerate them no matter how pure and uncontaminated they are.

[sandsurfgirl]

Cream of rice is very good. I waited a year before I tried gluten free oats and I'm fine with them. They are very expensive but I do like them once in awhile. I throw a half cup of gluten free oats in my gluten free pancakes for added fiber.

[Cristina4268]

I saw this and went out to Wegman's and Purchased Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oatmeal. I ate it.. I had a slight reaction.. And I didn't think I was hyper sensitive. I'm sad because I love oatmeal too.