What If I Have Coeliac Disease Or Am Gluten Intolerant?

Strictly You plans are suitable for people with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance.

When you sign up, you have the choice to flag any ingredients that contain gluten.

All gluten-containing ingredients are highlighted in the ingredients lists so that they can be easily identified and substituted.

Many foods are naturally gluten free. Examples are gluten free grains such as rice, quinoa and corn, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meat, nuts, eggs and legumes.

Packaged foods labelled as gluten free make it easy to identify that these are safe to eat. Some other packaged or processed foods and condiments require more investigation, including checking labels for any gluten-containing ingredients.

Can I include oats if I am eating gluten-free?

Gluten is a protein found in the following grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats.  

Each of these grains has a slightly different ‘gluten protein’. In Australia, there is not currently a test that can measure the specific gluten protein in oats, therefore their safety for people with coeliac disease cannot be guaranteed. By food labelling laws, it is not permitted in Australia for oats to be labelled gluten free.

The inclusion of oats in a gluten free diet is controversial in some ways, as some people with diagnosed coeliac disease find they can tolerate eating oats without any symptoms. It is important to note however, that the symptoms experienced are not necessarily an indicator of an immune reaction that may be occurring. In other words, you may be symptom-free when eating oats, but there could still be damage occurring to the lining of the bowel. The same is true for any other gluten containing food.

In addition, oats may be contaminated by other neighbouring or previously harvested crops such as wheat, or by the milling equipment used. 

On the other hand, if you are intolerant to gluten (not coeliac), symptoms can be a reliable marker of your tolerance to specific foods. Generally oats are well tolerated in this case and can be included as part of a healthy diet.