Gluten-free diet and weight loss
For individuals with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, adhering to a gluten-free diet is essential for managing symptoms and promoting overall health. However, for those without these conditions, there is limited evidence to suggest that adopting a gluten-free diet leads to significant weight loss.
Some people may experience weight loss when switching to a gluten-free diet, but this is often due to factors such as reduced intake of processed foods and increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains. Additionally, many gluten-free products may contain higher levels of sugar, fat, and calories to compensate for the lack of gluten, which can potentially hinder weight loss efforts.
Ultimately, reaching your weight loss goals is more closely tied to overall dietary patterns, portion control, and regular physical activity rather than the elimination of gluten alone. It's important for individuals considering a gluten-free diet for weight loss purposes to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to ensure they are making well-informed choices that support their health and wellness goals.
Do weight watchers have a gluten-free plan?
If you're following a gluten-free diet, integrating WeightWatchers with your personalised guidance from your healthcare provider is seamless. Our program encompasses a wide range of foods, including gluten-free options like crackers and bread. You should utilise our app to calculate the Points value of your preferred recipes.
It's important to remember that WW is committed to supporting you in achieving a healthier lifestyle. Your healthcare provider will tailor your gluten-free program and ensure your dietary plan is nutritionally balanced through regular assessments. Some individuals with coeliac disease may also require specific vitamin and mineral supplements.
Should you choose to join WW, ensure to share your program materials with your doctor, registered dietitian, or healthcare professional. Always prioritise the guidance of your healthcare provider over any general nutrition or weight-loss advice provided by WW.
Where is gluten hidden?
Following a gluten-free diet can be daunting at first, as the main grains containing gluten are widely used as food ingredients. It’s not as simple as just choosing gluten-free bread, pasta, pizza dough and biscuits. Gluten can appear in many other foods and food additives.
Gluten can be hidden in:
- Baking powder
- Beer and ale
- Bread and other baked goods
- Breakfast cereals, including regular rice puffs and corn flakes
- Canned baked beans
- Condiments and sauces, including soy
- Cornflour (wheaten)
- Icing sugar
- Imitation meat and seafood
- Malt extract and malt vinegar
- Processed luncheon meats and sausages
- Salad dressings
- Seasoned rice mixes
- Semolina
- Soups and soup bases
- Spelt
- Starch (wheat)
- Stock
- Wheat-derived dextrin
- Wheat-derived maltodextrin
- Wheat-derived pre-gelatinised starch
- Wheat-derived thickeners 1400–1450
How do I read food labels for gluten?
By law all packaged food products must declare wheat, rye, barley and oats in the ingredients panel. If you are going gluten-free these products should be avoided. Products with disclaimers such as ‘may contain gluten’ or ‘manufactured on equipment used to make gluten-containing products’ should also be treated as if they contain gluten as they may have experienced cross-contamination during processing or manufacturing. However, if a supermarket product is labelled 'gluten-free’ you can be confident it is safe, as it has been tested to contain no detectable gluten.
Some products may still be gluten-free even if they contain ingredients such as glucose, dextrose and other additives derived from wheat. These products are safe to consume in a gluten-free diet because they are so highly processed no traces of gluten are detectable in the final product.
Always check food labels, even if it’s your favourite gluten-free product that you buy all the time, as manufacturers can change their formulation without notification.
There are now so many gluten-free products available that you really can have your gluten-free cake and eat it, too. Just remember not all gluten-free products may be a good choice for your health goals. Some products may still be high in kilojoules and/or fat and sugar. Check out the range of specialist products at your local supermarket, health-food shop or online stores and look for healthier choices.
Just because a product is gluten-free doesn't mean you should eat it daily! When choosing products, let the Points value guide you or compare the nutrition panel with a similar product.
Gluten-free cooking and eating out
As little as 50mg of gluten (equivalent to 1/100th of a slice of standard wheat bread) can damage the small intestine in people with coeliac disease. So ensure all ingredients used in cooking and food preparation (including garnishes, dressings and sauces etc) are gluten-free. Stock up on gluten-free recipes and try substituting gluten-free products in other recipes where possible.
Many restaurants have online menus so you can check your options ahead of time. If they don’t appear to have gluten-free meals, you could call the restaurant to see whether they have a separate gluten-free menu or could make some of their meals gluten-free.
Are oats gluten-free?
Oats do contain gluten, but there is no reliable test to detect the specific protein involved. Some people on gluten-free diets find they are able to tolerate the gluten in oats, but you can’t rely on the absence of symptoms to confirm tolerance. While there are oat products that boast they are free of cross-contamination from wheat, rye or barley crops, these are still not gluten-free. Therefore many researchers and health professionals recommend oats not be included in a gluten-free diet.
Wholegrains and gluten
It’s important not to avoid gluten without good reason as wholegrains provide essential nutrients and research shows they can play a powerful role in health protection and weight management. Research shows consumption of wholegrain foods, such as wholegrain breads, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta and noodles, reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. A study in the US found that consuming 3 serves of wholegrains each day reduced risk of death in people with Heart disease by 23 per cent, compared to those who consumed an average of 0.1 serves a day.