4 Great Gluten Free Drink Resources
So, you’ve finally done it: you’ve gone gluten free in your diet. Or have you?
If you’ve only looked at the food you take in and not the beverages you are drinking, then you may want to take a moment to check out these resources for possible hidden locations of gluten in your environment.
Here are some of the most popular drinks and whether they contain gluten.
Sodas
Source: Gluten Free Soda List – The Ultimate Guide
Gluten-Free sodas include root beers like A&W, Mug and Barq’s, traditional sodas such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, and flavored-sodas like Dr. Pepper, Fanta, Mountain Dew, 7Up, and Sierra Mist.
Starbucks/Coffee Shops
“… I decided to try making a cappuccino at home where I knew I could ensure a safe environment. I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly as well as my espresso maker. Then I brewed up a steaming cup of espresso, added it to the half-and-half I had just frothed, and enjoyed a delicious cappuccino free of any potential cross contamination. To my delight, it was as good as Starbucks, albeit not as pretty.”
Alcoholic Beverages
If you are someone who likes to imbibe every once in a while with an alcoholic beverage, then here are some things you need to keep in mind:
“If you’re shopping for beer, you need to stick with gluten-free beer; other beers contain barley, which is a gluten grain and therefore unsafe on a gluten-free diet. Wine should be safe (unless you’re particularly sensitive)…When it comes to gluten-free alcohol, there’s some debate over whether alcoholic beverages derived from gluten grains, such as whiskey and gin, are safe or not. I personally can’t drink them without a major reaction, and I’m not alone — plenty of people report reactions to gluten grain alcohol. Fortunately, rum, tequila and gluten-free vodka made from potatoes or grapes all should be okay to drink. One more thing: you’ll need to make sure any mixers you use for your drinks are gluten-free … some aren’t.”
For more information on why grain based alcohols can be safe for some and not for others, check out our article, “Which Alcoholic Beverages are Gluten Free?”
Sports Drinks and Supplements
For many of us, a gluten-free diet is just part of the overall picture to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So if you are drinking popular sports drinks or taking dietary supplements, you need to make sure they are gluten-free as well or else they may do more harm than good.
“Not all sports drinks are gluten-free, so it is important for people with celiac disease to find brands that will not cause a reaction….Stick to Gatorade and Powerade, the two most popular brands of sports drinks. Contact the manufacturer of smaller sports drink brands to ensure safety before opting for an alternative….Protein drinks are becoming increasingly popular for post-exercise nutrition and supplementing one’s protein intake. Take one look at their nutrition labels and you will find that most of these products have an extensive list of ingredients. As a result, we recommend using extreme caution when selecting a protein drink. It’s likely that you will not recognize many of the ingredients listed on the package, and we therefore suggest looking for a brand you know to be safe. We suggest CytoSport Muscle Milk, which produces many gluten-free flavors such as chocolate milk, vanilla, and cookies & creme, among others. You can also check GNC.com for a list of gluten-free workout supplements.”
