Meat is a staple in many diets and for good reason. It’s packed with protein which is essential for optimal health and wellness. There’s nothing better than a tender steak impeccably seasoned and grilled to perfection or a juicy chicken breast fried up with crispy skin.
For the most part, meat is an easy inclusion in the gluten free diet but celiac sufferers and those with gluten sensitivity always need to be extra cautious. Here’s what you need to know about gluten free meat.
Is Meat Gluten Free?
Yes, meat is naturally gluten free. This includes everything from beef, pork, and lamb to chicken, turkey, rabbit, and more. Fish and seafood, though they may not always be considered meat, are gluten free as well. That being said, you do need to be careful when purchasing processed meats like hot dogs or sausages as well as meats that have been marinated. Many marinades and sauces contain soy sauce or teriyaki sauce which are typically not gluten free.
Tips for Choosing Gluten Free Meat
When shopping for gluten free meat, you have plenty of options available to you. The best thing you can do is keep it as close to the source as possible – this means real meat that hasn’t been fried, marinated, or processed in any way. The meat you get from the butcher or the meat counter at your local grocery store should be safe as long as it doesn’t contain any added ingredients. To be safe, avoid meats that have been marinated or seasoned because you can’t be sure about the ingredients.
If you’re looking for frozen meats – items like meatballs, chicken nuggets, and burger patties – you’ll need to be a little more careful. Fortunately, frozen goods should have information on the label including an allergen warning and a list of ingredients. Don’t assume that just because you’re buying frozen chicken strips there isn’t any gluten in them, however. Seemingly basic frozen goods can be deceiving – many manufacturers blend their meats with flour or wheat-based starches.
You may also need to be careful when shopping for lunch meat. While plain ham, turkey, chicken, and roast beef don’t contain gluten, deli meat and pre-packaged meats might. Deli meat often contains ingredients other than the meat itself which means there’s also a potential for cross-contamination.
Here are a few brands of gluten free lunch meat:
- Applegate Natural
- Bar-S
- Boar’s Head
- Buddig Original
- Butterball (most varieties)
- Dietz & Watson (Except scrapple and bockwurst)
- Gallo Salame
- Jennie-O
- Land O’Frost
When shopping for gluten free deli meat, you need to exercise an added degree of caution above simply checking the ingredients. If you’re ordering from the deli counter, there’s some risk of cross contamination from shared tools and surfaces. One option is to ask if the store has a dedicated gluten free slicer or see if you can purchase a larger piece of the product to slice yourself at home. Another option is to opt for a meat delivery service that specializesin high-quality and gluten free meats.
What About Plant-Based Meat Alternatives?
If you follow a plant-based diet, you may be wondering whether meat alternatives like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat are gluten free. Demand for these products is growing steadily and while only 17% of U.S. consumers follow a plant-based diet, data from Forbes suggests 60% are making an effort to reduce their meat intake. For more than 50% of those, the change is permanent.
The trouble with meat alternatives for people with celiac disease is that many products are made with wheat protein. The fibers in wheat protein are similar to the fibers in meat, so it can be used to make a wide variety of products that have a similar texture to real meat. Products that use soy protein or pea protein are a better option for followers of the gluten free diet.
Here’s a quick list of meatless products that are gluten free:
- Impossible Burger - Though the original Impossible Burger contained wheat protein, the recipe was formulated in 2019 and is now 100% gluten-free.
- Beyond Meat – Made with pea protein, Beyond Meat burgers are 100% gluten-free. They even contain beat juice extract which allows the burgers to “bleed” like real meat.
- Atlantic Natural Foods – This company offers several meatless brands like Loma Linda plant-based franks, Tuno plant-based tuna, and Neat meat replacement mix.
- Dr. Praegers Burger – Made with four vegetables (sweet potato, butternut squash, beet, and carrot), these burgers are meat-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.
- Lightlife – A newer entrant into the meat-free market, this company offers plant-based burgers made with plant protein that are completely gluten free.
- Hilary’s – Enjoy a variety of veggie-based burgers from this brand, all of which are free from wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, corn, and nuts.
Other plant-based brands you may be familiar with like Gardein and Amy’s do offer gluten-free options, but not all of their products are gluten free. Gardein does offer gluten free Chick’n Scallopini as well as two gluten free veggie burgers and their Beefless Ground mix. Amy’s has two gluten free options – their Organic Sonoma Veggie Burger and their Organic Summer Harvest Veggie Burger.
