Are Oats Gluten Free?

Are Oats Gluten-Free?

If you have been recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance, you might ask yourself: Are oats gluten-free?

Despite oats being considered one of the healthiest breakfast options due to their high amount of fiber, some people that have gluten intolerance or allergy decide to give up oats completely without knowing their real origin and the truth about the gluten in them.

According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, oats are scientifically gluten-free since they aren’t a type of rye, wheat or barley grain (the whole grain groups that contain gluten).

The reason for oats to be considered wrongly a grain with gluten is because they are usually grown on the same land with gluten grains which means that oats can be contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye at harvest time or during processing.

showing whole oats and steel cut oats in two bowls

whole oats steel cut oats

Gluten-Free Oats

A gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t have to exclude oatmeal or oats in general from the diet.

If you used to love oatmeal on a regular diet, you can still enjoy gluten-free oatmeal. You just have to select a brand that offers certified gluten-free oats, be very careful with the oat’s source and confirm that the producer guarantees that these oats didn’t have any exposure to cross-contamination with gluten grains. These types of oats are usually labeled as “certified gluten-free”.

WARNING!! Despite the fact that oats don’t contain gluten, it has been proved that a small percentage of peopl e (10-15%) with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity do not tolerate avenin, the protein found in oats, which means that these people need to ban also oats from their diet.

If you suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the best way to determine if your body tolerates oatmeal, is to try some (always using a certified gluten-free oat brand), start with a small amount, and see if there are any problems.

You should always speak first with your physician and then try to include cautiously small amounts of gluten-free oatmeal to your diet. If any of your previous celiac disease symptoms return, you should eliminate oats from your diet.

Gluten-Free Certified Oats

If you tolerate oats, there are a large variety of gluten-free certified oats on the market, always make sure to double-check labels as most of the brands produce regular oatmeal as well.

Some of the most common gluten-free oat brands are:

Gluten-Free Recipes With Oats

Overnight Oats with Chia and Flax: Healthy and fast breakfast that can be prepared the night before in just 5 minutes!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie: Oats can be used in countless recipe ideas besides traditional morning oatmeal. Oatmeal cookies are chewy and packed with chocolate chips and raisins!

If you want to find more gluten-free oatmeal recipes, visit our complete list of gluten free recipes!

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