--- title: "Wheat allergy: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "A wheat allergy is an immune reaction to proteins in wheat. It is not celiac disease, and some foods labeled gluten-free can still contain wheat." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/wheat-allergy" --- # Wheat allergy A wheat allergy is an immune reaction to proteins in wheat. It is not celiac disease, and some foods labeled gluten-free can still contain wheat. A wheat allergy is a reaction of the immune system to proteins in wheat. It can involve gluten but also other wheat proteins. It is different from [celiac disease](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/celiac-disease), an autoimmune condition caused by gluten, and from gluten sensitivity. Some people with a wheat allergy can eat rye, barley or oats and some cannot. Only a doctor can diagnose a wheat allergy and tell you what to avoid. ## Substitutes * **Flour:** rice flour, corn flour, buckwheat flour, oat flour if oats are safe for you, or a flour blend that contains no wheat starch. * **Thickening:** cornstarch or potato starch ([potatismjöl](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/potatismjol) in Swedish recipes) instead of a flour roux. * **Pasta and noodles:** rice noodles, corn pasta, or noodles made from 100 percent buckwheat. * **Breadcrumbs:** crushed rice crackers or cornflakes, or polenta. * **Soy sauce:** tamari made without wheat. Buckwheat is not related to wheat despite its name. ## Common mistakes * Forgetting the other names for wheat: spelt, khorasan, durum, semolina, farro, einkorn, emmer, bulgur, couscous, freekeh, triticale and seitan. * Missing wheat in almost every flour sold for baking, including [all-purpose flour](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/all-purpose-flour) (plain flour in the UK), bread flour, cake flour and self-rising flour, and in panko and most breadcrumbs. * Using regular soy sauce, which is usually brewed with wheat. * Trusting a gluten-free label alone. In the EU and the UK, [gluten-free](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten-free) food can contain wheat starch that has had the gluten removed. The wheat is still named in the ingredients list. ## In recipes Wheat is labeled in both the EU and the US, in different ways: * In the US, wheat is one of the [nine major allergens](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/us-major-allergens) and must be named in the ingredients or a "Contains" statement. Rye and barley are not major allergens there. * In the EU and the UK, wheat falls under [cereals containing gluten](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cereals-containing-gluten), and the label must name wheat and emphasize it. If you have a wheat allergy, read labels every time you buy, including on gluten-free products, and talk to your doctor or a dietitian about which grains are safe for you. ## Recipes free from it 2088 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Roasted-Red-Pepper-Hummus-12.jpg)Roasted Red Pepper Hummuswww.skinnytaste.com · 10 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chick-pea-and-roasted-pepper-dip/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lazy-Deviled-Egg-Salad-8.jpg)Lazy Deviled Egg Salad Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 46 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/deviled-egg-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Arugula-Salad-3.jpg)Arugula Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/arugula-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/low-fat-tomato-vinaigrette.jpg)Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrettewww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-red-wine-tomato-vinaigrette/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lemon-Viniagrette-5.jpg)Lemon Vinaigrette Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/lemon-vinaigrette/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Old-Bay-Sheen-Pan-Shrimp-with-Corn-and-Tomatoes-5.jpg)Old Bay Sheet Pan Shrimp with Corn and Tomatoeswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/sheet-pan-shrimp-with-corn-and-tomatoes/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Roasted-Chickpeas_09.jpg)Roasted Chickpeaswww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/roasted-chickpea-snack-2-pts/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Insalata-Caprese-6.jpg)Caprese Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/caprese-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Arroz-Con-Camarones-12.jpg)Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones)www.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shrimp-and-rice-arroz-con-camarones/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Green-Goddess-Dressing_05.jpg)Basil Green Goddess Dressingwww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/basil-green-goddess-dressing/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Bloody-Mary-Deviled-Eggs-4.jpg)Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/bloody-mary-deviled-eggs/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Roasted-Asparagus-1-4.jpg)Roasted Asparagus Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/roasted-asparagus-0-pts/) ## Related terms * [Celiac diseaseCeliac disease (coeliac disease in the UK) is an autoimmune condition in which gluten damages the gut. Cooking for it means no wheat, rye or barley.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/celiac-disease) * [Cereals containing glutenCereals containing gluten is the EU allergen group for wheat, rye, barley and oats, including spelt and khorasan. Labels must name the grain.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cereals-containing-gluten) * [Gluten-freeGluten-free on a label means under 20 parts per million of gluten in the EU, UK and US. Here is what that covers and how to cook gluten-free at home.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten-free) * [All-purpose flourAll-purpose flour is a medium-protein white wheat flour for cakes, cookies, sauces and bread. In the UK it is plain flour, in Sweden vetemjöl.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/all-purpose-flour) * [US major allergensThe US major food allergens are nine foods that must be named on US labels, from milk, eggs and peanuts to wheat, soy and, since 2023, sesame.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/us-major-allergens) * [EU 14 allergensThe EU 14 allergens are the foods that EU and UK law says must be emphasized on food labels and declared by restaurants, from gluten to lupin.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/eu-14-allergens) [More in diets and allergens](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/diets-and-allergens)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)