Gluten and Wheat Allergy
Amherst College Dining Services can assist with avoiding Gluten and Wheat products.
Ask for the Lead Cook or Manager of Dining Services for assistance with your allergies. If you would like to set
up an appointment please call 542-2220 or email valentine@amherst.edu.
When in Valentine Dining Hall, be aware to look at the signage at each food
station:
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Signage will indicate all possible ingredients/potential allergens in foods at the assigned food station.
Avoid any wheat products as they may have traces of Wheat and/or Gluten.
People who have wheat-gluten allergy usually react to one or more of the proteins within wheat, which are:
albumin, globulin, gliadin, and gluten.
Symptoms
The symptoms of wheat-gluten allergy can vary from person to person. Sometimes symptoms begin a few minutes
after eating a wheat product, or it can take several hours for symptoms to occur. The most common and most
recognizable symptom among patients is there is an impaired ability to digest wheat products. It is important to
note that oat and barley are included within the category of wheat products, so these grains can cause
symptoms as well.
Wheat-gluten allergy and intolerance symptoms can range from flatulence to diarrhea, to skin and dental
disorders. However, symptoms do typically involve the intestines and can include nausea, indigestion, stomach
cramps, and vomiting. A more complete list of wheat-gluten allergy symptoms is as follows:
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Abdominal pain & cramps
bloating
headaches
foul smelling stools
vomiting
diarrhea
allergic rhinitis
anemia
muscle cramps
eczema
swelling around the mouth
tingling in the feet and legs
irritability
depression
hives
asthma and difficulty breathing
Foods to Avoid
• alcoholic beverages, some baby foods, barley malt
• batter-fried foods, biscuits, bologna
• bouillon, bran, bread, bread crumbs
• bulgur, buns, cakes, candy
• cereals, chocolate, cocoa, cold cuts
• cookies, cornbread, crackers, cream of wheat
• croutons, doughnuts, dumplings, farina
• flours, graham crackers, granola, gravies
• hot dogs, ice cream, ice cream cones, liverwurst
• macaroni, malt products, malted milk, matzos
• mayonnaise, MSG, muffins, noodles
• ovaltine, pancake mixes, pasta
• pastries, pepper, pies, pita bread, pizza
• pretzels, puddings, pumpernickel bread, rolls
• rye bread, sauces, sausages, soups
• soy sauce, tamari, spaghetti, tortillas
• vermicelli, waffles, wheat germ, some yeasts
Allowed Foods
Substitutes for wheat include corn, potato, barley, oat, soy, and rice flours and arrowroot starch. Please browse
through a more detailed list below.
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Protein Foods: meats; fish; eggs; soy milk (malt free); eggs; beans such as kidney, navy, white, and
lentils; nuts; seeds; tofu; peanut butter.
Dairy Products: milk; whey; lactose; cottage cheese; cream; cream cheese; plain yogurt; cheese.
Fruits & Vegetables: fresh and frozen fruits; fresh and frozen vegetables; fruit and vegetable juices.
Bread & Baked Goods & Rice: bread and pasta made from rice; corn; amaranth; soy; pea flour; bean
flour; arrowroot flour; buckwheat flour; chickpea flour; millet flour; potato flour; sorghum flour; tapioca
starch flour; tapioca; quinoa; millet; flax; buckwheat; brown and white rice; kasha.
Fats: canola and vegetable oils; lard; butter; margarine.
Beverages: Coffee; regular and diet soda; tea; cocoa; wines; fruit juices; distilled liquors.
Condiments: herbs & spices; olives; pickles; Tabasco sauce; MSG (monosodium glutamate); baking soda;
yeast; brewer’s yeast; aspartame; xylitol; splenda; sucralose; vanilla.
Snacks: popcorn, pretzels, nuts.
Deserts: maple syrup; corn syrup; honey; jelly; molasses; corn syrup; cakes and cookies made with wheatgluten free ingredients.
Treatment
Like most food allergies, the main conventional treatment for wheat-gluten allergy is avoidance. Medical
treatment consists primarily of drugs that help to control symptoms after an allergy attack has occurred. This
includes epinephrine to treat severe reactions, an over-the-counter antihistamine (Benadryl), and corticosteroids
which help to reduce swelling and treat skin reactions.