Is Rice Gluten Free?

Yes, Rice is gluten-free, but in its original form.

Rice is the most popular gluten-free grain, and people with celiac disease can eat it. Rice flour is used to make gluten-free foods. Rice is available in many varieties, and all varieties have different nutritional contents. Across all the varieties, brown rice has rich nutritional value. Rice is the staple food of many countries worldwide due to its high nutritional value and low cost.

Gluten-Free Rice Varieties :

All plain rice varieties are naturally gluten-free. Types of rice that are gluten-free are listed below :

• Brown rice
• White rice
• Jasmine rice
• Wild rice
• Basmati rice
• Arborio rice
• Glutinous rice

 Is Glutinous Rice Gluten-Free?

Glutinous Rice sounds like it contains gluten, but “Glutinous Rice” is gluten-free. Glutinous refers to rice’s gluey, sticky, and jelly-like texture after cooking.

Rice Dishes :

People use rice to make a wide variety of dishes.

Are all rice-based dishes free of gluten?

Rice is gluten-free, but not all rice dishes are gluten-free because they contain other ingredients that have gluten. Rice Palif, Rice Krispies cereal, Preseasoned packaged rice, Rice cooked with sauces, and Rice made with added seasoning or ingredients such as soy sauce are gluten-based. If you are gluten-sensitive or have a wheat allergy, do not eat these dishes.

 Is gluten-free rice safe for people with celiac disease?

Yes, rice is the most popular food among people with celiac disease. Rice flour has taken the place of wheat flour. It is the best choice for people who avoid gluten. Before buying, please check that the packing is labelled as gluten-free. If you are gluten-sensitive, even a tiny amount of gluten can damage your intestine and cause many health problems (experience inflammation and pain in the gut ).

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein present in grains and helps foods retain their shape and structure. Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Triticale (a rye/wheat hybrid) are the most common examples of gluten-containing foods.

Which people should avoid gluten?

People with celiac disease and those who are allergic to wheat should avoid gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the small intestine in people who consume gluten. 

Cross Contact : 

Rice is gluten-free, but it may not be gluten-free in some conditions. For Example, if the rice is grown, harvested, and processed with wheat, barley, and rye, If it is processed with gluten-containing products, it is not gluten-free ( Shopkeeper uses the same scoop for gluten-containing and gluten-free products ). 

Celiac Disease Symptoms after Eating Rice

If you feel any symptoms after eating rice, please check the list of ingredients on the packing, see how it was prepared, and see if cross-content occurred. 

If you still feel symptoms after 48-72 hours, go to your doctor and check your gluten antibody level by lab testing.

Alternative gluten-free grains that I can try

Do not rely on rice only in your diet. It is not only a gluten-free grain you can incorporate into your diet. Many other grains exist that are delicious, gluten-free, and packed with nutrition, like Quinoa, Corn, Millet, Beans and Lentils. You can also consume these grains if you are bored of eating rice or do not like rice. 

 Confirm Gluten-Free Foods :

 As a celiac patient, finding delicious and gluten-free food options is challenging because almost every typical food contains gluten. A few gluten-free food options are given below : 

• Almond Flour ( Ground Almond Flour is gluten-free and used in gluten-free baking)
• Amaranth ( Gluten free mineral rich grain ) 
• Bacon ( Meat is gluten-free and rich in protein, but be careful to use it with bread because bread contains gluten )
• Beans ( Naturally beans are gluten-free and a good source of Protein and Fiber) 
• Buckwheat ( Buckwheat is not included in grains and are gluten-free ) 
• Butter ( Gluten-free dairy product )
• Caramel ( A mixture of sugar, salt, water, vanilla, and milk, and does not contain gluten ) 
• Champagne ( unflavoured wine does not contain gluten )
• Chia Seeds ( Gluten-free and rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals ) 
• Chickpeas ( Rich source of protein and also gluten-free) 
• Cider (Alcoholic Beverage mostly made using apples, not limited to apples made with all other fruits)
• Coconut (Fruit that is an excellent source of Fat, Protein, and Fiber; Its Flour and Milk is also gluten-free)
• Corn ( Gluten-free grain used to make popcorn, cornflour, and many other products )
• Eggs ( Eggs are gluten-free and a good source of protein )
• Flaxseed ( Flaxseed and Linseed both are the same and gluten-free) 
• Fonio ( Also called hungry rice, gluten-free, contains a high amount of calcium ) 
• Gram Flour ( It is also called chickpea flour and is used in many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes ) 
• Guar Gum/Powder ( Gura gum is gluten-free and made from guar beans) 
• Kaniwa ( Gluten-free, Sweet, tiny, dark red colour seeds ) 
• Meat ( All types of meat are naturally gluten-free ) 
• Milk ( It is gluten-free and used to make dairy products that may contain gluten ) 
• Millet ( Millet is gluten-free but in its natural form ) 
• Nuts ( Nuts are used to make spreads such as peanut butter )
• Oil (Most cooking oils are gluten-free, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil and olive oil ) 
• Peanut Butter ( Both peanut and peanut butter are gluten-free but in its natural form )  
• Potatoes ( Potato is a gluten-free vegetable, and potato flour is used as an alternative source to gluten-containing flours) 
• Quinoa ( Gluten-free, plant-based protein )
• Rice ( Rice in its natural form is gluten-free and the best food for people with celiac disease ) 
• Seeds ( Seeds in their natural form are gluten-free, such as linseed, flaxseed, and Chia seed ) 
• Sesame ( We get sesame oil from sesame, and it is naturally gluten-free ) 
• Seasonings, spices and herbs (All plant-based seasonings, spices and herbs are gluten-free) 
• Soy ( Soybeans, Soy Milk, Soy Flour, and Soy itself all are gluten-free)
• Soybean Oil ( Soybean oil is gluten-free because it is extracted from Soy)
• Sorghum ( Gluten-free grain rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals )
• Teff ( Small, Edible Seeds used to make Bakery items and Beverages ) 
• Whey ( Whey Protein is gluten-free and available in many forms, its all forms are gluten-free if it is pure not any other ingredient is added to it )  

Always use certified gluten-free products to stay safe and healthy.

Foods That May Be Gluten-Free :

These food items are questionable due to the other ingredients that are added to them during preparation, but if you want to purchase any of these, make sure you double-check the ingredients list and always use certified gluten-free products to stay safe and healthy. 

• Ancient Grains ( There are many varieties of ancient grains, but not all are gluten-free. For example, Barley, Emmer, Farro, Freekeh, Kamut, and Spelt are not gluten-free ) 
• Beer ( Wheat and Barley are used in the beer-making process, and they contain gluten; that is why beer is not gluten-free, but in the market, gluten-free beer is available ) 
• Candy (Candies are both gluten-free and glutinous. Please check the ingredients before buying candies ) 
• Cheese ( There are many types of cheese available in the market, but not all cheeses are gluten-free because sometimes wheat is used to make cheese )  
• Hoisin Sauce ( If the hoisin is prepared with the old method, then it is gluten-free because nowadays, food companies are adding wheat to hoisin sauce )  
• Ice Cream ( Ice cream made with milk, cream, and sugar. If any other ingredients are not added to it, then ice cream is gluten )
• Oats ( According to the US Food and Drug Administration, oats are gluten-free if cross-contamination has not occurred )
• Risotto ( The glutinous of risotto depends upon the ingredients added to it)
• Sake ( Japanese rice wine prepared by fermenting rice; koji mold is also used in this process that contains gluten, which is why it is questionable ) 
• Sushi/Sashimi ( Sushi is gluten-free because it is made with fish, rice, and also vegetables aside, but it is served with sauces that might not be gluten-free ) 
• Vinegar ( If the vinegar is in its pure distilled form, then it is gluten-free if extracted from gluten-containing products, then it is not )
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Yeast (Most yeast is gluten-free, but in some cases, yeast is prepared using barley then, so it is not gluten-free )

Please check the label on the packaging before buying, and always buy products from an authentic seller

 Foods that have Gluten :

List of all the food items that contain gluten in any form and are dangerous for people with celiac disease. Do not use these food items if you’re on a gluten-free diet, are a celiac patient, or are allergic to wheat. 

• Barley
• Bulgur
• Couscous
• Egg Noodles
• Emmer
• Einkorn
• Farina
• Farro
• Freekeh
• Graham
• Kamut
• Ramen
• Rye
• Seitan
• Spelt
• Sourdough
• Soy Sauce
• Wheat

Precautions before buying Gluten-free products:

Check Labeling: Ensure “Gluten Free” is Labeled or not. 

Check the ingredients list: Verify that no hidden ingredients are added to the product.

Purchase from Trusted Brand: Buy products from a trusted brand to stay safe and avoid gluten.

All the information on this page is research-based.