Does Wheat Free Mean Gluten Free? What’s the Difference?

Over the past several years, gluten has remained a hot-button issue. With that comes a lot of questions about things like what gluten free actually means and whether being wheat free and gluten free are the same thing.

Here's how to tell the difference between the two and how to tell if a product is gluten free.

If something is wheat free, is it also gluten free? 

Wheat is one of the major sources of gluten, but being wheat free is not the same thing as being gluten free. This is because gluten is also found in grains like rye and barley. So a food can be wheat free but still contain gluten from other sources.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It gives these grains both structure and flexibility and holds them together.

Common food sources of gluten include:

• Most bread products, including sliced bread, bagels, English muffins, pastries, and more

• Traditional pastas

• Traditional doughs and crusts

• Most crackers

• Flour tortillas

Gluten can also be found in less obvious food sources, such as couscous and some lunch meats. This is why following a gluten-free diet requires careful attention to not only common food sources but also items in which the ingredient could be “hidden.”

What is gluten free?

The term “gluten free” refers to food that is free of gluten and ingredients that contain gluten. Some foods are naturally gluten free, such as:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Dairy products

• Eggs

• Meat, fish, and poultry 

• Nuts and seeds

• Beans and lentils

• Oils

• Most beverages 

• Certain grains like rice and oats that are prepared in a gluten-free factory

Other foods typically contain gluten, but can be made gluten free by food manufacturers. Examples include:

• Pasta, tortillas, and other bread products made from flours that don’t contain gluten, such as those made from rice, potato, and corn

• Cookies, pastries, and other grain-based desserts made from gluten-free flours, such as almond and coconut flour

• Soups and sauces made without wheat

• Beer made from grains that don’t contain gluten

How can you tell if something is gluten free?

The safest and best way to know if a packaged product is gluten free is by looking for the “certified gluten-free” label. This label is regulated by the FDA and means that the food is either completely gluten free or contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. 

It’s possible that some foods could still be contaminated by gluten — even if on their own they are gluten free. While some packages say “may contain wheat” or include a disclaimer that the food has been made at a facility that processes wheat, these allergen statements are not mandatory. So it’s best to look for the certified gluten-free label.

Are there benefits to a gluten-free diet?

Some people who have certain conditions need to follow a gluten-free diet in order to manage their health. Such conditions include:

• Celiac disease

• Non-celiac gluten intolerance

People with these conditions do not tolerate gluten well, so following a gluten-free diet is both necessary and beneficial to them. For everyone else, there is no proven medical reason to follow a gluten-free diet.

How is gluten free different from wheat free?

Gluten-free foods are naturally wheat free (since wheat contains gluten). But the reverse is not necessarily true. A food that is wheat free simply means that it doesn’t contain any wheat, or any food related to wheat, such as: 

• Bulgur

• Couscous

• Durum

• Farro

• Hydrolyzed wheat protein

• Vital wheat gluten

• Wheat protein isolate

• Spelt

• Seitan

• Semolina

• Wheat berries

• Soy sauce

• Plant-based meat alternatives

A food can be wheat free but still contain other ingredients with gluten, like barley and rye.

Some people can tolerate gluten but not wheat due to a wheat allergy. Wheat allergies can lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Wheat allergies tend to affect young children and people who work with wheat flour, like bakers. 

If you need to avoid wheat, it is always a good idea to double-check the ingredient list on nutrition labels to make sure a product doesn’t contain it or hasn’t been contaminated by it.

How do you know if you’re intolerant or allergic to wheat or gluten?

Symptoms are the best way to identify both gluten and wheat intolerances. These intolerances generally cause reactions that are less severe than with food allergies and commonly include: 

• Irregular bowel movements or diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Rashes

• Headaches

• Fatigue 

If you’re having these symptoms, it can be helpful to keep a food journal to help determine if what you’re eating is the cause.

Allergies, on the other hand, can be diagnosed by a healthcare provider. To diagnose a wheat allergy, your provider will likely perform a skin prick test or a blood test. And to diagnose celiac disease — an autoimmune condition in which eating gluten leads to intestinal damage — your healthcare provider will review your symptoms and may perform a blood test.

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Written by:

Joanna Foley, RD

Joanna Foley, RD, is a registered dietitian (RD) and the owner of joannafoleynutrition.com, a private nutrition consulting business. She has previously worked as a clinical dietitian and outpatient renal dietitian.

Edited by:

Samvida Patel, MNSP, INHC

Samvida Patel, MNSP, INHC, is a health editor at GoodRx. She is a nutritionist and integrative nutrition health coach with over 8 years of experience in health communications.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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