What people with coeliac disease cannot eat: a list of forbidden and permitted foods

If you've just been diagnosed with celiac disease — or you've been living with it for years — one of the first questions that comes up is also the most practical one: what a celiac can't eat starting today. The answer isn't as simple as "nothing with wheat." Gluten hides in unexpected places, and knowing the full list of foods forbidden for celiacs is the difference between living safely and living with constant anxiety.

Here you'll find a clear, honest guide: what to avoid, what you can eat, how to read labels, and why cross-contamination matters just as much as the ingredient itself. And at the end, we'll tell you how our bakery in Barcelona has spent over a decade solving exactly this.

What celiac disease is, and why gluten is its biggest enemy

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. Not a simple intolerance, not a dietary trend. When a celiac person consumes gluten — the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and their derivatives — their immune system attacks the small intestine and damages the intestinal villi. The result: poor nutrient absorption, chronic inflammation, and symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to fatigue, anemia, or neurological problems.

It affects approximately 1% of the world's population, although it's estimated that more than 70% of cases remain undiagnosed. A highly prevalent disease that, at the same time, is very silent. The only treatment effective and recognized by medicine is the total, permanent exclusion of gluten from the diet. There's no medication, no weekend exceptions. Diet only.

Foods forbidden for celiacs

There's no room for nuance here. If a food contains gluten, it's out. No exceptions, no "just a little."

Cereals and gluten-containing derivatives

Cereals that contain gluten are wheat in all its forms — common wheat, spelt, kamut, durum wheat, bulgur — as well as barley, rye and triticale. Any product made with their flour is automatically prohibited: conventional bread, pasta, pizza, couscous, semolina, contaminated oats (pure oats are a separate debate, but in practice most celiacs avoid them as a precaution), breakfast cereals containing these grains, and all industrial pastries.

Cereal	Contains gluten?	Examples of derived products
Wheat	Yes	Bread, pasta, cookies, pastry flour
Barley	Yes	Conventional beer, malt, packet soups
Rye	Yes	Rye bread, some crispbreads
Spelt	Yes	"Whole grain" or "healthy" spelt bread
Oats (contaminated)	Yes (in practice)	Porridge, muesli, cereal bars
Rice	No	White rice, brown rice, rice cakes
Corn	No	Polenta, popcorn, corn flour

Foods with hidden gluten that might surprise you

This is the chapter that gives newly diagnosed celiacs the biggest scares. Foods with hidden gluten are products that, at first glance, have nothing to do with bread or pasta. Some of the most common: conventional soy sauce — which contains fermented wheat — bagged potato chips with flavorings that include barley malt, stock cube sachets with wheat starch as a thickener, processed seafood substitutes, chocolate bars with cookie pieces, industrial ice cream with wafer pieces, and — something that surprises more than a few — certain medications or supplements that use wheat starch as an excipient.

And also conventional beer. Many celiacs assume that alcohol "burns off" the gluten. It doesn't. Beer made with barley is one of the most common foods forbidden for celiacs in social situations, and also one of the most confusing.

Sauces, condiments and processed foods

Worcestershire sauce, some ketchups, industrial mustard, malt vinegar, stock cubes and many packet soups may contain gluten. The same goes for processed cold cuts — mortadella, pâtés, chopped meats — where wheat flour acts as a binder. Just because it doesn't appear prominently on the label doesn't mean it isn't there. Reading the full ingredients list is, for a celiac, a non-negotiable habit. Not optional. Not occasional.

What a celiac CAN eat

The good news is that the list of what's allowed is wide. Very wide. The real problem isn't a shortage of natural options, but transforming those options into processed products with satisfying flavor and texture. That's where we come in.

Gluten-free cereals

Rice, corn, millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat are cereals or pseudocereals that are naturally gluten-free. They're used to make flours, pasta, bread and pastries suitable for celiacs — as long as production avoids cross-contamination, something we'll come back to in the next section.

Proteins, fruits, vegetables and dairy

All fresh meat and fish are naturally suitable. Legumes in their natural state — lentils, chickpeas, beans — are too. Fresh fruits and vegetables, likewise. Eggs and most dairy products without additives are safe. A Mediterranean diet based on fresh, minimally processed foods is, for the most part, a celiac diet without extra effort. The challenge appears as soon as you enter the territory of processed foods: bread, pastries, pasta, ready meals. That's where management gets complicated, and where choosing the right supplier matters.

Cross-contamination

A celiac can get sick even if the main ingredient of their dish is gluten-free. If the toaster used to prepare their bread also toasts wheat bread, there's cross-contamination. If the restaurant's griddle previously cooked something breaded in conventional flour, there's cross-contamination. Studies suggest that even exposure below 10 milligrams of gluten per day can cause intestinal damage in people with active celiac disease. In other words: a single crumb is enough.

What "gluten-free" means on a label, and what it actually guarantees

European Regulation 828/2014 establishes that a product can carry the "gluten-free" seal if it contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This is the threshold scientifically accepted as safe for most celiacs. But this threshold guarantees nothing about the production process: a product can meet it analytically and still have gone through a manufacturing line shared with gluten-containing products.

That's why accreditation from specialized organizations — like the Catalonia Celiac Association, which has certified us since 2015 — adds an extra layer of trust that the legal label alone doesn't provide. Meeting the regulation is not the same as guaranteeing the process.

Why buy from 100% gluten-free bakeries

Our recommendation is clear: when it comes to bread, pastries and baked goods, the only real safety guarantee is a bakery where not a single gram of gluten-containing flour enters. Not as an extra protocol. As a structural rule. At Jansana, we use exclusively gluten-free flours and ingredients in our own bakery. There's no mixing of production lines, no risk of contamination. That's the difference between an "adapted" product and a product designed from scratch for the celiac community. And in our experience, customers notice — not in a flavor that's missing, but in the peace of mind that's there instead.

Gluten-free bread, pastries and baked goods

If there's one category where celiacs feel the difference most, it's this one. Breakfast bread, the Sunday croissant, the birthday cake shared with family: these are the small daily rituals of pleasure that celiac disease puts at risk. And it's exactly what we've spent over a decade solving.

Why supermarket gluten-free bread isn't always the best option

Industrial gluten-free bread needs additives to simulate the structure that gluten naturally provides: gums, emulsifiers, modified starches. The result is a bread that lasts weeks on the shelf but rarely satisfies. Gummy texture, dense crumb, flat flavor. It's not an ingredient problem: it's a process problem. Industrial production and artisan craftsmanship aren't aiming for the same thing, nor do they work with the same timelines or the same goals.

How Jansana makes every piece in a bakery that's exclusively gluten-free

Our story began in 1930 in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda. We've spent decades practicing artisan baking, and since 2015 all of that tradition and know-how has been channeled into 100% gluten-free products. We bake daily. We don't use preservatives to artificially extend product shelf life. And we work with selected flours and ingredients so that the final result is recognized for its flavor, not for its absence of gluten.

Since 2015, we've held accreditation from the Catalonia Celiac Association. That seal isn't decorative: it's external validation of our process, our bakery, and our commitment to the safety of those who choose us every day.

From croissants to cakes

Our range covers the whole day, not just breakfast. In the morning, an artisan gluten-free croissant with real lamination or a donut made in our own bakery that has nothing to envy in the original. For lunch or dinner, empanadas, quiches, pizzas with a crispy base. And for special occasions, a handmade apple tart or any of our celebration cakes that let no one at the table have to give up dessert.

We also have lactose-free options with correctly labeled allergens, because we know celiac disease rarely comes alone.

Our gluten-free shop in Barcelona, and shipping across Spain

We want distance to be no obstacle. Not the distance from your neighborhood to Barcelona, nor the distance from you to Catalonia.

Pick up at Balmes 106 or have it delivered

Our shop is at Carrer de Balmes 106, Barcelona — right in the Eixample — and it has become a regular meeting point for the local celiac community, tourists who look us up before traveling, and families who turn their visit into a weekly outing. With a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and over 400 reviews, we're not just a bakery: we're a refuge.

If you can't come in person, we ship across the Spanish mainland. Our products travel well because they're designed to be frozen directly in their original packaging, without losing texture or flavor when thawed. That way, every order becomes a small pantry of quality for the weeks ahead. And if you'd rather not think about it week to week, our monthly or weekly subscription gives you up to 15% off and your order arrives without you having to remember it.

You can see everything we bake daily in the full catalog of gluten-free pastries from Jansana, from sweet items to savory options for any time of day.

Frequently asked questions about what celiacs can't eat

What can't a celiac eat? What's the complete list of forbidden foods?

A celiac must avoid any food containing wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut or triticale, as well as their derivatives: conventional bread, pasta, pastries, beer, sauces thickened with flour and any processed food with wheat starch. They must also watch out for products with cross-contamination even when the main ingredient is gluten-free.

Can celiacs eat rice, corn and potatoes, or do these also contain gluten?

Yes, they can eat them without any problem. Rice, corn and potatoes are naturally gluten-free. The risk appears when they're processed: bagged potato chips with malt flavorings, or pre-cooked rice with conventional soy sauce, may contain gluten. The food in its natural form is safe; processed versions must always be checked.

Do cold cuts and deli meats contain gluten? Which brands can a celiac eat?

It depends on the product. Quality cured Iberian ham is usually safe, but mortadella, pâtés, chopped meats and some industrial sausages use wheat flour as a binder or preservative. Our recommendation: always look for the certified "gluten-free" seal, or check the list of suitable brands published by the Spanish Federation of Celiac Associations (FACE).

Can a celiac drink gluten-free beer, or is it dangerous anyway?

Beer labeled "gluten-free" is made with gluten-free cereals or through enzymatic processes that break down gluten to levels below 20 ppm. In principle it's safe for most celiacs, but some highly sensitive people with celiac disease still react to it. Conventional beer, made with barley, is completely forbidden.

What happens if a celiac accidentally eats something with gluten, even just a crumb?

It can trigger an immune response that damages the intestine, even if the symptoms aren't always immediate or visible. Some people feel unwell within hours; others notice nothing in the short term but accumulate intestinal damage. There's no "small enough amount that it doesn't matter" threshold: any sustained exposure is harmful to long-term intestinal health.

What "trap" foods contain hidden gluten that you wouldn't expect?

The most common ones are conventional soy sauce, packet broths and stock cubes, seafood substitutes (surimi), some mustards and salad dressings, roasted nuts with flavorings, certain medications with wheat starch as an excipient, and bagged potato chips with malt additives. Always read the full label.

How do I know if a supermarket product is safe for a celiac by reading the label?

Look for the "gluten-free" wording or the crossed-out wheat ear symbol, which indicates less than 20 ppm. But also check the ingredients list: wheat, barley, rye, spelt and their derivatives must appear in bold if present. The phrase "may contain traces of gluten" indicates a risk of cross-contamination and should be taken seriously.

At Jansana, we've been solving exactly these worries since 2015: our own bakery, production that's exclusively gluten-free, official accreditation, and a range that goes from breakfast to dinner. If you're in Barcelona, we're waiting for you at Balmes 106. And if you're anywhere else in Spain, visit our online shop and discover what it means to eat well without giving up anything.