Following a gluten-free diet? These invisible sources might explain why you still feel awful
Gluten is often associated with bread, pasta and cakes. Yet it can also be found in products you'd never imagine: sauces, condiments, desserts, ready-made meals, even sweets.
This can be a real headache for people with intolerance (celiac disease) or sensitivities, as a single trace can be enough to cause digestive problems or fatigue.
So where does gluten really hide? And how can we avoid it without giving up the pleasure of eating? Let's take a look at the most common pitfalls... and the safe alternatives!
Industrial sauces and soups: champions of hidden gluten
Did you know that wheat flour is often used as a thickener in ready-made sauces?
- Bechamel sauces, brown sauces, marinades, curry pastes: many contain gluten to give a smooth, homogenous texture.
- The same is true of many instant soups and soup powders, where flour replaces more expensive starches.
- Even stock cubes can contain gluten, in the form of malt or hydrolyzed vegetable proteins.
Always read the list of ingredients. Look for the words "wheat", "malt", "vegetable protein" or "thickener E150...".
✅ Homemade alternative: thicken your sauces with cornstarch, potato starch or rice flour.
Custard and creamy desserts
Traditional custards, flans, entremets and industrial dessert creams are often thickened with flour.
Lemon curd, that simple lemon dessert, also often contains wheat.
Even some ready-made puddings and caramel custard can conceal traces of gluten.
Homemade tip: use cornflour or arrowroot to thicken your gluten-free custards, without changing taste or texture.
Soy sauces and condiments
Classic soy sauce (shoyu) contains fermented wheat.
➡️ Only tamari sauce is guaranteed gluten-free.
But there's more:
- some mustards,
- industrial dressings,
- barbecue sauces and sweet-and-sour saucesmay also contain added gluten as a texture agent or binder.
✅ The right reflex: prefer simple, homemade sauces, or look for the "gluten-free" label on Asian products.
Delicatessen and ready-made meals
We don't always think about it, but gluten is often used to bind or stabilize certain preparations.
In sausages, pâtés, terrines, but also in cordons-bleus, nuggets, breadcrumbs and ready-made meals, it is very common.
Even certain marinated meats or vacuum-packed stews can contain it, especially when they claim "binders" or "vegetable proteins" in their composition.
Solution: choose artisanal products or those labelled "gluten-free", or better still, prepare your own dishes using raw ingredients.
Ice cream, confectionery and sweets: the surprise effect
Yes, even in the sweet aisle, gluten is a discreet presence:
- some industrial ice creams use flour to improve texture,
- jelly sweets contain wheat starch,
- chocolate bars and filled cookies may contain gluten, even if there are no visible cereals.
Tip: opt for artisanal ice creams or certified gluten-free products, and check the list of additives.
Verdict: gluten is hiding everywhere!
For those with sensitivities, vigilance is essential:
Reading every label is the golden rule, as gluten can hide under different names.
Look for the official "gluten-free" or "AFDIAG-certified" labels.
Beware of processed products, even those thought to be "harmless".
The good news is that home cooking is still the safest solution!
Replace wheat flour with :
- cornstarch,
- rice flour
- chestnut flour,
- buckwheat or quinoa flour.
Adèle Peyches
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